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The New Year: An Opportunity to "Re-Boot"

by Fr. Michael S. Murray, OSFS

Goodbye 2024, Hello 2025!

We have barely recovered from the run-up to Christmas and all the merriment—and mayhem—that comes with it as we stand on the edge of a new calendar year. Hopefully, amid all the recent busyness we experienced something of the joy, peace, and promise that we associate with celebrating the Nativity of Our Lord with family, relatives, and friends!

The new year offers us the chance to turn the page in our lives: to advance what was good and to leave behind what may have been challenging to the year to come, even as we learn from both.

That said, each new year is an opportunity for us to “reboot,” to take a few steps back before moving forward in order to reconsider the things, relationships and values in our lives that are of paramount importance as we consider these questions:

·       What have I been about this past year?

·       What is my focus in the here and now?

·       What would I like to be about in the year to come?

As we devote time to reflect upon our answers to these (and similar) questions in our lives, take to heart these words from St. Francis de Sales as we embark upon the year 2025:

“At the beginning of this new year, I would like to assure you of my good wishes which in no way resemble the years which perish and pass away with their vicissitudes; the infinite affection I have for you is firm, lasting and exempt from all the change except that of constant increase.”

“Persevere in this great courage and determination which keeps material things in perspective, making you pass over them like a happy halcyon bird lifted safely above the waves of the world which flood this age. Keep your eyes steadfastly fixed on that blissful day of eternity towards which the course of years bears us on; and these years pass by us step by step until we reach the end of the road. But meanwhile, in each passing moment there lies enclosed as in a tiny kernel the seed of all eternity; and in our humble little works of devotion lies hidden the prize of everlasting glory, and the little efforts we take to serve God and one another lead to repose of a bliss that can never end.”

What is the secret to making beneficial use of yet another new year? Doing our level best to live this new year one day, one hour, one moment at a time with as much intention and attention as we can possibly muster.

Wishing us all a Happy, Healthy and Holy New Year!

My family moved to Reston in the summer of 2022 and that first winter I distinctly remember learning a little about the Hypothermia Prevention Shelter. I recall just being struck by how perfect an example—and opportunity—this was on how to live as the hands and feet of Christ. Looking back, I don't think I really knew what to do the first year, but I did what I felt I knew—I picked up tags and casserole pans—we simply bought jeans and supplies and baked a casserole. I knew I could do that! This was my first time donating food where the recipe was provided, and I was so excited not to have to figure out what to make. Not only, was I deeply impressed by the organization, but the recipe for Swiss Chicken Vegetable Medley Casserole I made that year has become a Wright family comfort meal favorite!

Last year, our second winter, was my first year as a member of SJN Staff, and it became part of my job to learn more about the program. This is when I first witnessed the level of detail, preparation, and coordination required to be part of Fairfax County's Hypothermia Prevention Program. I began to learn about our nearly twenty-year history as a contributing parish, I met the people who are the heart and soul of SJN's effort, and I learned that the Swiss Chicken Vegetable Medley recipe, like all the recipes, was selected from their family favorites.

When the Shelter week began, I worked just down the hall, so I saw the faces of the men and women as they returned to SJN each evening. When the struggle of affordable housing takes a human face, it is natural to reflect on our own blessings—each of these people have a personal story, something that has happened—journeying a low valley that is yet to ascend. The realization is striking. Last year, my teen son served an evening meal with our High School Youth Group. I watched him filling water glasses and speaking with the guests. They were watching the Dallas-Packers NFL playoff game, and to this day he talks about the one guest who was a diehard Dallas Cowboy fan even to their bitter defeat. Whether he knows it or not, his heart was imprinted with the memory of encountering this man.

