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* * * * * * * * * * * The Malachi File As we’ve gone along these many years, the occasional complaint about content would often be supported by the old saw, "Less is more." Well, this issue of Communio brings you that kind of ‘more’. We have several articles addressing the movie review controversy raised by Fr. Tony last issue. I have a strong desire to not let this drag out. After all, if we’ve reached a point where all we have to discuss is whether to have movie reviews, it’s time to reconsider this whole Communio project. But I do have two comments. For one, I want to point out that I was mostly in agreement with what Fr. Tony said, but took extreme exception to the way he presented it to us. And secondly, please note that there are no Padre Franco movie reviews in this issue. Whether there will be any in the future is under discussion, but from my perspective – one that is not shared by others who work on Communio who hold out hope for a rapprochement – it doesn’t seem likely that they will return, at least not written by myself or Frank Schiros. Meanwhile, there are some other worthwhile articles we submit for your consideration this month: there are two items on the El Salvador project, a report on the high schoolers trip to the National Catholic Youth Conference, a commentary on the suggestion that we give up newspapers for Lent (unthinkable by my lights), another segment in the Liturgy Committee’s educational series on the liturgy, and a continuation of the discussion about the changing neighborhood around St. Malachi’s. Thanks to Gary Pritts, Paul Kunkel, Mary Englert, Frank Schiros, Katie Alaimo, Mike May, Chuck Garvin, and John Lucic for sending in material this month. Our next issue is April 14 with a March 31 deadline. — Dan Alaimo * * * * * * * * * * * Reflections (Here are two reflections – one offered to the Community by Gary Pritts on February 9th and the other written by Paul Kunkel and offered to the Community today. We hope you enjoy them. Our thanks to Gary and Paul for getting these in to us!) Sharing The Bread The prophet Isaiah today gives us some clear direction on how to be heard by God. If we share our bread with the hungry, shelter the homeless, and free the oppressed, light shall rise for us in the darkness and gloom shall become bright sunshine. We at St. Malachi have a strong tradition of service for the poor, at our Monday Night Meal, our backdoor ministry, Malachi Center, Malachi House and numerous other Malachi ministries. Time and time again, these volunteers speak about how their lives have been transformed by service to the poor. We have dedicated volunteers who have served in these ministries for 10 years, 20 years, and some approaching 30 years. Monday Night Meal began about 30 years ago. Since that time, our culture has changed. We have less free time. Recent surveys have shown that Americans are spending more time at work. It has become the norm for both parents to have full time jobs. We have more structured activities for our children – witness the incredible growth of soccer and hockey, out of town travel sports, voice, dance, and music lessons, sports camps, climbing gyms, high adventure scout camps. We have become much busier. We invite every person here today to become less busy, to reduce your consumption, and contribute the monetary savings. This busyness is one factor in our increased consumption. We are so busy, we need to eat out more, and when we eat in we buy more convenience foods. American innovation has also created many new ways for us to consume. Most of us have cable TV, half of Americans use the internet, and we have no end of consumer appliances from leaf blowers to ice cream makers. Even refugees are purchasing on cordless phones and cell phones. This consumption, and our busyness, places us at risk of losing our focus on God. As Jesus said, there is little use for salt that has lost its flavor. As Fr. Tony indicated already, the councils of both the Community of St. Malachi, and St. Malachi Parish, in a joint project, have committed to a Lenten Outreach Project in El Salvador. I was especially satisfied to have the support of both councils for this outreach effort. The concept is simple. We invite every person here today to become less busy, to reduce your consumption, and contribute the monetary savings. All funds collected will be given to the Teotopeque parish in El Salvador, one of the two Cleveland Diocese mission parishes. Fr. John King, the pastor, has indicated that he will use the money to buy shoes for kids and to rebuild churches that were destroyed in the recent earthquake. For this project, I especially want to invite those of us who have not yet participated in our ministries for the poor. Please understand that your contribution can make a huge impact. A dollar in the developing world can have 5 or 10 times the impact of a dollar in this country. In rough numbers, we have about 1000 people who attend Mass here every weekend. If everyone were able to contribute $0.50/day during Lent, we would be able to raise $20,000. This would provide shoes for hundreds of kids, and rebuild churches in two of the villages in the Teotopeque parish. With Ash Wednesday this week, I encourage you to pray and discuss how you can participate. Perhaps you would forgo eating out once each week. If you do eat out, maybe you can get water instead of a beverage. Or, do without one bag of Doritos and save $3.50. One less coffee at Starbucks will save you $1.50. Perhaps you can do without one activity – one less movie, one less trip to see the Cavs. Envelopes will be available next week to make your contribution. If we consume less, and become less busy, we will have more time to listen to the voice of God. I especially invite any who are new to St. Malachi, or who have not yet participated in our ministries for the poor, to join with us, to renew our tradition of service, and to be transformed. My hope and my prayer is to help all of us to follow the admonition of Isaiah, and of Jesus, who call us to care for the poor and, in doing so, to become the salt of the earth, to become the light of the world. I especially invite any who are new to St. Malachi, or who have not yet participated in our ministries for the poor, to join with us, to renew our tradition of service, and to be transformed. — Gary Pritts (Gary Pritts is serving as President of the Community of St. Malachi Council.)
