Communio . . .
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June 24, 2007
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To strengthen our shared life in Christ
through mutual participation and the free exchange of ideas.
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Community of St. Malachi, 2459 Washington Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44113-2380. www.stmalachi.org
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Communio Archive
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What Don’t We Know About Our Community?
by Joe Pulizzi
(Joe is a member of the Community of St. Malachi, is co-chair of CSM Communications Committee, and edits this publication in his free time.)
Frankly, what we don’t know about the Community of St. Malachi is a lot.
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This is the epiphany that came to me recently as CSM members have been in heated
discussion about clustering and the true value of the Community.
I’ve been part of the Communio team for exactly nine years now…member
for 10 (hard to believe). Over that time, I’ve been exposed to how truly
wonderful the Community of St. Malachi is. Now, don’t get me wrong, from what
I’ve heard about the “original” Community, we are nothing like that…and
never will be. I truly admire that team of people for doing something about
their faith. Incredibly inspiring.
Yes, we will never be the Community of old. I think everyone accepts that.
But are we still a great community? I would say yes to that as well.
I’ve read every Communio article at least twice, sometimes more,
over the past decade. What I’ve come to believe as the true “problem” with
the Community is but one thing…communication.
I get the impression that founding Community members were VERY close to each
other. They were friends. They relied on each other. They talked to each other.
If something was going on in the Community, someone knew it and spread that
information to everyone else in the Community. Communication was excellent…even
with none of the technology we have today. Everyone knew about EVERYTHING going
on in the Community…and that was simply awesome.
Let’s fast forward to today. Ask anyone in the Community about what’s
going on in the Community. Even the most active members of the Community
probably know, at best, 75% of what is going on and who is making an impact on
people’s lives. The average Community member probably knows about 25% of what
is going on.
You can dispute this, but from my perspective, it’s pretty much a fact. So,
the essence of our issues may not be that the Community is beyond saving; it may
only be that we don’t realize the impact our Church is making on the world in
which we live.
Pam and I had the pleasure of going on the Majestic boat ride Tuesday with
the St. Malachi Center staff and volunteers. I like to think I know a bit about
the Center…hey, I went to “Soup for the Soul,” I go to the Mart. What I
realized is that I, frankly, have no idea the impact these people make. I didn’t
even know most of the people that volunteer their time and effort. These are
amazing people.
Use this litmus test with any of the committees and groups within CSM, and
you’ll most likely find the same thing. There are tiny miracles all around us,
yet most of us are not aware of them…and that’s a shame.
So, sounds like a big job for your newly revived CSM Communications
Committee. It’s tough just figuring out where to start.
Well, we have a couple ideas that hopefully will help…but it will take each
of you to make it happen. The team is looking into a social networking tool
(Internet web site) that can be exclusive to our little Community. It is our
hope that with this small device, each of you will get at least a tiny snapshot
of what is going on in the Community. Currently, there are members of the
Communications Committee and other members of the Community testing this idea
out. It’s not a perfect idea…it’s just one. But when has the Community
ever claimed to be perfect. We only hope what we do glorifies God in some way
and helps those who truly need helping.
This is a bit of a trailblazing concept. That should fit this Community just
fine. After all, haven’t we always been trailblazers at heart and in action?
We’ll have more to come on all of this, but in the meantime, I want to ask
each of you to look at the Community with fresh eyes. What you see is just a
portion of what is really happening; and what may look like a dying community
(to some), may just be one without a good publicist.
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Un “Sung” Heroes
by Pam Pulizzi
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(Pam is a member of the Community of St. Malachi and co-chair of the CSM
Communications Committee.)
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Leaving a meeting several weeks ago I drove past the Church and saw a number
of people leaving to go to their cars. Upon further eyeballing I realized that
they were all members of the choir and musicians’ group. I had heard or read
somewhere that there was choir practice on Thursday evening, but until that
moment in my car driving home I never really connected with the fact that
besides filling the 11:00 a.m. Mass on Sunday with joy and beautiful music
ministry, they also give so much of their time in coming to practice and
rehearse every Thursday evening. These friends give a great commitment and share
their talent every time they participate at Mass.
