6/20/2020
Nothing can be Changed until it is Faced
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Dear Friends on the Journey,
James Baldwin said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” I hope that the following is a way that we as the Paulist Center Community can face the racism within us, within our community, within our Church, within our society.
With input from Staff, the Pastoral Council, the Adult Education Committee, the LGBTQ Committee, the Immigrations Advocacy Group, and Social Justice Ministries, we hope to have a Zoom gathering of the Paulist Center Community members around the killing of George Floyd, racism in ourselves and our Church, and white privilege at 7pm on Sunday evening, June 28th (mark your calendars; originally scheduled for this Sunday but Father’s Day and logistics moved us to postpone it for a week. We have updated the format a little, but I still hope that you can read Fr. Bryan Massingale’s long essay here https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/assumptions-white-privilege-and-what-we-can-do-about-it At our meeting at 7pm, June 28th , we will begin with a common presentation. Links for the meeting will be given next week, but in the meantime…
I hope you can read Cardinal Seán’s third recent statement on racism in the Archdiocese of Boston. This one was in the form of a homily given at a Mass on June 13th on Castle Island: https://www.bostoncatholic.org/news/june-13-2020-cardinal-sean-p-omalley-ofm-cap-mass-racial-justice-homily
Or you may wish to see Paulist Father Stephen Bell’s presentation: https://bustedhalo.com/podcasts/fr-steven-bell-on-embracing-the-black-catholic-community In this presentation, Stephen Bell speaks about embracing the black Catholic community. One very concrete way is for us, members of the Paulist Center Community, is to help support financially majority African American parishes in our Archdiocese. I have been advised that these are three that may be especially feeling the financial pinch of the pandemic:
1. Holy Family Parish on Hartford St, Dorchester
2. St. Katharine Drexel Parish on Blue Hill Av, Roxbury
3. St. Mary of the Angels on Walnut St, Boston
Go to https://bcatholic.sites.bostoncatholic.org/form/giving-form?fid=4916 and contribute to which parish(es) you wish to. I like this from a Paulist Center member: “When you are practicing generosity, you should feel a little pinch when you give something away. That pinch is your stinginess protesting.” -Gelek Rinpoche
This is very important:
We are still in need of hospitality ministers for our Chapel reentry. It is absolutely critical that we have a minimum of three people at each Mass who can assist with welcoming, seating, and directing people into and out of the Chapel. If you are not in a vulnerable group with regard to COVID-19 and are willing and able to assist in this very important ministry, please contact Peter Ghiloni at peter@paulistcenter.org.
Happy for her and Sad for us: Kristin Hauser, who has just successfully completed her M.Div. at Boston College, has served for two years as part-time Minister for our Young Adult Ministry. She has also been instrumental in facilitating communication within the Paulist Center Community with her considerable technology skills. On July 17th , Kristin will be moving on from Boston and the Paulist Center. She has accepted a full-time position as Director of Youth Ministry at a parish in North Carolina. We will be saying “thank you” and farewell to Kristin in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!!
Please hold in your prayers the repose of the soul of Leonard Cervone, father of Connie Cervone and Elena Cervone, both of the Paulist Center Community.
1) 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 21st, Live Streamed Liturgy/Mass from the Chapel, at 12N:
Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/LgtlPqOZZA8
2) Paulist Center Families Prayer Service, 10 am, Sunday
Please click here to join us: https://zoom.us/j/97252474747?pwd=YktPNzE3ZVNJVEltS3FENHFRSnI4QT09
Meeting ID: 972 5247 4747, Password: 037026, One tap mobile
+16465588656,,97252474747#,,1#,037026# US (New York)
3) All are welcome to a prayer gathering with/from the Paulist Center’s LGBTQ+ prayer next Wednesday, June 24th , 7pm. The link is for this week: https://tinyurl.com/PCC-LGBTQ-Zoom527. The reflector will be Chris Lawton.
4) Connect for a Chat. Patty Simpson patty@paulistcenter.org will be offering an hour a week for any Paulist Center members who might want to connect. Patty has in mind especially those who aren’t connected into any other small groups. You can join the conversation on Thursday, June 25, 7-8pm through this link. Also if anyone wishes to connect with Patty either on phone or video session, just email her or leave a message on her phone (617.948.2428) and she will get back to you ASAP.
Ways of Giving:
Our “Community Gift” is our tradition of giving away 5% of our weekend offerings, averaged out over the whole year, to a group outside of ourselves. This week, we lift up NETWORK, a recipient of the Hecker Award. Founded by Catholic Sisters in the spirit of Vatican II, NETWORK works to create a society through social policy that promotes justice and the dignity of all in the shared abundance of God’s creation.
We are so very grateful for your support during this time of uncertainly and financial peril. Here are two ways to give:
To make a one-time or recurring donation using your bank account or credit card, click on the following link: https://tinyurl.com/DonatePaulistCenter
Giving by text: Text 844-899-7511 with the amount you would like to donate (whole dollars only). Donations collected this way will be designated as part of the “Weekend Offering.”
An idea: a couple Paulist Center members, receiving the Stimulus Check of $1200 but still being fully employed, gave a half of that check to the Paulist Center Community. What a great idea!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I conclude with the wise words of St. Teresa of Avila:
Nothing can trouble,
nothing can frighten.
Those who seek God shall
never go wanting.
Nothing can trouble,
nothing can frighten.
God alone fills us.
And let us pray for/with one another.
Michael
Michael McGarry, C.S.P.
Director, the Paulist Center
Along with Patty, Chuck, Susan, Peter, Kristin, Dorothy, Alvaro, Barbara, Rob, and Sal. Please feel free to call upon your Pastoral Ministers if you wish.
I will be sending out something every Thursday or Friday as the “shut down” continues.