The Idea That Became Newstan by Dianne Spotts and Encourage You to Keep Them Coming
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
“I shall reflect on myself and ask: ‘What have I done for Christ? What am I doing for Christ? What ought I do for Christ?’” –––St. S tanislaus Kostka NNNNNNeeeeeewwwwwwSSSSSSttttttaaaaaannnnnn TTThhheee NNNeeewwwssslllllleeetttttteeerrr ooofff SSSttt.... SSStttaaannniiiisssllllllaaauuusss PPPaaarrriiiissshhh EEEllllll BBBooolllllleeetttíííínnn dddeee llllllaaa PPPaaarrrrrroooqqquuuiiiiaaa dddeee SSSaaannn EEEssstttaaannniiiisssllllllaaaooo Spring / Primavera 2015 The Idea that Became NewStan by Dianne Spotts and encourage you to keep them coming. Thanks to Years ago, in a Sunday bulletin, Monsignor Tracy wrote: NewStan, w e’ve all gotten to know our parish family a little “New ideas are very delicate; they can be killed by a sneer better through the ‘Spotlight’ and ‘Focus’ articles. We’ve or a yawn; they can be crushed by a frown.” Happily, the become more familiar with the many programs and idea to publish a quarterly newsletter – an idea that ministries going on in our busy parish family, which in turn surfaced from a Stewardship Committee of years past – hopefully become opportunities for readers to become brought a smile to then-pastor Monsignor Murray’s face. more actively involved. And the stats on the last page And happily for those on the original staff of NewStan , as remind us that people are constantly coming and going, well as those on the current one, ideas, parish news, and marrying, and being baptized – or as some irreverently say: inspirations have entered registered being matched, hatched, and parishioners’ homes four times a dispatched. year since that spring in 1997 when n then-editor JoAnn Paslawsky In keeping with our missio statement, we also report some launched the first edition. community news, as when we We extend a large thank you to her featured the maternity home and to Anne Kaler who named this Morning Star Ministries, the North idea NewStan , a moniker that Penn Church Ministerium, and the reminds us to keep things both Catholic-Lutheran Joint Declaration “newsy” and “Stan-ish.” Paul celebration in conjunction with Cutajar took over the helm in 2002, Trinity Lutheran Church. and has kept the ‘extra, extra, read all to cover the many aspects of about it’ momentum going. We try parish life: social, spiritual, and even While some in the group had writing silly (remember the April Fools and publishing experience, I had contest?) We feature saints, neither and was awed by what we highlights from MATER DEI accomplished. I enjoy the ‘think- CATHOLIC SCHOOL , and still try to tank’ feel of the planning sessions, and the opportunity to leave Monsignor Tracy enough room for his words of wing off an idea to our editor. It has been a challenge to wisdom, and the occasional financial report. From the keep each issue fresh and interesting – and at times to Juniors to Seniors, with news about the annual festival and weave what seems like an endless bunch of lo ose ends into family recipes, we cover the gamut. We’ve looked at parish something cohesive. life from every angle, and even printed poems, and an Sometimes parishioners give us ideas for the next issue, occasional puzzle. And how about pictures? Since 2004 and at other times an up coming event like Christmas or we’ve been lucky to have our own staff photographer, Ed Easter determines the theme. We never sneer at an idea Kunze, who diligently finds appropriate photo-subjects to continued on page 7 NewStan 1 Two May Saints: St. Isadore and St. Philip Neri ` God’s eyes. The class by Anne K. Kaler system counted menial The Spanish Isadore, the Farmer of Spain, and the Italian work an inferior Philip Neri of Florence both celebrate their feast days in catholic.org calling. For seventeen May. However, Isadore is more a “spring and summer years, Philip remained www. saint,” a patron of the daytime activity of raising crops. a layman, performing Philip Neri, on the other hand, is a “fall and wi nter saint” what we might call working best in the night hours. These two opposite saints Picture from today social services. complement and balance each other – one rural, one First, he worked in urban, one married, one layman-priest. Yet both men are hospitals for grouped among the Five Spanish Saints. – Ignatius of incurables and on the Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila – all canonized streets of Rome with together in 1622. those we now call In the eleventh century, young Isadore worked on a farm mentally challenged St. Philip Neri near Madrid and married Maria Torribia. Their only child, and homeless. Eventually he was named the Apostle of a son, was miraculously saved from drowning but died at a Rome for his daily charity helping the