Today we celebrate a famous trio, not Peter, Paul and Mary but the Feasts of Sts. Peter and Paul this weekend and the Nativity of St. John last week. We also have updates about the St. John Church fire.
St. Peter was a doer often described as impetuous. That means he often spoke without thinking, jumping in with both feet and sometimes getting at least one foot stuck in his mouth. The saintly quality of Peter is that he had zeal and passion for the Lord and was always ready to give his all. In today’s first reading Peter has been thrown in prison, doubly chained between two soldiers and guarded by four squads of four soldiers, a total of 18 men. Suddenly an angel appears, awakens Peter and tells him to dress. The chains fall from him wrists and he walks to safety. Amazing things happen when we give ourselves totally to the Lord.
St. Paul was more of a thinker and a teacher. He was a person of two lives – first called Saul, a Jewish Pharisee breathing murderous threats against the new Christians. But then an amazing conversion on the road to Damascus, and he goes from persecuting Christians to pouring out his life as a libation for Christians. Paul was known for his missionary journeys and as the great apostle to the Gentiles, the outsiders, taking the Christian faith to the ends of the earth. In today’s second reading, Paul is near the end of his life. He has given his all and he knows his time of dissolution is near. We hear those famous words, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Paul was not one to give up nor give in, rather he gave his all. He finished the race – persevering in the midst struggle and hardship. And he kept the faith, he stayed true to God in all things. We are called to do the same.
And we celebrate St. John the Baptist the precursor who pointed the way to Christ. John gained quite a following through his ministry which called for repentance. Yet John’s mission was prophetic and not about himself. He always pointed beyond himself to the Lamb of God. With great humility, John knew and lived his role paving the way for Jesus, the Light of the world. We too are called to point to Christ Our Light.
It’s been almost a month since fire ravaged St. John the Baptist Church and my heart still aches each time I drive by. I’m sure that is true for so many of you who have been part of St. John’s much longer. A fixture and foundation of our lives has been devastated, and it affects us all. Yet we also know the paschal mystery, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is the true foundation of our lives and that even from destruction and death, comes new life and hope. The promise of our faith is that God makes all things new and there is reason to hope.
I have seen signs of hope in the fire fighters and first responders who came to our help, the workers dangling in the man basket retrieving the bells, in the many people helping to mitigate the damage, retrieve sacred items and begin to dream about the future. And I have seen hope in the staff and parishioners of St. Johns and the Marion and Christ Our Light family, who even in the midst of devastation and loss know that God is with us, God is helping us and God will make all things new.
The fire investigators and insurance companies completed their onsite inspections June 20th and we are waiting for them to determine origin and cause and settlement. FIRST ONSITE was given complete access last week and brought in two large cranes to remove the larger debris. One crane was doing most of the lifting, but a second was necessary at times when the workers in the man basket were cutting away debris. Crews will be onsite Monday, June 30th to clean out the smaller debris and pick up debris in the grass so that it can be mowed.
I have seen signs of hope in the sacred items retrieved from the church: vestments and sacred vessels, the advent candle stand and relics, the presider’s chair, sanctuary lamp and the tabernacle retrieved last Wednesday with the ciborium lid still sealed and the Blessed Sacrament inside. Initially the Archdiocese advised reverently burying the Blessed Sacrament but after a visit by Archbishop Schnurr on Thursday and consultation Thursday evening, they advised dissolving the Blessed Sacrament in water and pouring into the sacrarium, the special sink in all churches for purifying sacred vessels. This is the normal way for reverently disposing of the Blessed Sacrament when it has been compromised such as with the fire. Unfortunately, the Daily Standard interview for Friday’s paper was before the advice to dissolve.
And I have hope in the future of St. John the Baptist Church even though it is too early to know what the future will look like until further assessments take place. There are multiple scenarios that could happen from what we know at this time. The church could be rebuilt as it was. Parts of the church could be reused with new parts built on. The remaining structure could be raised and a new church built. The viability of each of these options may change as insurance settlement is determined, as the integrity of the remaining structure is assessed and as needs for the next 100+ years are discerned.
Ultimately, the parishioners of St. John the Baptist will decide the future of St. John the Baptist Church. However, we will need to rely on structural engineers, architects and others to tell us what is possible. We will need to follow Archdiocesan liturgical and building requirements as well as have the financial means to do what is proposed. A St. John Building Committee being formed, the Parish Council and Finance Committee, along with Archdiocesan personnel, will help lead efforts discerning and deciding next steps.
As many of you have heard, Archbishop Casey approved an Archdiocesan wide special collection for St. John Church. This is similar to collections held for other disasters such as tornados, hurricanes, etc. That special collection is being held in all the Christ Our Light parishes this weekend and the Countryfest Committee has graciously determined that the collection from this Mass will go towards the recovery efforts of St. John the Baptist Church. In addition, the Archdiocesan Stewardship office has set up an online giving platform and will assist with gift processing. Providing these services is a blessing to St. John’s and alleviates additional work for our local staff. All proceeds received will come back to St. John Church. If you would like to learn more about what’s happening and how to help, Parish Council and Finance members are at the information stand. You can visit the Marion Catholic Community website and you can sign up for Flocknotes to get weekly updates. We are planning a Firemen and First Responder thank you prayer service and gathering Sunday, July 27th with Archbishop Casey. We hope you will join us.