Partaking Of The Water In our Exodus reading today, the Israelites are uptight because they have no water, as they question Moses, "Why have we left Egypt?" The Lord provides Moses with the answer asking him to strike the rock, which will provide water. In John’s gospel today, water again comes up, the water of eternal life in the Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. These readings caused me to recall some of the basic problems with fresh water in the land of the Savior, El Salvador, from my visit a few years ago. Potable water from the tap is not a reality for most of the country. As we go through life taking such things as drinking water for granted, our Salvadoran neighbors struggle for basic needs. Our Lenten sacrifices and donations will ease the burden with the parishioners of San Pedro Apostel, in Teotepeque in El Salvador during this Lenten season, as Fr. John King and his pastoral staff provide "water" for sustenance both physical and spiritual. Our Malachi connection to the El Salvador missions include Ursuline sisters, Bobbie Goebel who served in the 1990’s and Martha Owens who served with Dorothy Kazel in the 1980’s, lay missioner Carol Savage who is presently serving in El Salvador and Sr. Cathy DeVita, who taught at Urban Community a few years before going to El Salvador, then Mexico. Carol also worked at Urban Community School, before returning to El Salvador a few years ago. Our Community and Parish Councils passed resolutions recently, as you know, to make ongoing commitments to serve the developing world, with our El Salvador Shoes for Kids Project as the first implementation. In my reflection today, I would like to tell you a little about the country, about the Cleveland Mission efforts there and particularly about Fr. John King and San Pedro Apostel. I met Fr. John King about twelve years ago at a Christian Neighbors gathering at a Bedford Park close to my home. Fr. John was an associate pastor at St. Mary’s in Bedford at the time. He and Fr. Al Krupp, Pastor of St. Martins of Tours, a neighboring parish, helped put together the Christian Neighbors group, an ecumenical effort with neighborhood churches. Both Father John and Father Al left for El Salvador shortly thereafter. Fr. Al Krupp served as pastor at La Libertad, for six years. Fr. John went to Chirilagua in 1994, and to Teotepeque in 1998. El Salvador is perhaps one of the smallest (5 million) and poorest of the all the countries in our hemisphere. Ninety per cent of the wealth of the country has been controlled by a dozen families for centuries. A 12 year long civil war ended in 1992. During those years, 75 thousand people (mostly Salvadorans) were "disappeared" or murdered, including Jean Donovan from St. Malachi Community, Cleveland Ursuline nun Sr. Dorothy Kazel, and Maryknoll nuns, Srs. Ita Ford and Maura Clark from New York, Fr. Rutilio Grande, Bishop Oscar Romero from San Salvador, the six Jesuit priests at the UCA (University of Central America), their housekeeper and her daughter, and the 758 villagers in El Mozote massacre in Morazan, just to mention a few. The most breathtaking thing about this country is the faith of the poor. These people will give you their last tortilla.. However, Jesuit Dean Brackley spoke of hope in El Salvador: The most breathtaking thing about this country is the faith of the poor. These people will give you their last tortilla.. You run around asking yourself, "Why are people smiling? What’s wrong with them?’ St. Ignatius says that if you have consolation, if you have joy, and you can’t find the cause, it’s got to be God. They are not smiling because of the food. They are not smiling because of the great health care. What are they smiling for? That has been the greatest source of hope. Our Cleveland missioners, including Fr. Dennis St. Marie who started the first mission parish in El Salvador nearly thirty years ago, worked in the war–ravaged country helping keep God’s reign alive, establishing parishes, the COAR orphanage, and lending a helping hand rebuilding lives and villages. After the signing of the U.N. Peace Accords in 1994, the country has been slowly rebuilding, with monumental problems with the infrastructure and rampant poverty, and a fledgling economy. In the last three years, natural disasters have taken their toll. El Salvador was severely damaged during Hurricane Mitch three years ago and by the January 13th earthquake last year. Fr. John tells us there were 1,350 homes either destroyed or severely damaged in the San Pedro Apostel parish. More than 7,400 parishioners needed help. Many new homes were constructed. They are concrete block homes with two rooms, a cement floor and corrugated zinc roof. The homeowners helped with construction and will pay 10% of the $2,000 construction cost in the next two years. These new homes are far superior to what they replaced. San Pedro Apostel organized the rebuilding effort that is ongoing. Fr. John had a couple of shipping containers in Cleveland the summer before last, which took building materials and other donations to help with the rebuilding. St. Albert the Great Parish in North Royalton, a parish where Fr. John served, contributed some funds to help with the roof restoration of the church at San Pedro Apostel. In addition to our shoes for kids project, there is also a need for rebuilding a large chapel in the community of El Angel and erecting a half a dozen chapels in other cantons the parish serves. Fr. John King and his pastoral team serve 30,000 people in 25 different communities in this rural area. Some of the villages he serves had never seen a priest or celebrated Eucharist before he arrived. Fr. John’s pastoral team consists of himself and the following:
