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To strengthen our shared life in Christ through mutual participation and the free exchange of ideas. Community of St. Malachi, 2459 Washington Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44113–2380. Point/Counterpoint The resurrection of Jesus means that the present time is shot through with great significance. What is done to the glory of God in the present is genuinely building for God’s future. Acts of justice and mercy, the creation of beauty and the celebration of truth, deeds of love and the creation of communities of kindness and forgiveness – these all matter, and they matter forever. Take away the resurrection, and these things are important for the present but irrelevant for the future and hence not all that important after all even now. —N. T. Wright
…I see the post–Easter Jesus as an experiential reality. I take the phenomenology of Christian religious experience very seriously. Christians throughout the centuries have continued to experience Jesus as a living spiritual reality, a figure of the present, not simply a memory from the past. Those experiences (then and now) have taken a variety of forms. They include dramatic forms such as visions and mystical experiences, and less dramatic forms such as a sense of the presence of Jesus – whether in prayer, worship, or the eucharist, in other people, or in the dailiness of our lives. The truth of Easter is grounded in these experiences, not in what happened (or didn’t happen) on a particular Sunday almost two thousand years ago. —Marcus Borg (The preceding two quotes are from a book entitled The Meaning Of Jesus: Two Visions.) * * * * * * * * * * To repeat a well–worn opening for this column: if you are reading this on your way home after mass, stop carefully, turn around and go back to the school hall. Today is the Community’s Annual Meeting and we need you there with us to help elect three at–large council members and decide other important matters. The biggest issue is this: the Community has been asked by the diocese to sponsor another refugee family. Last Sunday, Council met to consider this request and decided to present it for discussion at the Annual Meeting. The Community sponsored two families last year, and while one was a very positive experience, the second ended somewhat mysteriously, with a Bosnian family disappearing on us. It is believed that they returned to Bosnia for reasons we will probably never know. This time we’ve been asked to sponsor a Bosnian family of four, two adults and two children ages 6 and 13. Kay Vine told us at last week’s meeting that they are Catholic, have been in Germany for four or five years and the father has been employed as a social worker. They could be here as soon as the end of May or early June, and the diocese will provide transitional housing at the new Joseph House facility while we find something more permanent. Assuming the Community decides to go ahead with this family, and I hope it does, and I think it is a pretty good bet that it will, you will soon be reading here about the many ways you can get involved to help. People with the time and energy to commit to the family will be needed for a core organizational group. Many others will be needed to provide transportation, tutoring, and a variety of other tasks, not to mention the donating of household items and money. In two other matters, the Community has been asked to participate in a census of U.S. Catholics. An organizational meeting is set for the evening of April 30. Contact Council President Greg Gortz (440–442–4160) if you are interested. Also, as of last Sunday, we still needed a volunteer to co–chair the Spiritual Development Committee with Dick Gibbons. If you are being called, either present yourself at the meeting, or contact Council Vice President Jeff Leitch (216–521–6376) or outgoing chair Jane Smith (216–226–8531). Thanks to Christine Schenk, Frank Schiros, Mary Englert, Pat Kowalski Daw and Father Tony for sending in articles this time. Upcoming issues: May 2 with an April 25 deadline, May 16 with a May 9 deadline, and May 30 with a May 23 deadline. — Dan Alaimo (Dan co–chairs the Communications Committee with Peter Toomey.) * * * * * * * * * * (Peter Toomey found this on the net. Thanks Peter!) * * * * * * * * * * (Acts 2:14, 22–28; 1 Peter 1:17–21; Luke 24:13–35) In today’s gospel, we hear the two disciples from Emmaus telling the stranger who walks with them on the road: "Some women in our group astounded us...they had a vision of angels who said that Jesus was alive." This text echoes all four Gospels in naming women as the first to witness to the resurrection. If God chose women to be the first to proclaim the resurrection, is there any reason to presume that women are not still called today to witness to their experience of the Risen Jesus, yes even in visible leadership and ministerial roles? By a happy coincidence, this installment of Women and the Word will be published on the same day (April 18) that I will be preaching at all of the Masses at St. Joan of Arc Church in Minneapolis, MN. This progressive parish encourages lay preaching on a fairly regular basis, though they are very careful about how it is to happen. Six weeks ahead of time I received written guidelines for length, style, and preparation for preaching. I was glad to see they included focus on the day’s scriptures, personal life experiences, and avoidance of lengthy, heady, quotations. Of course I am thrilled with the opportunity. It was given to me because the next day I will give a presentation on FutureChurch’s Women in Church Leadership project at the Leaven Center, a project of another Twin City parish, Pax Christi. Our Women in Leadership effort educates about the radical inclusivity of the historical Jesus and advocates for advancing women’s roles in the Church right now, short