Catholic Caring Neighbors for Over 60 Years
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August 2, 2020 The Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Rɞɜɐɝ Cɐɣɗɞɛɘɒ Saint Luke Cɗɤɡɒɗ Catholic Caring Neighbors St. Luke Parish is a Catholic Community for over 60 years of believers who are welcoming, evangelistic, and of service so that DIRECTORY all may experience the love of Jesus Christ. Church Office8256920 PARISH STAFF Church Fax8256905 Church [email protected] PastorRev. John P. Malthaner Faith [email protected] Senior AssociateRev. John J. Murphy Church Websitewww.stlukeerie.org DeaconsRev. Dr. Richard Shewman Facebookwww.facebook.com/lukealive Rev. Mr. Glenn Kuzma Prayer Chain8661487 Faith Formation DirectorSr. Carmen Maldonado, SSC School Office8257105 School PrincipalAudrey Coletta School Fax8257169 Advancement DirectorJoAnn Scheppner School Websitewww.slserie.org Music MinistersRich Wiler and Ted Fuhrman K of C Websitewww.koc11229.org Office StaffDeidre Brown and Louanna Donajkowski Maintenance DirectorBruce Honard CHURCH OFFICE HOURS 8:30 am12:00 pm 1:00 pm5:00 pm Closed Saturday, Sunday & Holidays MASS SCHEDULE BAPTISM: By appointment. Parents anticipating the birth or baptism of their child are Weekdays*8:00 am MF expected to attend a Baptismal class. Please visit our website at www.stlukeerie.org for a 5:15 pm MTh complete listing of dates, times and parish locations for the classes. Reservations are required. Saturday Vigil4:30 pm Sunday9:00 & 11:30 am. & 6:00 pm MARRIAGE: Please contact one of the parish priests six months prior to the proposed *Except for school Masses usually on Fridays at 8:30 am. date of your wedding. Visit our website at www.slserie.org. HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION SPONSOR CERTIFICATE: To act as sponsor for the Sacrament of Baptism and/or Confirmation requires a Sponsor Certificate that can be given only to registered MASS SCHEDULE members of the parish who are baptized, confirmed, attend Mass, are at least 16 years of The night before5:15 pm age, and receive the sacraments regularly. If the requesting person is married, the The day of *8:30 am & 7:00 pm marriage must have taken place in conformity with the laws of the Church. *8:00 am if no school CARE OF THE SICK: Those confined to their homes by sickness or age may arrange CONFESSIONS to receive Holy Communion on a weekly or monthly basis by calling the parish office at Saturdays2:45 pm 3:45 pm 8256920. Our priests and deacons visit all St. Luke parishioners once a week at Hamot and St. Vincent, and other hospitals as requested. FIRST FRIDAY ADORATION WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE entrances are located on the east and west sides of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament begins after church. Pews are available in the front aisle, middle section. An automatic door and morning Mass to 4:30 pm every first Friday. To restrooms are located on the east side. signup, please contact Judy Krasnesky at 454 1634. BULLETIN ARTICLE DEADLINE: 10:00 am Monday in writing THE EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME AUGUST 2, 2020 PASTOR’S DESK meekly lumbered up to Martha like a little lamb. She slipped her belt around its neck and gently led the dragon As many of you know, my favorite saint is back to the town. The people couldn’t believe their eyes Martha, whose feast we celebrated this past week (July and, filled with fear and fury, they started to throw stones 29). I read about her as much as I can and recently ran and spears at Tarasque. Offering no resistance, the across some interesting stories referring to her. I must onslaught would have a terminal effect. The dragon, begin by saying the following one is a legendary story, whose character had completely changed by his but entertaining, nonetheless. conversion, fell down and died of shame for his past Let us begin with the town of Tarascon, France, actions. an ancient fortified town on the Rhone River located The monster situation had been resolved, and no between Avignon and Arles, two popular French towns. one could deny that it was a miracle, so most of the town Tarascon still retains a medieval look as the town has heeded Martha’s words and converted to Christianity. In some narrow medieval streets for wandering, ancient honor of this miraculous event, the citizens erected a new walls and old fortified arched doorways, pretty arcades, church in honor of Saint Martha (yes, there actually is a and lots of little shops and cafés. church dedicated to St. Martha) and changed the name Tarascon began as a town originally called of the town from Nerluc to Tarascon…and the Tarasque Nerluc, which means “Heart of Darkness.” When the from that point on would be featured on the town's coat of Romans arrived, they