I have been in contact with Fr. John the past month by internet and by phone. Here is his last e–mail:
Father John also asked for our prayers as he and his pastoral team continue to proclaim Jesus Christ and work with the poor to build the reign of God. As we continue on our Lenten journey, we partake of the water of eternal life. Let us strive to take seriously our commitment to provide our Salvadoran neighbors with our assistance both material and spiritual, so that they can partake of the water of life, both material and spiritual in this land of the Savior. God bless you for your continued support! —Paul Kunkel * * * * * * * * * * * Lenten Sacrifice In the last CSM Newsletter (2/24/02), the organizing committee for the El Salvador Lenten Outreach Project offered suggestions for "reducing consumption for the project’s benefit." With all due respect for that committee and its energy and effort, with one suggestion I beg to differ. (That familiar phrase just came naturally, but come to think of it, isn’t it strange? Why should anyone have to "beg" to differ? Isn’t that a natural right? Oh well. As another old saying goes, "I digress.") The particular suggestion was to "cancel your newspaper subscription during Lent…." Not a good idea, I think. For several reasons:
But how times have changed. [The committee made] no mention whatever of what used to be standard and expected Lenten sacrifices – whiskey, beer and cigarettes! An alternative suggestion: If you enjoy crossword puzzles, let someone else do ‘em. If you don’t enjoy them, force yourself to struggle with the New York Times puzzles. And offer it up – the inevitable frustration and loss of self–esteem. Other than that, the committee’s suggestions sound worthwhile and feasible. But how times have changed. No mention whatever of what used to be standard and expected Lenten sacrifices – whiskey, beer and cigarettes! — Mary Englert * * * * * * * * * * * The Realities Of Change I’ve been writing in Communio for many years, but I have never received as much verbal commentary on my essays as on the "Where Goes the Neighborhood" article in the January issue. There was even more comment than on my Padre Franco reviews, which are usually received favorably. For example, one person told me that their family took a tour of the area and that I was right. Another reader told me to stick to my opinions because that’s what makes Communio interesting. Yet another reader came up to me and said a discussion is necessary regarding the article with me – and I agreed. Finally, one person angrily confronted me and said that my article made that reader so mad that she was going to send in a rebuttal to Communio. (That hasn’t happened.) My guess is that particular reader was angry about a comment I made about mink coats at the Christmas Eve mass. If given the chance, I would have replied, "Where else could upscale Catholics living in West or East bank condos go to observe mass?" I was really referring to the subtlety of area change and future changes to come. There were more comments – both approving and critical – but only one person put it them writing in a Communio article. I’ve always felt that the reason I write what I do is for people who agree or disagree to express their opinions in such a way that others will be able to read them. But unfortunately, few take up this opportunity, although my conversations revealed that many have strong opinions. I’ve been a member of the Community for more than 20 years. I’ve served on the Community Council, as well as the Liturgy, Membership, Social Action, Spiritual Development and Communications committees, and numerous sub–committees. I mention this because I know, somewhat, whereof I write. But I also know from this experience that few members attend these meetings and not many provide either commentary or rebuttal in Communio. Catholics have periodically been reminded and urged by Vatican encyclicals that it is a duty of the laity to provide input. I hope St. Malachi Catholics acknowledge this and provide more input in our future dialog. The change in the area surrounding St. Malachi’s requires further comment. Accepting change is always difficult. St. Malachi’s was once essentially an Irish church and the parishioners who were here at the time once viewed Malachi Community members as a bunch of outsiders – gentrified outsiders. And there are a few who still think of us that way. Their