Like most people, I am sensitive to seeing people struggle to have basic needs met—I carry my worry for them far beyond our brief encounter. The Hypothermia Prevention Shelter provides a safe and organized opportunity to respond to the basic needs of others in coordination with our faith community. This year, we will again make casseroles and buy supplies. I will again see the faces as I work, but this year, I have signed up to also be an on-site volunteer, and I look forward to better understanding and appreciating this program and the significant need for charitable services and affordable housing in our community. – Elizabeth Wright

Over the past eleven years, my involvement in the Hypothermia Prevention Shelter week at St. John Neumann has provided profoundly impactful experiences that resonate with both myself and our guests. One particular evening stands out: a joyful celebration following a dinner prepared by our Spanish community, filled with engaging conversations and delicious food. As a live band played 70s hits, one of our guests began dancing, transforming the cafeteria into an impromptu dance floor filled with laughter and connection. A guest facing personal struggles shared that the evening felt like a "lovely escape" from her challenges, expressing heartfelt gratitude for the warmth and camaraderie she experienced in our church community, affectionately referring to it as the "Hilton." This is one of the many moments that exemplify the power of compassion and community at St. John Neumann. Each year, we create a welcoming environment for Hypothermia Prevention Shelter guests, ensuring they feel valued and cherished. In doing so, we truly bring our SJN mantra to life and embody the spirit shared by all our guests: "All are Welcome." – George Zackschewski

Helping out at the Hypothermia week at SJN is an event to remember and cherish. I’ve helped out for many years with serving meals, cleaning dishes and visiting with guests during dinner. Time seems to fly by during the evenings of our annual week of providing Christian care for others. There is a special energy between and among the volunteers and guests. Each year I venture further from my safe role as provider to a more generous role as fellow companion along the journey of life for those on the margins. It is heartwarming and humbling to receive the genuine thanks for food, shelter, and conversation. If you haven’t experienced the blessings of being a Hypothermia host, maybe this is the year to meet Christ in a different venue. – Janet Broderick

The memory that always strikes me the most is an evening when my husband and I were having dinner with our Hypothermia guests. He and I were at separate tables, and a woman my husband was seated with pointed across the room to me and said, "Do you know that woman?" To which, Rich, of course, replied, "Yes, she is my wife." The woman continued, "I know her—from the preschool—my child attended here." I had been involved with the SJN Preschool when it began, and our paths had previously crossed. This was such a poignant reminder of the personal level of homelessness. It isn't in anyone's plans, yet so many vulnerable lives are impacted by a life change, sickness, divorce, domestic abuse, job loss. Our Hypothermia shelter is a way to love others as we would want to be loved. – Marianne Stana

I’ve been participating in the Hypothermia program for about seven years. For me, it is among the most rewarding volunteer activities that I have ever done. The folks we serve are very appreciative of our service. I’ve found most of the guests to be willing to engage in conversation, as best they can. 

I often think about the words found in Matthew 25: For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome. The Hypothermia program offers you the opportunity to encounter many people in need of your services in one large room. – Ed Rafferty

I have been involved in the county's Hypothermia program at St. John Neumann for several years. I am now 80. Having previously gone to ten or so Hypothermia evenings, even though I have had a lot of experience with affordable housing, the biggest issue that I want to share is that just listening to the homeless folks who come from living in their cars and outside in many cases. They really appreciate people listening. We learn a lot on how to help from listening.  – Dick Kennedy

For many years, meeting homeless individuals on the street or seeing them at intersections created anxiety and a little bit of fear in me. But once I began to interact with these men and women, first as a volunteer at the Embry Rucker Shelter and then at SJN's Hypothermia Week, I realized that they liked to talk about sports, movies, jobs (yes, some do have jobs), families, etc. They readily talk about their needs and desires that go beyond where they are today. In other words, except for current circumstances, they are very much like me.

We know that people in our community are indeed experiencing homelessness, and at SJN and elsewhere, we pray for an end to homelessness. Hypothermia Week at SJN is the opportunity to meet some of the people we are praying for and to convert our good prayers into good actions through the feeding, clothing, and housing that occurs throughout this special week. 

First-time volunteers at Hypothermia Week discover that our program is very organized with each volunteer able to select one or more tasks to undertake on a single morning, evening, or overnight day of the week or multiple times during the week. And every part of Hypothermia Week includes an experienced leader available to assist new volunteers, answer questions, and manage anything that might arise.