of ordination. We respect the Pope’s definitive teaching on the non–ordination of women, but recognize that this leads to other kinds of difficulties. For example, we also have church teaching that says that women are equal, yet they have virtually no voice in church decision making. This despite the fact that 82% of all paid parish ministers in the US are women. Ask yourself how many women will help elect the next Pope, or ever have an opportunity to lead a diocese or a parish and it is pretty difficult to avoid recognizing that we are not living up to our church teaching that women are equal. My work with FutureChurch has been a huge personal grace. It gives me the chance to educate about the historical context we Catholics are traversing with regard to the "priest shortage" and its grave consequences for the availability of Eucharist and the other sacraments. I also appreciate witnessing to the ministerial calls experienced by the married and by women. But most of all, I love the opportunity to reflect on the inclusive vision of Jesus with regard to who is called to be his witnesses and disciples. This leads to recognizing God as a God of abundance rather than a God of scarcity. We have been given all the priestly ministers we need; we just need to recognize other kinds of calls in addition to the male celibate ones. Bible scholars speculate that one of the two disciples on the Emmaus journey may well have been a woman. Women were not usually named in ancient writings being thought of as part of the male household. Since Cleopas was named and the other disciple was not, some believe that she may have been Cleopas’s wife. "Mary the wife of Clopas" is named in John’s gospel as one of the women at the crucifixion. Whether they are one and the same is not known. But it seems clear that women were very present in all of the events of the passion and in the resurrection narratives. At Emmaus, Jesus is not recognized at first but only in "the breaking of the bread." Eucharist it seems is a very important occasion for seeing what was not seen before, of recognizing the unseen Jesus among us, and then like the female and male disciples, proclaiming what we have seen and heard. Let’s pray that the inclusivity and recognition of the unseen Jesus, first celebrated in Emmaus, will soon be celebrated and seen everywhere. —Christine Schenk * * * * * * * * * * —Patricia Rickard, SND, Chardon, Ohio, Jan. 7, 1997 (A note from Mary Englert: Sr. Pat Rickard was well known for her many talents and services during her 34 years as a Sister of Notre Dame. She died March 21 following a long struggle with ALS– Lou Gehrig’s disease. Despite her ever–worsening disability, she continued to inspire others with her profound faith and artistic talents, including even extending her gift for liturgical dance to participation in a wheelchair. This poem is one of a number she wrote during her debilitating illness.) * * * * * * * * * * —Pat Kowalski Daw To Humbly Serve In the newspapers, we can read endlessly about the powerful, the rich, and the famous. Do these people really make the world go round? Aren’t there any human beings out there whothat seldom get noticed in the news in spite of the immense good they contribute to society? Yes there are and I’d like to write about one, a man who was barely known outside his Community, but who’s spirit had such an impact that he will be remembered long after the "big" names in today’s papers are forgotten. His name was William "Bill" Paschen. He was an educator for 26 years and principal at Towslee Elementary School in Brunswick. His office was covered with Mickey Mouse and Disney memorabilia and when you walked into his office, child or adult, you got a cartoon quiz or listened to a Disney tune from a music box. Bill died about a week ago of a particularly virulent form of pneumonia at the age of 51. Susan Muniak, an associate of mine, is on the board of education and she said that all flags in the city were lowered to half–mast and memorial ceremonies were given all over the town. Susan also told me that he was the heart and soul of the school district; a mentor to all the other principles. His most endearing quality was that he made everyone he met feel important. A friend of his, a former priest at St. Ambrose Church, came back to Brunswick and gave a personal homily and recounted how at a Rotary Club meeting Bill was passing out gifts. Since he wasn’t sure what a priest could use, he had to think about what would be appropriate. He finally settled on a fish and a loaf of bread and said, "Father Fred, I guess you know what to do with this." To give the reader an idea of the measure of respect that the townspeople had for him, 3000 people came on the first day of the wake, with a total of 6000 attending. The church was filled to overflowing and the elementary school had to be made available for over 1000 people that returned for refreshments. Flowers from the burial were placed in various parts of the school and if you’re driving on route 303, you may yet see a display of balloons and flowers celebrating his memory. Let us be assured that God will recognize the worth of William "Bill" Paschen. May his soul rest in peace. Amen.