needs and perceptions were somewhat different than the Community’s. Fr. Hritz once said that if mass wasn’t finished at a certain time, they would start leaving. When Fr. Hritz retired, some members left because they felt he was St. Malachi Church. So what? The old timers had the choice to stay. This area was once the domain of really poor people. So what? Now it’s rapidly becoming the domain of middle and upper middle class people, and the truly poor now only come to Monday Nite Meals and seldom come to church. Yet the subtlety of change is evident. Is it bad? I don’t know. If the original Mission Statement of the Community is no longer valid, so what? Those who disagree will either move to another church or try to encourage ministries that follow the original mission. If, in the future, St. Malachi’s no longer meets my family’s or my needs, so what? Then I’ll look for another Catholic church. That’s how I got from St. Rose to here in the first place. That’s the reason why many other members have come and gone. And that’s the reason we have such a fluid membership. If the membership quietly changes and a drive–through is necessary at the "Back Door Ministry" so that SUV drivers can pull up and ask for mochas and lattes, so what? If the membership quietly changes and a drive–through is necessary at the "Back Door Ministry" so that SUV drivers can pull up and ask for mochas and lattes, so what? Change becomes necessary to meet the needs of the current membership and its goals. I have no objection to gentrification per se, but I do have concerns about service to the poor. A part of the original article was a suggestion about how we could interface the poor with the influx of middle class membership. I suggested one way that impoverished neighbors could stay and capitalize on the redevelopment efforts of the "Historical Warehouse District Corp." However, absolutely nothing has been conveyed to me that anybody in the Council or the Community is taking these area changes seriously. I understand there is some current discussion over both gentrification and poverty but rather than being given this information second–hand, why not bring this matter into open forum and get community input? I look forward to future discussions. But for those of you who would rather not make personal observations and who have e–mail, you can send your comments to me at zorba2wo@aol.com — Frank Schiros * * * * * * * * * * * Report From NCYC A couple of months ago, many of us from the senior high school Christian Formation class had the privilege to join the Diocese of Cleveland in attending the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Indianapolis. For those who don’t know what it is, NCYC is a gathering of high school aged kids in the name of the Lord. We attended workshops, masses, and got the opportunity to share our faith with about 25,000 other teenagers. The theme was "Hope at the Crossroads" and the message of hope we received from the many witnesses, music and workshops gave a deeper meaning to the word. Much of the youth conference was spent in the RCA Dome. It was amazing to walk in for the first time and be surrounded by thousands of other kids, all brought together by the same faith. Here in this dome, bands shared their positive message through song, witnesses of faith told us their stories of hope and inspired us, and kids from all over the country got to come together to pray and share their faith with each other. At the end of the conference, we had our final mass in the dome. While in prayer, there was a sense of power all around us. During the day, we attended workshops that taught us more about ourselves, our faith, and the world we live in. Some were taught creatively using comedy and music, there were some taught by priests, and one was even taught by a juggler. We would have to run to the workshops because they filled up so fast. This was certainly a time of deep sharing as we revealed our lives, our gifts and our faith with each other. As much as we learned from the workshops, we learned just as much from each other. We got to know our roommates and other members of our youth group a little better, but also met new people and made new friends from all over the country. Everyone was friendly and it didn’t matter where you were from. During the conference, we even had the chance to trade the shirts we brought, as well as Frisbees, stickers, and other souvenirs from our states. To all the members of the Community and Parish, thanks for sending us to NCYC and hopefully, we’ll be able to attend again in 2003. In our journey of faith, we found ourselves growing closer to each other, and as a result, our faith grew stronger. I felt that God was all around us and we saw Him through the witnesses, the music, the kids we met, as well as each other. The memories of those four days will not be forgotten. NCYC was a powerful experience, perhaps on different levels or in different ways for different people. However, it was well worth all the effort we put into raising the funds to go. To all the members of the Community