So, if you haven't ever volunteered or if it has been a few years since you last volunteered for Hypothermia Week, I would encourage you to sign up for whatever task or activity that you are most comfortable with and share in the true joy that comes from helping others in need. – Eddie Byrne

Last year I read about an opportunity to help at the Hypothermia shelter. It was posted in the parish bulletin for St. Thomas à Becket in Reston. Over the past few years a few local friends and neighbors, originally from Ireland, have formed a bond or sisterhood in our new home away from home. We decided to volunteer to help out as a group and showed up on our designated day. We helped set up the meal, serve, clear away and wash the dishes. Nothing too extreme, nothing too difficult.

We were not sure what to expect other than to roll up our sleeves and help wherever we were needed. When we arrived, we were greeted with a very organized and cheerful bunch of volunteers. People who had volunteered at the center for years and they were great at helping us find our spot on the assembly line.



We all came away from that evening with the unanimous feeling that volunteering is good for the soul. The fact that we were brought together as a team in faith and in action made it all the more satisfying. Helping those among us going through the valleys in life, reminds us that we all have peaks and valleys in life. Today, there but for the grace of God, go I.

Niamh, Audrey, and Tanya will be there with our sleeves rolled up along with one or two additional Irish cailíns. Thanks for the opportunity! – Niamh E. Diorio

I’ve only been on the periphery of the shelter, but it’s been SO wonderful to watch this ministry grow over the years! Our kids always love selecting tags off the needs board in the hallway and picking out clothes or gift cards to donate to the Shelter Guests. The kids in faith formation classes enjoy making place mats and cards for guests. It’s such a kind and welcoming touch!

Each year the food donations have gotten better and better. The Shelter Meals are already in a pan with recipes, so you just make the food, and the label is on the back. It’s so easy and a wonderful way to support our guests. Plus, I’ve found a few recipes that are now family favorites! 

I love how our SJN community comes together to pray, feed, clothe and support our brothers and sisters who are experiencing homelessness. It is these actions that give us an opportunity to be the hands of Jesus. Thank you to all of our parishioners who make this such a wonderful and welcoming community where we can live Jesus! – Jennie Uhl

Hypothermia week at St. John Neumann is certainly an opportunity to put the compassion of Catholic Social Teaching into practice. As powerful as the opportunity it presents, to be graced and humbled by the guests who arrive at the door. Whether warming and serving meals in the kitchen, passing out a dessert tray at the end of supper or sitting down to enjoy the meal with those who are visiting, I always find myself energized and uplifted by the experience. This reaction is not unique to me, as volunteers, both experienced and first timers, enthusiastically express their delight in participating and confirm their desire to volunteer again. It seems to me that volunteering at Hypothermia is a perfect "coda" to the Christmas season. – Michele Costello

I have nearly 20 years of memories of hypothermia prevention week. Some are fleeting: the time I saw a young man leaving SJN for the next faith community, with a placemat made by our faith formation students sticking out of his backpack; the time a guest told us that our meals and the china plates they were served on made her feel as though she were in a nice restaurant; the time a guest told me that my husband and I should be talking and not texting each other; the many times volunteers and guests danced and sang together. But there was one weekend that I’ll never forget: January of 2016, when Snowzilla hit us with nearly two feet of snow the last weekend of hypo. The snowstorm was not unexpected, and we were prepared in terms of supplies. Parishioners brought in blankets in case we lost power (we didn’t). Whole Foods brought over all of their unsold baked goods. Volunteers brought as many snow shovels as they had; we knew we’d be snowed in for a while. And of course, we had a lot of casseroles, thanks to our parishioners. About 25 guests stayed with us, as well as two FACETS staff members. We arrived on Friday morning and didn’t leave until Monday. It was a hypo immersion program.

