St. John Neumann Catholic Community
Staffed by Oblates of St. Francis de Sales
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Current Mass Times
Saturday: 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 7:30am, 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m. (español), 5:00pm
Monday-Friday: 9:00 a.m.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 12:10pm
(The 12:10pm Mass ends on Friday, May 27. It Returns on Wednesday, September 7)
Confession
Saturday: 10:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. (English)
Sunday: 3:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. (español)
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Dear Friends,
I am writing this column for the May Newsletter on the Tuesday following Easter Sunday. We still have about eleven more days until May. We are experiencing cooler weather now but anticipating the arrival of sunnier, warmer days. This time of year fills me with hope. Having just celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are reminded of the greatest gift we can ever receive—the gift of salvation and eternal life. This should give us tremendous hope. So many trees and bushes, such as the beautiful azaleas, are budding and showing new life. We will celebrate Mother's Day in a few weeks, and then the graduation season begins. We also are in the midst of celebrating the Sacrament of First Eucharist. What a blessing to witness so many of our young parishioners receive the Body of Christ for the first time. It is notable for them and their families and our entire faith community. It was also such a joy and a real morale booster to welcome nine new members into the full communion of the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. And during May, we will be receiving more adults into full communion.
We are also at the time of year when our faith formation/catechesis classes for our children wind down. What a great time for families to grow their domestic Church! Perhaps you can plan to come together to Mass and other parish activities as a family. Maybe set aside some time as a family to pray and discuss different aspects of our faith. Take time to visit the Bible Museum in Washington, D.C., hike around the Grotto at Mt. Saint Mary's, or visit Mother Seton's Shrine. These last two excellent sites are in Emmitsburg, Maryland, only about an hour or so away. Perhaps have your children look up information about the lives of different Saints and talk about them.
In fact, I believe that in our parish library, we have a cookbook or two that have recipes that go along with the nationality of some of our saints. So I am confident our parents and children can develop creative ways to learn and celebrate the richness of our faith in a fun and leisurely way that includes the whole family.
Congratulations and blessings to all of those receiving their First Eucharist and to all of those who have been or are being received into the Church this spring!
Live Jesus,
Fr. Joe
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Catechetical Corner
Our Road to Emmaus
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By Mickie Abatemarco
As we enter this Easter season, I think of the people who were able to recognize Jesus on their road to Emmaus. Years ago, my sisters and I cleaned our grandparents’ home, which had been in our family for 60 years.
In one of the rooms, we found the prayer book my grandfather received on his wedding day in 1913 and my grandmother’s passport from 1923. It quickly brought back the memories of these two wonderful people in my life and the journey they took through life together. They did not know where that journey would lead them, but they believed God would journey with them wherever it did.
They brought up four children during the depression. They sent three sons off to World War II, and only two came home. They watched their children marry and have children. Every day of their lives, they started their day committed to journeying with God…even when the road got too difficult.
When I was 12, my grandmother broke her hip, and Parkinson’s disease hindered the healing. She spent the last seven years of her life in pain and bedridden but never stopped walking the journey. She smiled and told us stories when we entered her room. She shared her love, her life, and her faith.
Faith is a great mystery we need to dwell on. We need to stay with it, live it, feel it and never think we have uncovered it all. The essence of faith is believing even when we don’t see or know the answer.
In the Emmaus story, two disciples were walking along the road. They were walking away from Jerusalem and were confused. They placed high hopes in Jesus. The disciples saw him as a wonder-worker. They saw the incredible things that He had done, yet they thought that he wasn’t the one because of his death. They two had hoped someone would come and take care of them. They had hoped someone would come and free them from all the things holding them down. It is clear that these disciples, who spent a great deal of time with Jesus during his public life, did not completely get it. After His Resurrection, Jesus appears, again and again, to show the disciples and us what we may have missed. That is the gift of this Easter season, real-life comes after death, but we must have faith to believe it.
The two disciples are walking away; they cannot embrace the heart of the message. As they walked, Jesus appeared and began to walk with them. As they walked, they recognized Jesus when they broke bread with Him and exclaimed to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us?” They become resurrection people! Resurrection is the image of survival; Resurrection is the image of conquering.
The incredible power that Jesus possessed enters into our lives in a way that doesn’t fix the world around us. This power comes into our lives to enable us to deal with the things that we cannot fix or that we can fix. The real power of faith enables us to accomplish what we need to accomplish.
My grandparents were empowered, people. It was not a word they knew. They knew that Resurrection is in the image of survival…when they buried their oldest son. Resurrection is in the image of conquering pain and illness so they could share life’s stories with those they loved. That is how they were able to walk every day with and not away from the resurrected Christ.