poor pilg rims who young age, after which the couple pledged themselves to flooded Rome each year: something for us to remember as continence. we face pilgrims coming to Philadelphia in September’s for Miracles happened all the time for I sadore and Maria. the World Meeting of Families and Pope Francis’s visit. Isadore was often late for work because he lingered in the However, Philip saw the need for a more intimate church after daily Mass. His work was always completed, relationship with God. Breaking away from the older however, allegedly being finished by angels plowing t he monastic system, Philip retained St. Bene dict’s motto of fields for him. A legend exists of Isadore’s spilling grain Orare et Labore . As such, he was one of the first to break out for famished birds and having twice that amount of with monastic tradition to become a contemplative in grain returned to him after it was milled. Another tale tells action by establishing the Oratory where men could learn of Isadore causing a fountain of fresh water to appear for about God. the farm owner an d another story mentions how the saint His biographers stress that Philip broke the restraints of brought the farm owner’s daughter back to life. his medieval age to become a transitional saint who Isadore’s wife Maria had her own set of miraculous combined the contemplative life of constant prayer with happenings. When hungry farm hands appeared, her the active life of service to others. He did not discipline his empty pot of stew refilled itself to feed them all. Her body with medieval practices but rather used humility as intercession is said to cause rain to fall during droughts in his discipline. Philip was o rdained a priest in 1551 to guide the arid area around his Oratory. Although he preferred to spend more time in Madrid. his own solitary prayers, Philip was always ready to help another person to find God. As he said, “ We must leave If Isa dore and Maria Christ for Christ.” And he did so with good spirit a nd a lived the simple life smiling face, using his humor and wit to bring Christ to the as farmers, then people who were disillusioned. Philip Neri lived a more complex life of Both men share the down-to-earth virtue of their humility. a city gentleman. In The word “humility” comes from the Latin “humus” or the sixteenth century, earth/soil/dirt. Early saints often described t hemselves as the prevailing social being a worm in the earth. Even the lowest of worms can concept was that men aerate soil, using their supple bodies to loosen clumps of who worked with hard-packed dirt. So also do saintly people loosen the Picture from www.catholic.org their hands were hardened hearts of others by their actions in seeking out St. Isadore somehow lower in God in the souls of all people. NewStan 2 Parishioner Spotlight Dianne Spotts on it won the new car which made her a temporary by Norman Berger celebrity in her neighborhood! Since she couldn’ t claim Dianne Spotts is an excellent choice for this issue’s ownership of the car, however, her “consolation” prize Parishioner Sspotlight , since the focus of this issue is, well, was the purchase of a used piano by her dad and piano NewStan itself, and Dianne has been involved with NewStan lessons. So began a new journey. since its inception. In fact, you can read her article on the In the early 1970’s, St. Stanislaus offered free organ lessons history of NewStan on the first page of this i ssue! Here, we to obtain the organists the parish needed. Dianne took explore some of Dianne's “journeys” as she refers to them. advantage of the offer and learned to play the organ under Fortunately for St. Stanislaus Parish, Dianne, some years the tutelage of Ralph McInerny, the choir organist whose back, became very interested in creative writing. While still skills she really admired. Sh e then took her place playing working at a small company doing payroll, she decided to for Masses from the choir loft. When Msgr. Murray put, as she calls it, little “blurbs” or inspirations into the became pastor and had his family’s piano moved to the paycheck envelopes for four or five fellow workers. From front of the church, Dianne transferred to the piano to there, Dianne started submitting articles to a Cathol ic accompany Kellie Gramlich, the cantor, almost exclusively magazine for seniors that at weekend Masses. She also circulated in Philadelphia and accompanied me at times when in Chicago called Senior I cantored and I can remember Connection . Her first accepted practicing at her house. She also submission came when she invited me to be in a program was 60! for G.I.F.T. involving dramatic readings from the Song of She attended a creative Songs and singing topical writing course and soon after hymns which she accompanied found and joined a writing on the piano.