What did we do? Volunteers and guests shoveled a lot of snow, although we were no match for the elements. We learned that emergency vehicles are very good in the snow. We ate enormous amounts of pastries. We played games, especially Dominoes and Bingo. We watched movies, rested when we could, and stayed warm. We got to know each other by sharing our stories—there was lots of time for talking. Some of the guests started calling me Mom. Most volunteers could not come in, but Martin and Flor Graves walked over with dinner for Saturday. On Sunday, some volunteers left, but some of us couldn’t get back into our homes, so we stayed with the guests. By the time the next church picked up the guests on Monday, we were sad to say goodbye. The guests made sure we knew how much they appreciated us, and we felt a bond with them. Patty Holley and I visited them later in the season to see how they were doing, and there were many hugs.

It has been gratifying to me to be a part of the county’s hypothermia prevention program, but the program is not a solution. Housing costs have pushed people into situations they never expected or wanted, such as sleeping on the floor with many others at our shelter. I look forward to the time when people will have their own spaces, and our program will no longer be needed. – Pam Dister

We hope these testimonies have given you a better perspective of the Hypothermia Prevention Shelter, and more than that, perhaps the Holy Spirit is tugging at your heart. This weekend, you will have the opportunity to pick up tags for supplies, food, and clothing we will need to welcome our guests on January 19. There will also be casserole pans and recipes (be sure to check out the Swiss Chicken Vegetable Medley recipe) to pick up this weekend. Additionally, there are still plenty of on-site volunteer opportunities available. Click the button below to learn more. We look forward to welcoming more volunteers, especially those who are new to this beautiful mission that embraces SJN's devotion to "Living Jesus."

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s fight for just laws to end segregation and inequality in our nation is clearly echoed in our own Catholic Social Teaching with a foundation in our Catechism: "Created in the image of the one God and equally endowed with rational souls, all men have the same origin. Redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, all are called to participate in the same divine beatitude: all therefore enjoy an equal dignity." (CCC 1934) We are each made in the image and likeness of God, and God is present in each of us. We are called to respect and love each other as Christ loves us. Pope Francis continues to remind us that both the work of King and our Catholic Social Teachings continue to call us to be centered on loving our neighbors as Christ taught us: "Building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to others, rejecting a mindset of hostility in order to adopt one of reciprocal subsidiary, in a constant effort to do our best."

This month, as we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, spend some time reflecting on his work, focusing on how his teachings were rooted in the love of Christ. Following are three short prayers from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's "Thou, Dear God: Prayers That Open Hearts and Spirits" to guide our own hearts in continuing to choose love over hate, fear, or division:

O Thou Eternal God, out of whose absolute power and infinite intelligence the whole universe has come into being, we humbly confess that we have not loved thee with our hearts, souls and minds, and we have not loved our neighbors as Christ loved us. We have all too often lived by our own selfish impulses rather than by the life of sacrificial love as revealed by Christ. We often give in order to receive. We love our friends and hate our enemies. We go the first mile but dare not travel the second. We forgive but dare not forget. And so as we look within ourselves, we are confronted with the appalling fact that the history of our lives is the history of an eternal revolt against you. But thou, O God, have mercy upon us. Forgive us for what we could have been but failed to be. Give us the intelligence to know your will. Give us the courage to do your will. Give us the devotion to love thy will. In the name and spirit of Jesus we pray. Amen.

O God, we thank you for the lives of great saints and prophets in the past, who have revealed to us that we can stand up amid the problems and difficulties and trials of life and not give in. We thank you for our foreparents, who’ve given us something in the midst of the darkness of exploitation and oppression to keep going. Grant that we will go on with the proper faith and the proper determination of will, so that we will be able to make a creative contribution to this world. In the name and spirit of Jesus we pray. Amen.

O God, make us willing to do your will, come what may. Increase the number of persons of good will and moral sensitivity. Give us renewed confidence in nonviolence and the way of love as taught by Christ. Amen.