This will be a long and complicated process, but we are confident that we have the right people in place to helps us. Within the next couple of months, we hope to have viable options for what St. John Church can be in the future and then as a parish discern and decide the best path forward. The whole process could take several years, so we need to be patient, work with the professionals and trust in the Holy Spirit to lead us. Indeed, God makes all things new, even out of death and destruction. There is reason to hope.
St. Paul was more of a thinker and a teacher. He was a person of two lives – first called Saul, a Jewish Pharisee breathing murderous threats against the new Christians. But then an amazing conversion on the road to Damascus, and he goes from persecuting Christians to pouring out his life as a libation for Christians. Paul was known for his missionary journeys and as the great apostle to the Gentiles, the outsiders, taking the Christian faith to the ends of the earth. In today’s second reading, Paul is near the end of his life. He has given his all and he knows his time of dissolution is near. We hear those famous words, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Paul was not one to give up nor give in, rather he gave his all. He finished the race – persevering in the midst struggle and hardship. And he kept the faith, he stayed true to God in all things. We are called to do the same.
And we celebrate St. John the Baptist the precursor who pointed the way to Christ. John gained quite a following through his ministry which called for repentance. Yet John’s mission was prophetic and not about himself. He always pointed beyond himself to the Lamb of God. With great humility, John knew and lived his role paving the way for Jesus, the Light of the world. We too are called to point to Christ Our Light.
It’s been almost a month since fire ravaged St. John the Baptist Church and my heart still aches each time I drive by. I’m sure that is true for so many of you who have been part of St. John’s much longer. A fixture and foundation of our lives has been devastated, and it affects us all. Yet we also know the paschal mystery, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is the true foundation of our lives and that even from destruction and death, comes new life and hope. The promise of our faith is that God makes all things new and there is reason to hope.
I have seen signs of hope in the fire fighters and first responders who came to our help, the workers dangling in the man basket retrieving the bells, in the many people helping to mitigate the damage, retrieve sacred items and begin to dream about the future. And I have seen hope in the staff and parishioners of St. Johns and the Marion and Christ Our Light family, who even in the midst of devastation and loss know that God is with us, God is helping us and God will make all things new.
The fire investigators and insurance companies completed their onsite inspections June 20th and we are waiting for them to determine origin and cause and settlement. FIRST ONSITE was given complete access last week and brought in two large cranes to remove the larger debris. One crane was doing most of the lifting, but a second was necessary at times when the workers in the man basket were cutting away debris. Crews will be onsite Monday, June 30th to clean out the smaller debris and pick up debris in the grass so that it can be mowed.
I have seen signs of hope in the sacred items retrieved from the church: vestments and sacred vessels, the advent candle stand and relics, the presider’s chair, sanctuary lamp and the tabernacle retrieved last Wednesday with the ciborium lid still sealed and the Blessed Sacrament inside. Initially the Archdiocese advised reverently burying the Blessed Sacrament but after a visit by Archbishop Schnurr on Thursday and consultation Thursday evening, they advised dissolving the Blessed Sacrament in water and pouring into the sacrarium, the special sink in all churches for purifying sacred vessels. This is the normal way for reverently disposing of the Blessed Sacrament when it has been compromised such as with the fire. Unfortunately, the Daily Standard interview for Friday’s paper was before the advice to dissolve.
And I have hope in the future of St. John the Baptist Church even though it is too early to know what the future will look like until further assessments take place. There are multiple scenarios that could happen from what we know at this time. The church could be rebuilt as it was. Parts of the church could be reused with new parts built on. The remaining structure could be raised and a new church built. The viability of each of these options may change as insurance settlement is determined, as the integrity of the remaining structure is assessed and as needs for the next 100+ years are discerned.
Ultimately, the parishioners of St. John the Baptist will decide the future of St. John the Baptist Church. However, we will need to rely on structural engineers, architects and others to tell us what is possible. We will need to follow Archdiocesan liturgical and building requirements as well as have the financial means to do what is proposed. A St. John Building Committee being formed, the Parish Council and Finance Committee, along with Archdiocesan personnel, will help lead efforts discerning and deciding next steps.
As many of you have heard, Archbishop Casey approved an Archdiocesan wide special collection for St. John Church. This is similar to collections held for other disasters such as tornados, hurricanes, etc. That special collection is being held in all the Christ Our Light parishes this weekend and the Countryfest Committee has graciously determined that the collection from this Mass will go towards the recovery efforts of St. John the Baptist Church. In addition, the Archdiocesan Stewardship office has set up an online giving platform and will assist with gift processing. Providing these services is a blessing to St. John’s and alleviates additional work for our local staff. All proceeds received will come back to St. John Church. If you would like to learn more about what’s happening and how to help, Parish Council and Finance members are at the information stand. You can visit the Marion Catholic Community website and you can sign up for Flocknotes to get weekly updates. We are planning a Firemen and First Responder thank you prayer service and gathering Sunday, July 27th with Archbishop Casey. We hope you will join us.
This will be a long and complicated process, but we are confident that we have the right people in place to helps us. Within the next couple of months, we hope to have viable options for what St. John Church can be in the future and then as a parish discern and decide the best path forward. The whole process could take several years, so we need to be patient, work with the professionals and trust in the Holy Spirit to lead us. Indeed, God makes all things new, even out of death and destruction. There is reason to hope.
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