The Solemnity Feast of the Redemptorist
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F EAST OF THE MOST HOLY REDEEMER July 19, 2015 SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH AND SCHOOL AND SAINT GERARD MISSION Redemptorists Serving our Parish: Fr. John F. Murray, C.Ss.R. Fr. Edward Gray, C.Ss.R. Fr. Francis Nelson, C.Ss.R. Fr. George Rosario, C.Ss.R. Deacon Darrell Cevasco, C.Ss.R. Redemptorist Permanent Missionary Residing S.H. Rectory Fr. Kevin MacDonald, C.Ss.R. Permanent Deacons Serving Sacred Heart Parish: Deacon Steve Cooley, Sacred Heart Sacred Heart Masses: Saturday Vigil: 4:00pm Sunday: 7, 9 & 11:30am Weekdays: 7 & 11am Saturdays: 7:00am Holy Day Vigil: 7:00pm Holy Day: 7:00 & 11:00am Rosary: Mon.-Fri. at 10:30am Mon.-Sat after 7 am Mass Reconciliation: Saturday 3:00—3:45 pm Thursday before 1st Fri. 4—5 pm Adoration of Blessed Sacrament Friday 7:30am -4:00 pm Divine Mercy Devotions Friday 4:00 pm St. Gerard Mission Masses: Saturday Vigil: 4:30pm Sunday: 10:00am Wednesdays: 9:00am Holy Days: 9:00am Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet and Marian Prayer Priest Prayers: Mondays -9:30am THE SOLEMNITY FEAST Reconciliation half hr. before Mass OF THE REDEMPTORIST Sacred Heart School: Principal:Mrs. Leigh Svajko Celebrated by the Redemptorists on the Phone:386-428-4732 Third Sunday of July since 1749. Sacred Heart Catholic Church: Phone, 386-428-6426 / Location, 998 Fr. Donlan Dr., New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168 Please visit our website: www.sacredheartnsb.com for Information on Redemptorists & Our Parish History Email: [email protected] St. Gerard Mission: Phone: 386-426-0930 / website: stgerardsedge.com / Location, 3171 S. Ridgewood Ave. Edgewater, FL 32141 July 19, 2015 Dear Friends, On this third Sunday of July, we Redemptorists celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Redeemer. All Redemptorists have four letters after their names – C.Ss.R. This stands for Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris. This is the official Latin title given to our Religious Order. It can be translated into English as “Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer,” more commonly called “Redemptorists.” On our coat of arms seen in the picture below, is written: Copiosa Apud Eum Redemptio - With Him There Is Plentiful Redemption. According to our rule, Redemptorists are "to strive to imitate the virtues and examples of Jesus Christ, Our Redeemer, consecrating themselves especially to the preaching of the word of God to the poor." St. Alphonsus founded the Redemptorists in the hills of Naples, Italy in a small village called Scala. It was to the poor shepherds and goat herders that St. Alphonsus preached. They didn’t want to know how to tend their flocks or fields; they wanted to know that God loved them! With that, the mission and purpose of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer took root. We Redemptorists strive to live and proclaim the story of the cross and of Jesus Christ who loves us and has saved us as our Redeemer. “From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace.” (John 1:16) And in the beautiful words of the Easter Exultet proclamation, “What good would life have been to us, had Christ not come as our Redeemer?” This last Wednesday the CCW ladies invited me out for a farewell lunch at Blackbeard’s Restaurant. It ASTOR was so wonderful to see the number of women who came to this special meal to say goodbye, I will always P be thankful for the support and friendship of the CCW ladies. I was particularly moved when a CCW member stood up and read a farewell letter to me on behalf of the women. Although there are a few items UR in the letter that are specific to our Sacred Heart community, I believe the letter could be describing many O of my Redemptorist brothers throughout the world living or deceased. I have enclosed only the last section of the letter. ROM “This is what you have taught us, faith in God, forgiving our neighbors, and F loving them in spite of our differences. You have taught us not just in words, but in action. We have seen how you have changed people’s negative attitudes into positive supportive attitudes. (You have given us church missions, created new ministries, supported old ministries, a weekly bulletin to be proud of, and you have enhanced our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, His Divine Mercy, and to the Mother of God.) There is so much more to add to the list, but to sum it up, you have been a true EFLECTIONS and faithful servant of God who was a confidant and herald of the gospel to R your parishioners.” CCW ladies As Bishop Noonan said when I went to see him a few weeks ago, “I want pastors who