Adapted from “Thou, Dear God: Prayers That Open Hearts and Spirits," The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., edited by Lewis V. Baldwin (Beacon Press, 2014)

Our ministry of ACTION (Advocacy – Change – Transparency – Inclusion – ONgoing reform) started in late 2018 following news reports that Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania covered up cases of sexual abuse for decades and that then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick sexually harassed seminarians and abused a minor. Like Catholics across the country, parishioners at St. John Neumann felt outrage and sorrow that our Church had not faced up to the crisis of sexual abuse, even after journalists since the early 1990s and the Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” reporting in 2002 had highlighted the problem. This news reporting had prompted changes across American dioceses in how Church clergy, staff, and volunteers protected children, but the changes clearly had not gone far enough. Our parish sponsored a listening session with counselors and theologians to help us begin to discern what needed to be done and to get more information about the serious problem of sexual abuse. 

The ACTION ministry emerged out of that listening session. It has continued since then to advocate for more transparency – not just in the Church’s response to reports of sexual abuse, but in everything the Church does. ACTION also has looked for ways to encourage the Church to change procedures and norms that promote clericalism, which Pope Francis has tied to the Church’s mishandling of sexual abuse because it “leads to an excision in the ecclesial body that supports and helps to perpetuate many of the evils that we are condemning.” ACTION has seen its work as urging the Church to move more quickly in the direction that the Church was already heading: protecting children more effectively and creating greater overall transparency. In looking for ways to educate parishioners about the problem of sexual abuse within the Church, ACTION has worked with other Catholics who wanted to help the Church reform and restore itself.

As ACTION focused on education, reform, and restoration, we realized that, like the Church, we were not putting sexual abuse survivors and victims first. We were not really learning from their perspectives, reaching out to them effectively, and foregrounding their experience as we looked for ways to support survivor-victims and help the entire Church heal. We realized that we had to work harder to reach out to survivor-victims, support them where we could, and help them tell their story.

Would you like to help ACTION continue to educate parishioners about sexual abuse, push for a greater voice for the laity, and help survivor-victims? These are challenging tasks and there is still much work to be done, especially for survivor-victims, even though reports of abuse in the American Church are no longer filling the headlines. The prevalence of sexual abuse across our society means that some people you know or who are worshiping with you are survivor-victims. As in previous years, ACTION will be drawing attention to the importance of protecting children during National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. Contact sjnaction@gmail.com if you would like to help address the challenges in our ministry and check out our page on the parish website. The rest of this article summarizes what ACTION has done over the past five years—activities that you could help to continue in the future.

Continuing to Protect Children

The ACTION page on the parish website lists information for reporting sexual abuse of children and the diocesan policies for reporting suspected abuse. If you suspect sexual abuse is happening, contact Fairfax County Child Protective Services at 703-324-7400. Our diocese has a policy for reporting suspected incidents of child sexual abuse or misconduct.

ACTION has sponsored educational programs to help parishioners and members of our community be better informed about protecting children. In September of this year, Diane Tarantini, the author of books highlighting best practices for parents and families, gave a talk in the parish hall, “Keep the Children You Love Safe: What Keeps a Body Safety Educator Awake at Night?”

Helping Survivors and Putting Their Experiences

First in Restoring the Church

ACTION members have sought ways to support survivor-victims, and the ACTION ministry has organized events that enabled survivors to tell their stories.

Survivor-victims can benefit from a caring response in the form of a listening and compassionate presence, companionship, and support as they seek to repair the damage that has been done to them.

• ACTION members have accompanied survivor-victims to meetings and prayer services. ACTION would like to offer more assistance to the diocese’s Office of Child Protection and Victim Assistance by accompanying adult survivor-victims, praying with and for them, and providing needed services, such as transportation to meetings. Here is an area where ACTION has a real need that is sometimes unmet! 

• In 2020 and 2021 an ACTION member completed the STAR (Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience) program through Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, with the intention of offering listening circles to survivor-victims on behalf of the ACTION Committee. A program for support was initiated and publicized widely through various organizations, including the Diocese of Arlington. While this effort did not bear fruit directly, it did enable the ACTION member to engage with the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis virtual listening circles for survivor-victims. This member participated as a supporter and advocate in this program. She also engaged with the Diocese of Arlington's Office of Victim Assistance and has attended their regular support groups meetings and continues to provide support for victims/survivors who need help getting to medical appointments.