and Parish, thanks for sending us to NCYC and hopefully, we’ll be able to attend again in 2003. — Katie Alaimo * * * * * * * * * * * On Movie Reviews (Here are three articles concerning Fr. Tony’s piece in last month’s Communio, entitled, "On Movie Reviews," and the response of our Editor– in–Chief, Dan Alaimo. We thank the writers for their forthright opinions.) What Is More Important Than That? Regarding the recent exchange regarding the publication of movie reviews: I don’t read that the author of "On Movie Reviews" last month is "strangely non–communicative." Rather, I see a shepherd prodding his own and speaking of how our time spent reading Communio, and specifically the movie reviews, " ... could have real value." What is more important than that? Do we need to read a Communio where "anything at all" (that the editor refers to) is printed? Can the saying "Less is more," be applied here? The valuable articles to be found within Communio should suffice. The author’s words point out with example the value of quality over quantity. I found in the author’s words not a "strangeness" that the editor referred to, and I welcome the effort to refocus Communio. To those who find taking direction from others difficult I recall to them the words of Christ, who said to Paul: "It is hard for you to kick against the goad."(Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 26:14) As Paul took the prodding of Christ and remade his life so can the authors of the movie reviews take a gentle prodding to find a mission in their desire to review movies. — Mike May I read your response to Fr. Tony’s reflections about the movie reviews in Communio on February 10. I was amazed that you considered them to be "strangely non–communicative" and "certainly counterproductive." You wrote that "critiques like this will make it all the harder" for people to "send their thoughts in to Communio." I very strongly disagree. Though I have no objection whatsoever to the movie reviews, I too have wondered about their relevance to "our journey of faith." We do not review new cars, clothing fashions, or have a sport page. The movie reviews are fine (even appreciated), but I consider them as relevant to "our journey of faith" as the jokes and funny anecdote inserts. Suggesting that Fr. Tony is critical of "writers with less–than–perfect things to say" is an unfair and inaccurate cheap shot. Fr. Tony can speak (write) for himself, but I don’t think that he insulted or attacked any writer of any review. I think that he merely challenged any current or potential writer/reviewer to consider connecting events, topics or movies to "the context of our journey of faith." If a person withholds an article, because they decide it’s not relevant, so be it. I really care about the Cleveland Indians’ power hitting and starting pitching health this spring, but I won’t be disappointed if I don’t read about this in Communio. I hope that this is not the end of the movie reviews, but I won’t be disappointed if they take a perspective different than I can read in the Sun or Plain Dealer. We have had articles in past issues of Communio that I believed were much more personally critical of a previous writer (Frank Schiros often being the target). I’ve never seen you write that you "fear such criticism will frighten off other writers." I am very grateful to all that contribute time and talent to Communio. I bet and hope that Fr. Tony’s article does not result in a decrease in writers, but I also hope we measure the success of Communio, not in the number of pages, but by the thoughtfulness and relevance of the words on those pages (not to be confused with a perfection requirement for each article). I hope that this is not the end of the movie reviews, but I won’t be disappointed if they take a perspective different than I can read in the Sun or Plain Dealer. I also hope that the "Malachi File" section of Communio takes a less harshly judgmental tone as it tells us of articles that follow it in that month’s publication. — Chuck Garven I was interested to read Fr. Tony’s and Dan Alaimo’s comments last month on the movie reviews that run in Communio. Like Fr. Tony I would like to see more thoughts on the spiritual themes, moral values, human conditions, and depiction of religion/religious beliefs when I read movie reviews in Communio. These are, in my opinion, the most fascinating aspects of any movie. The comments Fr. Tony wrote about "A Beautiful Mind" were so important when considering this movie in the context of our journey of faith. I too was amazed at what Fr. Tony described as "the heroic faithfulness" of the wife of the main character in that movie. Her commitment to the marriage was spiritually inspiring. I also saw real value in some of Dan Alaimo’s points about those who contribute their thoughts to Communio. Personally I was a bit nervous the first couple times I wrote for Communio. As I have become more comfortable with writing, Communio has been a great outlet for me. I feel at times that I need to express my thoughts on spiritual themes to a community