—Frank Schiros * * * * * * * * * * (Thanks again Peter!) * * * * * * * * * * (This article can be found on the web sites of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Diocese of Cleveland. Thanks to Father Tony for sending it in.) The following focus areas or reference points can be helpful in identifying areas for your reflection and planning for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. These parallel many of the various commissions and committees of the Holy See’s Central Committee. Descriptions of these focus areas, along with values to stress and suggested strategies, are found within each area. Articles and other pertinent information have also been gathered and are listed under each topic. Liturgy: Values Toto Stress The liturgy, as the source and summit of all Christian action, holds a special place in our preparation for the jubilee year. Care should be taken to weave the themes of the jubilee year and its years of preparation into the theme of the liturgical year. Certain liturgical seasons, such as Advent, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost, provide natural connections between the themes of the Great Jubilee and the church year. Remember that for many people their primary experience of the Church’s preparation and celebration of the jubilee year will be through the celebration of the Sunday Eucharist. Many people, for a number of reasons, find it difficult to take advantage of the sacrament of reconciliation. Celebrations of first penance often allow persons a meaningful opportunity to renew their reception of the sacrament while they model their participation to their children. It is important to foster a greater appreciation of the opportunity for ecumenical prayer at various times during the year, especially during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January. The preparation years (1997–1999) provide an excellent opportunity to enrich the prayer life of Catholics and to present a liturgical catechesis. The next few years provide an opportunity to enrich our prayer life through both personal and communal prayer, praise, thanksgiving, petition, and penance. Art & Culture: Values Toto Stress Christ and Christianity have made a tremendous impact on our world and its culture. Music, art, and law, to name a few, have all been affected by Christianity. By knowing the impact that Christianity has made on world history we can both be proud of our wonderful heritage and seek forgiveness for those times when Christians have done wrong through direct acts, e.g. slavery and the treatment of Native Americans in the name of religion, or through acts of omission. The cultural diversity within the Church is one of its strengths. It is a true sign of the universality and catholicity of the Church. Education & Formation: Values Toto Stress If we are to be an evangelizing Church, one that constantly regenerates itself, adult religious education and formation is essential, so that the teachings and traditions of the Church can be integrated into everyday life and passed on to the next generation. We must understand and affirm that faith formation, education, and catechesis is a life–long process. Effective preaching is key to helping men and women integrate their faith into daily life. To properly prepare for the new millennium and celebrate the jubilee year we need to gain a deeper appreciation of the role of Christianity in world history and a solid understanding of the biblical notion of jubilee. Ecumenism & Interreligious Dialogue: Values Toto Stress The unity of Christians is a key desire for the new millennium. As we reflect on our sins of omission these past years, the scandal of the disunity of Christianity must be acknowledged. These years of preparation can continue to enrich the work towards Christian unity that has been underway for a number of years. The years of preparation are an excellent opportunity to highlight the importance of working and praying for Christian unity, including educating all to identify ways in which common actions can be undertaken together, e.g. social justice issues and issues arising from the common good of society (values in public education). As dioceses and parishes develop initiatives for the jubilee year, consider involving representatives from the ecumenical and interfaith communities. One way of fostering Christian unity is through ecumenical prayer. During the years of preparation, we should be sensitive to other religious groups who do not necessarily share the same focus and vision of the year 2000 as Catholics or Christians. Communication & Media: Values Toto Stress To be effective evangelizers, we must effectively and dynamically communicate the gospel message. A key aspect of the Church’s preparation for the jubilee year is communicating a clear and engaging message. Effective preaching is one of the most important ways of evangelizing. The Church must create a media campaign to get its message about the jubilee year/millennium out to both religious and secular press. Social Justice: Values Toto Stress The biblical understanding of jubilee is rooted in the restoration of God’s justice to the world. In light of the documents of the papal magisterium as well as our own Communities of Salt and Light and A Century of Social Teaching, these years provide us with an opportunity to restore the link between charity and justice and to re–affirm and deepen our own commitment to justice. It is the responsibility of all Christians to act on the social dimensions of their faith. Discipleship entails being good stewards of God’s creation, working to reduce violence and oppression, and to eradicate poverty and all kinds of debt. Family Life & Pastoral Ministry: Values Toto Stress The family is the first place where faith is nurtured and where the values and traditions of faith are most effectively passed on. Parishes and schools must rethink the way ministry with the family is undertaken to include a family perspective in all ministry. The years of preparation and the jubilee year itself should involve a family perspective, have a family–centered component, and be sensitive to the various types of families present in contemporary church life. There is a tremendous richness to be found by including people of all cultures and ages. We can say that a person’s culture is his or her door to the sacred.