Survivors have been able to provide testimony at public events organized by ACTION. This testimony can help the survivor in their journey of healing and restoration. This testimony also is important for the Church to witness. The stories of survivors point to needed reforms in the Church and the responsibilities of the laity in preventing sexual abuse. More than 100 persons attended an “An Evening of Testimony” in the parish that featured presentations by survivors. ACTION also hosted the one-act play, “Conversations with My Molester: A Journey of Faith,” by Michael Mack, a survivor whose work has been covered by The New York Times and other news sources. Last year, ACTION worked with other faith communities in the Northern Virginia area to highlight the problem of sexual abuse across religious denominations and to enable survivors to tell their stories. ACTION represented the parish by co-sponsoring, with Georgetown University, an “Evening of Testimony: An Invitation to Hope,” whose speakers included Rev. Gerard J. McGlone S.J. of Georgetown, and Mark Williams, a prominent survivor and advocate who has led the U.S. Catholic bishops in prayer and reflection about the problem of sexual abuse.

Education about Sexual Abuse in the Church and

What Is to Be Done

The ACTION ministry has sponsored programs to educate the parish and other Catholics about the causes of sexual abuse and the implications for the role of the laity in leading the Church in the future. Along those lines, ACTION developed and offered to the parish and other Catholics a faith formation program, “We are the Church.” This initiative drew from Church experts and Vatican II documents in examining the specifics of the Church’s mishandling of sexual abuse allegations and the steps ordinary Catholics can take to prevent a recurrence of the systemic kinds of abuse that have afflicted the Church. ACTION has also sponsored showings of award-winning movies about the problem of sexual abuse, including “Spotlight,” the best picture Oscar film in 2016, and “By the Grace of God,” a film about abuse in the Church in France. 



Advocacy within the Church

After the revelations in 2018 about sexual abuse in the Church, ACTION organized letter-writing campaigns to the US bishops and to Bishop Burbidge calling for greater transparency and urgency in implementing needed reforms to protect children and address the systemic reasons associated with the problem within the Church. Hundreds of parishioners signed the letters to the US bishops. These letters and inputs from other Catholics across the country contributed to the reforms that the US bishops undertook in the wake of the sexual abuse scandal. ACTION feels that additional steps are needed to strengthen the role of the laity within the Church, to give greater weight to the testimony of survivors, and to more fully restore and heal the Church.

For More Information about Sexual Abuse within the Church and the Church’s Response

Here are some suggested sources for additional information:

• The ACTION page on the parish website, which includes information about reporting suspected incidents of abuse.

• The web page of the Arlington Diocese’s Office of Child Protection and Victim Assistance.

• The Arlington Diocese’s List of those Credibly Accused of Abuse.

• The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales statement on healing and allegations of sexual misconduct, which contains links to information about Oblates credibly accused of sexual abuse.

• The web page for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People, which contains links to US bishops’ statements and initiatives to address the problem of sexual abuse.

• Pope Francis’ Letter to the People of God (2018).

• There are two excellent podcasts about the factors behind sexual abuse within the Church, the Church’s response, and what ordinary Catholics can do. Both podcasts are several years old, but they are still relevant and full of information and food for reflection. The first is a production of America Media, the Jesuits’ media forum in the U.S., and is entitled, “Deliver Us.” The second is associated with the Catholic University of America, and is entitled, “Crisis: Clergy Abuse in the Catholic Church.”

Jubilee 2025 Holy Year Prayer

Father in heaven,

may the faith you have given us

in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,

and the flame of charity enkindled

in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,

reawaken in us the blessed hope

for the coming of your Kingdom.

May your grace transform us

into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.

May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos

in the sure expectation

of a new heaven and a new earth,

when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,

your glory will shine eternally.

May the grace of the Jubilee

reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,

a yearning for the treasures of heaven.

May that same grace spread

the joy and peace of our Redeemer

throughout the earth.

To you our God, eternally blessed,

be glory and praise for ever.

Amen.



The Pope's Intention for Prayer and Action

for January

For the right to an education

Let us pray for migrants, refugees, and those affected by war, that their right to an education, which is necessary to build a better world, might always be respected.