The disciples took the challenge…my grandparents took the challenge. Today the challenge is ours!
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By Duane Hyland
When I was a child, and my parents and grandparents would teach me lessons about our faith and our Saints, I always pictured the Heavenly "offices" of our Saints as bustling places, with requests flooding in and prayers on our behalf going out. But, as I grew up, I realized that some Saints are more "popular" than others. Our Blessed Mother is extremely busy. St. Jude is pretty busy. St. Anthony is very busy (and requests that you keep better track of your items). But how about the Saints that we don't turn to a lot, that we barely know to exist? They are there, and they would love to hear from you! And why not start talking with them this summer?
Are you a swimmer? The next time you are in the pool, why not say a prayer to St. Adjutor? He was a Norman knight who fought in the First Crusade. Enemy forces twice captured St. Adjutor. Each time he prayed to his favorite saint, Saint Mary Magdalen, to intercede for him, and she did. The second time, she showed St. Adjutor that he could break his chains and swim away from his captors, which is how he freed himself. After returning to his native Normandy, St. Adjutor built a chapel in honor of St. Mary Magdalen. Near the chapel, in the river Seine, there was a fierce whirlpool that had been the site of many drownings. St. Adjutor, along with the Bishop of Normandy, were able to bless and still the vortex, with St. Adjutor throwing the leg-chains he had worn in captivity into its maw, saying: "It is as easy for God to free people from this whirlpool as it was for him to free me from my chains." Because of this miracle, St. Adjutor is the Patron Saint of Swimmers.
Barbequing? Then why not remember St. Lawrence? He is, after all, the Patron Saint of Barbeque, as well as stand-up comics. A Deacon in the Church, he was martyred in 258 A.D. by the Roman Emperor Valerian. When the Emperor's soldiers confronted St. Lawrence, they told him he could escape his death if he "turned over the Church's treasures." St.
Lawrence agreed, and a few hours later, he returned with a significant number of the city's poor and sick. When asked where the Church's treasures were, Lawrence merely pointed at the crowd, stating, "These are the treasures of the Church," and for this response, the soldiers decided to execute him. St. Ambrose reports that St. Lawrence was executed by being roasted on an iron griddle. While being roasted, St. Lawrence cheekily called out to the Emperor's executioner, asking him
to "turn me over," noting that "he was done on that side." Due to his devotion to the most disadvantaged members of the Church, his great love of Christ, and his cheerful, even humorous, disposition during his execution St. Lawrence is the Patron Saint of Barbeque and Stand-up Comedians.
Lastly, this summer, some of you of legal age will undoubtedly crack open a cold one after mowing the lawn or grilling. If you do, say a prayer to St. Arnold of Soissons, the Patron Saint of Beer and Brewers. Born in Brabant (Belgium) in 1040AD, St. Albert of Soissons, a Benedictine monk, became a priest in 1080AD and founded the Abbey of St. Peter in Oudenburg, Belgium. While Abbot, Arnold and his fellow monks brewed beer for "its gift of health," considering beer healthier than water because the brewing process boiled out all of the water's impurities. Arnold saved the lives of many by having the populace drink a beer that he had blessed during an outbreak of the plague and, later, during an outbreak of Cholera. He was canonized on January 6, 1120. Every year on August 4, the city of Brussels, Belgium, celebrates the life of St. Arnold with a Mass and parade.
So, this summer, why not offer up a prayer for St. Adjutor, St. Lawrence, and St. Arnold – they'd love to hear from you.
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Staff Spotlight
Nelson Alvarez
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What do you do here at SJN and how does your skillset help our parish?
As the Facilities Manager, I do a little bit of everything. I make sure everything is working right and ensure we have all the events setups right, and I take care of the facility – physical plant, heating and cooling, and the preventive maintenance. Fix broken items and make sure everything is running in tip-top order. I also take care of the Baptismal Font and the Church proper. I also do work on the electricity and plumbing around the building.
We hear you have worked as a Chef before coming to SJN, Is this true?
Yes, I was a Chef for 30 years, working in Hilton and Sheraton Hotels in New Hampshire and Rhode Island. I love to cook seafood and Cajun food. My favorite things to make are Paella and Surf and Turf when I cook. I also love to create French and African fusion cuisine. And, I do a lot of experimentation with Italian dishes, putting new spins on old flavors.
When not working, what do you do to pass time? Any Favorite Hobbies?
I like to build things, especially things for the garden, like wheelbarrows, plant beds, and trellises for flowers. I also love to cook at home. I am also an amateur artist (and his work is beautiful!)
What do you like most about SJN?
I would definitely say the people. They are so kind and wonderful to work with, and I love the teamwork that the staff and volunteers have when we work together to make events happen.
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“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.”
John 15:1-2
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