* * * * * * * * * * For a long time, the Communications Committee has been encouraging Community members to get online and take advantage of some kind of an E–mail service. I’m taking this subject up again now for two reasons: one, it’s been awhile since we’ve covered this ground, and two, it was one of the recommendations from our last committee meeting. I intend for this to be the first of a series that will be a primer on using the internet. A word of warning: things change fast in the world of internet technology. Hopefully most of what I write today will be current tomorrow. The benefits of E–mail are clear to those of us who have been doing it awhile, but perhaps not quite so apparent to others. E–mail is a tool that enables us to stay in touch and more effectively get certain kinds of information to each other. It’s not a replacement for other kinds of communication and it’s not ideal for everything. For example, it’s great for letting people know about a committee meeting when the date is a couple of weeks in the future. It’s not so good if the meeting is in a day or so, because not everyone checks their E–mail that frequently. It’s great when you have a document of some kind that you need to get to someone in a hurry – like we do during the production weeks of Communio. It’s not so great for resolving a misunderstanding with someone, because negative thoughts have a way of coming out far harsher in E–mail than in person. There are many other possible uses with a faith community like we have at St. Malachi. There could be an electronic prayer chain, notices about social concerns issues, and updates on Malachi happenings between our scheduled newsletters. Many of us are on E–mail lists that deliver inspirational quotes and stories, like those from Chicken Soup for the Soul. For Council members and others with leadership responsibilities, there is frequent need for communicating between meetings. And, insofar as people also have access to the World Wide Web, we can also use our web site to get information out. The following are some ways of getting E–mail for the least possible expense. If you don’t have a computer, go to the library (or use a friend’s machine) to obtain a free E–mail address. These are available from many web sites these days. Among the most popular are Hotmail (www.hotmail.com), Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com), Excite (www.excite.com), Go (www.go.com) and Netscape (www.netscape.com). Because they are based from web pages, you can access these services from any computer hooked up to the internet. These services are free because advertising supports them. With most ad–based services, you have to provide some personal information to get the account. Also typical of these services is very little technical support. The old maxim is as true in cyberspace as anywhere else: you get what you pay for. If you have a much older DOS machine that does not have Windows, there are two options I’m aware of. One is the Cleveland Free–net (use your modem to dial 216–368–3888), which is difficult to use and certainly not as graphically advanced as other services, but it will do the job. I also believe that CompuServe (800–848–8990) still supports older machines at a minimum rate of about $10 a month. If you have a Windows machine and need nothing more than plain vanilla messages with no attachments or frills, you can use the free Juno service. Juno is trying hard to upgrade people to its paid services, but the software for the free service is still around. A few of us in the Community have it, or you can get it off the internet from www.juno.com. It fits on one disk, so you can get it in a library session. Be sure to get the older version 1.49 and not the newer ones. It works on Windows 3.1 computers, as well as Windows 95/98 machines, but not on Apple/Mac units. Juno is one of the easier E–mail programs to use, but you have to wade through a lot of advertising, none of it offensive. For a small monthly fee of about $3, Juno will deliver attachments with your E–mail, and for a fee comparable to many others (about $20 a month), you can get full internet access. Instead of Juno’s attachment service, I suggest spending about $10 a month and getting full, unlimited internet service from one of the companies that advertise locally. Many of us use Stratos, which is changing its name to CoreComm and can be reached at 216–902–4330. Stratos/CoreComm is not the greatest service, as anyone who tries to connect during the peak evening hours can attest, but for the price, it is worthwhile for casual use. Stratos/CoreComm, also offers one very attractive perk. If you sign up and stay with them for a couple of months, you get a free computer class at the New Horizon center in Independence. I took one and it was first rate. Additionally, Stratos/CoreComm’s customer service can be helpful, but to get their attention, you often have to call during daytime hours. Because of Stratos’ longstanding pricing policy, several other internet service providers (or ISPs) in our area provide $10 a month service as well. Check the ads in the technology section of the Monday Plain Dealer. Stratos/CoreComm does not offer the free introductory month that the big national services promote, but at half the monthly price, who cares. In general, I believe Stratos/CoreComm, or one of its $10 a month competitors, represent the best, most cost–effective option for most new or casual internet users in the Community. We are fortunate to have this choice here in the Cleveland area. In future articles, I will cover some of the other internet services, including why I recommend staying away from America Online (AOL). Also I hope to get into some of the basics of using E–mail programs and will invite guests to write about the systems and programs I am not familiar with. If you have questions, send them to me (Alaimo@bigfoot.com) and I will do my best to either answer them myself in this space or get someone else to do it. - Dan Alaimo
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