that will be kind enough to listen. I know that all those involved with the publication of Communio make a real attempt to encourage everyone who might have the desire to submit articles (especially original articles) to do so. To my understanding every article submitted to Communio has been printed. I therefore agree with Dan who fears that writers "with less–than–perfect things to say" will be frightened off if we are not careful about how we respond to their writing. I am glad anytime I see something written by a young person in Communio. As I scrolled through the eleven issues published in 2001, I noted that teenagers submitted articles four times. Interestingly, half of these articles were movie reviews. I think anyone would agree that whether or not a young person’s written content was overtly in the context of our journey of faith, the simple act of submitting something to Communio is a way of contributing to and participating in the Community and therefore is itself within the context of our journey of faith. With our young people, and with all members of the Community, participation in the Community often is characterized by tasks that are not obviously "spiritual" in nature. Yet I would propose that any tasks that are contributed with good intentions such as delivering donuts, planning a fund raiser, doing dishes, writing movie reviews, cleaning up holiday decorations, or selling tickets can all be legitimate methods of participation. In conclusion I think that Fr. Tony’s and Dan Alaimo’s comments on movie reviews both contained important points. While it is desirable for the content of movie reviews to reflect our journey of faith, the intentional act of contributing to our Community in any way we can is itself a legitimate part of our faith journey. — John Lucic * * * * * * * * * * * About Our Liturgy (In an effort to enhance awareness in the Community the Liturgy Committee will contribute educational segments to Communio. Many of the topics you will read about in the next several months are responses to questions asked by Community members in previous surveys.) What is the meaning of the song / psalm proclaimed between the first and second reading? The song proclaimed between the first and second reading is known as the Responsorial Psalm. It is taken from the Book of Psalms and can be read or sung, but involves a dialogue between the cantor and the congregation. The Responsorial Psalm is not an optional part of the Mass on Sundays. Omitting it is an abuse. According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, from the Catholic Liturgical Library on the internet, "After the reading, the cantor of the psalm, or the reader, sings or recites the psalm, and the people make the response." According to Donald Grout in his "History of Western Music," "Among the Hebrews, psalms were sung in alternation between a soloist (cantor) and the congregation; one form of alternation, which later became important in Christian liturgy (was) responsorial psalmody," wherein the cantor sang the verses, the congregation replying with an unchanging refrain derived from a verse of the psalm or simply an alleluia. For a more detailed history you can go to the Canticanova Publications website on the internet. Question for next month: Why do we sometimes offer the wine at Mass and why should I take it? —The Liturgy Committee (The Liturgy Committee would love to hear from you on this issue! If you have an answer or have input please e–mail it to pam_pulizzi@yahoo.com. Your response could be included in next months Communio.) * * * * * * * * * * *
Council Meeting Highlights (The meeting was convened at 7:00 p.m. in Saint Malachi Center on February 5th. Karen Duffy opened the meeting with faith sharing.) Pastor’s Report: The Malachi House renovation is proceeding as scheduled; they hope to complete the renovation by the beginning of April. They are anticipating holding an Open House sometime in May. St. Malachi Center’s Soup for the Soul benefit is February 28 and the Annual St. Malachi Run is March 16. Christian Formation Report: First Communion preparation is underway for 8 second graders and their families. To the left of the altar during mass hangs the Jesus Tree. Each week a First Communicant will hang a new symbol on the tree. Their First Holy Eucharist will be held May 5, 2002. The High School Christian Formation retreat will be Feb 22–24 at St. Leonard Retreat Center. The Junior High School Christian Formation retreat will be March 23–24 at Highlands Camp and Conference Center. For this year’s service project, all classes will be discussing Lenten Almsgiving. We will be collecting $3. from each student to purchase wish–list items for Malachi House and Malachi Center. Membership Committee Report: The Picture Directory Working Sub–Committee decided to proceed with enlisting Lifetouch Pictures as the photographer for developing the Picture Book for St. Malachi. Committee members learned more about ways to improve connecting volunteers with appropriate ministries and committees at a Jan. 15th meeting conducted