called the inhabitants “Ernaginum,” arms. probably from the habitants’ “Urnaga,” reflecting their In the late Spring and early Summer, as things worship of a primeval serpent or dragon. begin to warm up, many towns in the south of France Enter “Tarasque.” Tarasque was a huge celebrate with lively festivals. In Tarascon, the annual monster that emerged from the sea and chose the Rhone th festival centers around their local dragon and St. Martha River as its new home. 12 century writings described who tamed him. Already in place in the 15th century, the this legendary creature as a halfserpent halflion festival began with a religious tone, but has become more monster from Gallicia, the offspring of the ancientworld secular in the present age. Originally, the festival was serpents Leviathan and Onacho. Images of the monster celebrated on the second Sunday after Pentecost as a depict it as a sort of dragon with six short legs like a time to call on St. Martha to help the town defend its bear's, an oxlike body covered with a turtle shell, and a dykes and dams against the flooding of the Rhone River, scaly tail that ended in a scorpion's sting. It had a lion's for which Tarasque had been blamed. On the last head, horse's ears, and the face of a bitter old man. weekend in June, the tamed Tarasque comes out of its Whatever the appearance, Tarasque is said to have lair accompanied by its chevaliers, thus affirming its terrorized the region in the best of traditions of unfriendly legendary presence. The people of Tarascon dragons. It breathed flames, destroyed houses, commemorate the moment when Saint Martha delivered frightened people and animals, making a meal out of them from the evil beast by offering visitors 4 days of many of them. The dragon destroyed anything it so jubilation. desired and devoured anyone who tried to stop it. It is The original monster was destroyed in 1792, said that local heroes, including the King of Nerluc, fought reinvented in the 1800’s and then banned, only to be the Tarasque…but perished. Other means were brought back in the mid20th century. At present time, the attempted to subdue or destroy the dragon, but to no festival has changed from being a strictly local tradition to avail. an entertaining festival seen as an important means to Enter Martha. The writings from Nerluc talk bring in much needed tourism dollars. about a Martha of Bethany who was born sometime in UNESCO, or the United Nations Educational, the first century and lived with her brother Lazarus and Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized her sister Mary. Their friend Jesus was a frequent visitor agency of the United Nations aimed at contributing "to the to their home. Following the crucifixion of Jesus, a group building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable of followers of Christ, including Martha, were cast adrift in development and intercultural dialogue through a small boat without sails, oars, or supplies. It was meant education, the sciences, culture, communication and to be a death sentence, but their boats miraculously information.” One of the outreach programs UNESCO is washed up on the shores of Provence, France, where involved with is the promotion of cultural heritage and the they disembarked and set about preaching their new equal dignity of all cultures. Seeing the need to support religion. Martha went to preach in and around the area of the efforts of the townsfolk of Tarascon, UNESCO saw fit Avignon, and eventually found her way to the area known to add their festival to the list on the “Oral and Intangible as Nerluc. Martha was preaching about miracles one day Heritage of Humanity.” People to this day continue to when the crowd became skeptical and challenged her to find their way to celebrate the festival of Tarasque with backup her claims. They suggested that if she could the people of Tarascon. perform a miracle for them, they would surely convert. Religion plays a major part in shaping many They proposed that she rid the town of Tarasque, the cultures, and in France, that religion is Christianity. It’s unfriendly dragon. Martha accepted the challenge and said to have entered France by way of a town named started out to meet the fearsome creature. The townsfolk Provence around the year 43 AD, when legend has it that cheered her courage but in reality they figured she would St. Martha washed ashore, came to a town thencalled end up like all the others…just another meal for Nerluc to preach the Good News…and, as Paul Harvey Tarasque. Martha mustered up the courage to walk up to would say, “Now you know the rest of the story.” the beast and throw holy water on him. Holding up a cross made of two sticks while singing hymns and saying Peace, prayers, she saw that his fiery breath was extinguished.