are spiritual leaders, not financiers!” On this Feast of the Most Holy Redeemer, we first thank God the Father for the gift of his EEKLY Son, our Savior. We also pause to give thanks to God for the many consecrated men who have served our parish as Redemptorist priests and brothers. Our parish has been so blessed to have had so many men who W have given up everything to follow the Most Holy Redeemer in his great work of Redemption, and for this, we are eternally grateful. May Mary our Mother watch over you and protect you always, Your brother in Christ, Our Catholic Appeal - 2015 Thank you for your generosity. Father John Francis Murray, C.Ss.R. Sacred Heart Community Total Registered Households 975 Target Pledged Amount Paid to Date $128,735.00 $92,059.50 $71,822.92 Sacred Heart Catholic Church and School and St. Gerard Mission __________________________________________________________ 2 The History of the Redemptorists The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer was St. Alphonsus Liguori's response to the call he experienced coming from Jesus through the poor... The Year 1730, Alphonsus was exhausted from his missionary labors. His doctors ordered him to get some rest and breathe some clean mountain air. With a few of his companions, he went to Scala, on the Amalfi coast south of Naples. High up in the mountains was the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dei Monti, a perfect place for rest, a perfect place for contemplation near the Mother of Our Lord: mountain heights, beauty, and below, the sea… But, Scala also meant poverty. In the mountains there lived groups of shepherds who came to the missionaries asking them for the Gospel, the Word of Life. Alphonsus was surprised at their hunger for the Word of God and recalled the words of the prophet: "The babes cry for food, but there is no one to give it to them" [Lam 4:4]. His first biographer tells us that when Alphonsus left Scala, a part of his heart remained with these shepherds and that he would weep thinking of how he could help them. In Naples, after much prayer and consultation to help him discern clearly.... he came to understand that he had to return to Scala. Surely there was poverty in Naples as well..., but there were many others there that could help the poor escape from their place as society's marginalized. In Scala, the poor were alone, with no one to help them..., totally abandoned. During St. Alphonsus' time, these shepherds and country peasants were the most downtrodden group in society: "they were not considered men as other BE BE men..., they were the disgrace of nature." It was because of their lot in life that St. Alphonsus chose to be BE at their side, to share his life with them and to bring to them, in abundance, the Word of God. LIEFS LIEFS On November 9, 1732, in his beloved Scala, St. Alphonsus Liguori founded the Congregation of the LIEFS Most Holy Redeemer to follow the example of our Savior Jesus Christ announcing the Good News to the poor. He was 36 years old. His life became one of mission and service to the most abandoned. The Congregation was approved by Benedict XIV on February 25, 1749. Redemptorist Missionaries continue AND AND AND the charism of Alphonsus in the Church and in society. "Strong in faith, rejoicing in hope, burning with charity, on fire with zeal, in humility of heart and T T persevering in prayer, Redemptorists as apostolic men and genuine disciples of Saint Alphonsus follow T EACHINGS EACHINGS Christ the Redeemer with Hearts full of joy; denying themselves and always ready to undertake what EACHINGS is demanding and challenging, they share in the mystery of Christ and proclaim it in Gospel simplicity of life and language, that they may bring to people Plentiful Redemption" (Redemptorist Constitutions, No. 20). A Diocesan Missionary Priest Visits Sacred Heart Church At New Smyrna in 1904 I also found a chapel, likewise the creation of Father O’Boyle (St. Peter’s Deland) and dedicated in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I made myself at home with the Nordman family, about three miles out of town, where I certainly felt comfortable. The old patriarch with his wife, nine stalwart boys, and a devout daughter, vied with one another in making everything pleasant for the missionary. It was due to the respect the Catholics commanded among their non-Catholic neighbors that the sacred edifice was nightly crowded by about sixty, their numbers being approximately equally divided. (Rev. P. J. Bresnahan, Seeing Florida With A Priest, 1937) The Redemptorists take charge of Sacred Heart Parish In 1921 Father Hurley became Archbishop of Baltimore, he took the opportunity to suggest to Bishop Barry, who at the time was Bishop of St.