by Gail Roussey of the Diocesan Pastoral Planning Office. There was discussion of a presentation to be held April 13th on " How to Recruit Volunteers" by Gail Roussey. Communications Committee Update: Malachi Ministries Brochure – Peter Toomey will be working with the Malachi Ministries Council on the creation of a professional brochure. The communications committee will be assisting the council throughout each step of the process. Calendar – Bill McLaughlin will be stepping down as the committee’s calendar contact. We thank Bill for all his time and effort on the calendar. The committee is currently looking for a replacement. Web site – we are in discussions about the possibilities of putting audio on the web site – specifically to broadcast St. Malachi Community homilies. Mike May is exploring our options. Communio – the committee is discussing new ways to get people to submit articles for Communio. Finding new contributors has been an ongoing problem. Will keep council up–to–date on any new processes. Liturgy Committee: The CSM Liturgy Committee discussed ways to meet the requests for continuing education regarding liturgical history and practices that were expressed by those who participated in the St. Malachi looks to the Future: Rejoice and Renew. One idea was to begin a CSM Liturgy column in Communio. The updated St. Malachi marriage brochure should be ready for review in April. An effort is being made to increase the number of CSM Liturgy Committee members. Each member has been encouraged to invite at least one person to attend the February meeting. Finance Committee: At the present level of collections we do not have any problem in meeting our commitments. We are waiting for the hard copy formal approval of the fiscal year 2000–2001 review of the records. No discrepancies were found. The budget for the fiscal year 2002–2003 is being developed. The budget process is as follows: April – prepare preliminary budget, May – present to Council, June – Council approval of final budget. * * * * * * * * * * * Developing Nations Project: Ad Hoc Committee Report On January 29, eight members from the Community and the Parish met to discuss our Lenten project. The purpose of the session was to witness to first hand experiences in the Third World and to discuss opportunities for our outreach to the developing countries. Casey Stengel spent a month in Uganda recently. Chuck Garven went to Honduras on a medical mission delegation after Hurricane Mitch. Paul Kunkel and Karen Duffy spent time in El Salvador with a COAR delegation and a young adult delegation respectively. Observing poverty and experiencing the beautiful faith of the Africans and Salvadorans made all the travelers deeply aware of the tremendous needs in these life–changing experiences. They came back with the need to tell others of their experiences and to make a commitment to helping them. Next, we discussed the possible projects from which we would have to choose for our Parish/Community Lenten effort. Mary Jane Streichel presented a request from Jesuit Fr. Eugene Hattie in Kampala, Uganda. She had met Fr. Gene when he was visiting St. Ignatius High School a few years ago. An octogenarian, Fr. Gene, has been in Uganda for the last twenty years, developing homes and school for boys and girls, so that they can eventually support themselves. Casey Stengel had contacts with Anglican missionaries in Uganda, who work with education projects, including a school for students with AIDS, providing student with uniforms and expenses, providing sewing machines for building the tailoring business. Paul Kunkel checked with Cleveland Diocesan missioners Fr. John King and Fr. Bob Reidy in El Salvador, Fr. Loren Snow at Gesu Parish in Greater Cleveland, and Cynthia Bender of our Community. Cynthia Bender’s daughter Jennifer is presently serving as a teacher in the Peace Corps in Kouroussa in Africa. The community there has need of $400–$500 to build a chapel, a project they have been working on for a long time. It will take them six years to build this chapel. The money would really help. Fr. Loren Snow, Associate Pastor at Gesu Parish, has been taking delegations to Honduras, twice per year for the last four years. He presently has a group there for a retreat. He will be leading a medical delegation in June with fourteen doctors and nurses. The retreatants work with the local people during the day and return at the end of the day for Liturgy. The "alumni" participants meet every few months for reunions. There are presently five parishes involved. His group has been instrumental in starting a village for single mothers and their children. There are 300 inhabitants presently being served in Nuevo Paraiso, the name of the village. The trips cost about $1,200 per person for one or two weeks. The endeavor has been a real shot in the arm to the spirituality of Gesu Parish, something similar to the Christ Renews His Parish weekend retreats of the past. Fr. Bob Reidy of Santo Domingo parish in El Salvador has a school in his parish that was severely damaged by the earthquake. Only half of the building is useable. More than 200 children are not able to go to school because of the damaged facility. Father Bob’s greatest need is to raise funds to rebuild this school. Fr. John King in Teopeteque, El Salvador has many needs at San Pedro Apostel Parish, including shoes for kids so that they can attend school, funds to rebuild chapels in several of the villages he and his staff serve in this rural area that is slowly rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch and last year’s earthquake. Our committee discussed these proposals, all of which are certainly worthy of our involvement. After prayerful consideration, we came up with the following recommendations to be presented to Community Council and Parish Council:
Both Councils approved the recommendations and we are continuing to implement our project asking Community members and Parishioners to make sacrifices from 50 cents to one dollar per day per person for our Outreach Project. Communion reflections and publicity are planned during Lent for this ongoing Outreach for El Salvador Project. Paul Kunkel * * * * * * * * * * * Community Council Elections The Council of the Community of St. Malachi serves as the governing body of the Community, entrusted on an annul basis, to bring the Community’s Mission Statement more fully alive, with the spiritual growth of the Community as its priority. At the Annual Community Meeting on Sunday, April 14, 2002, the Community of St. Malachi will be electing three (3) At–Large Council Members, one (1) Community Treasurer, and one (1) chairperson for each of the following standing committees: Christian Formation; Communications; Hospitality; Liturgy; Membership; Social Action; and Spiritual Development. The general duties and responsibilities of at–large council members and its committee chairpersons as outlined in our Charter and Community Handbook are as follows: At–Large Council Member: (two–year term) attends monthly council meetings and at least one New Members’ Meeting during the year; participates on ad hoc committees as needed. Community Treasurer: (one–year term) attends monthly council meetings; handles the finances including deposits, disbursements, and development of the budget; provides council with monthly financial statement; serves ex–officio as a member of the Community Finance Council. Christian Formation Chairperson: (one–year term) attends monthly council meetings; is responsible for a program of religious formation and sacramental preparation of the young by working collaboratively with the Pastor, the Director of Religious Education and the Liturgy Committee. Communications Chairperson: (one–year term) attends monthly council meetings; coordinates publishing of the Community Newsletter, Communio and council minutes; coordinates the maintenance and enhancement of the St. Malachi website; supervises the E–Mail Alert System. Hospitality Chairperson: (one–year term) attends monthly council meetings; is responsible for working with ushers for Sunday Liturgy as well as providing refreshments for coffee hour and Community meetings; plans Community social events. Liturgy Chairperson: (one–year term) attends monthly council meetings; is responsible for working collaboratively with the Pastor and other Community/Parish staff and committees in planning Sunday worship, seasonal activities, other liturgies and prayer services as needed; is responsible for recruiting, preparing and assigning liturgical ministers. Membership Chairperson: (one–year term) attends monthly council meetings; holds New Members’ Meetings; creates annual membership roster; provides committee chairpersons with lists of community members interested the various standing committees. Social Action Chairperson: (one–year term) attends monthly council meetings; provides Community members with opportunities to actively address peace and justice issues. Spiritual Development Chairperson: (one–year term) attends monthly council meetings; provides spiritual growth opportunities for Council and Community members; meets jointly with the Parish Spiritual Development Commission. Community Council, through standing committees and at–large members, is the nuts and bolts of our community that allows it to both serve and function smoothly on a weekly basis – from planning Baptisms to stapling newsletters to delivering doughnuts. The members of Community Council ask you to reflect on our community and the time and talent we need from our membership to continue to serve and function well. Please nominate yourself, or a fellow community member whose talents you recognize would benefit our community, to serve in one of the positions listed above. While nominations are permitted from the floor of the annual meeting, please contact Mary Carol Lucic at (216) 221–5017, Mary Helen Meehan at (216) 228–9423, or Mike Pellegrino at (216) 351–8553 if you are interested in nominating yourself or someone you know for a council position by Easter Sunday, March 31, 2002. — Mike Pellegrino
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