When I tell people why I love the Community, the Choir (including the
musicians) is often in my top three reasons. They truly add something to the
Mass for me that is so valuable and prayerful. I have really never thanked them
for this!
Many folks have just as strong of contributions to the parish and Community
in attending meetings, cleaning and decorating church, Monday night meal and the
backdoor, and this is in no way a neglect to those folks. Music is special
though. It reverberates all week in our home as you will often catch one of the
boys singing “Glory to God” or “Taste and See” and that really puts a
smile on my face. It is just another way that the ministry of music impacts on
the people at the Community Mass.
So my thanks to the choir and the musicians and to each of you in the
congregation who also sing and clap to enhance the Mass in your own way. I value
the music and can only imagine the work that goes on behind the scenes to make
it as vibrant and spiritual as it is!
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Looking Forward
by Chuck Gerheim
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(Chuck is a member of the Community of St. Malachi.)
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Let tell you why I decided to join the Community of St. Malachi. I’m sure
my story will find resonance with your own. I had heard that there was a
lay-directed parish on W. 25th St. that took Vatican II very seriously. I
came to the 11:00 o’clock Mass a few times and I was amazed at what I
experienced. The pews filled up from the front to the back. People actually
talked with one another before and after Mass. The congregation sang louder than
the choir; compensating lack of harmony with spirit and volume. In short, I
found a community of believers who were joined in a spirited celebration of our
salvation through the Eucharist. I could feel that the Holy Spirit was present
in a very special way.
Anyone who has read the newspaper or watched the news in the last few weeks
knows that the Cleveland Diocese will be undergoing some very profound changes.
These changes will come about because of two very evident factors: The
population centers of our diocese has moved from Cleveland and the inner ring
suburbs to the outer suburbs and the average age of the clergy is rising –
meaning we have fewer priests to minister to the parishes. No matter how we feel
about it, these are facts that must be dealt with. Over the next few years the
Diocese of Cleveland is going to be dealing with these statistics as best they
can.
Of more immediate and personal concern is the article run in the Plain
Dealer on June 5. According to the article, in the cluster that includes The
Community of St. Malachi, St. Malachi Parish, St. Wendelin and St. Patrick, two
of those parishes will close. If you consider the situation objectively, I don’t
think it will take you long to see that the Community of St. Malachi will cease
to exist as a separate entity.
The question is will the feeling, the enthusiasm, and the commitment end
because we are no longer formally identified as a separate community? I don’t
believe that it has to end. The Holy Spirit has brought some very talented,
committed, and caring people together at this time and place for a reason. We
still have that feeling of community; we still have people committed to social
programs. Most of all we have the same love of the Eucharist and spirit of
celebration.
It may be that the time for two parish councils under one roof has passed.
The leadership provided by Fr. Tony and the CSM council has brought us together
and pointed the way. We are still the same people: people of faith, welcoming
and concerned, whether we are the Community of St. Malachi, or part of St.
Malachi’s Parish. We should realize that the Holy Spirit has brought us
together. As the future comes rushing in on us, becoming the present, we must be
prepared to use our talents and treasures as we have in the past. With the help
of the Holy Spirit the strengths of the Community will blend with those of the
Parish and we will bring about a rebirth of St. Malachi’s Parish as a whole.
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Who Does What?
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(Thanks to Fran DeChant for sending this in.)
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A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee
each morning. The wife said, “You should do it, because you get up
first, and then we don’t have to wait as long to get our coffee.” The
husband said, “You are in charge of cooking around here and you should do it,
because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee.” Wife
replies, “No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man
should do the coffee.”
Husband replies, “I can’t believe that. Show me.” So
she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of
several pages, that it indeed says.......”HEBREWS!”
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Community of St. Malachi’s Last Hurrah
by Frank Schiros
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I have always thought that, “CHRISTIANITY IS NOT JUST A
RELIGION. IT IS ALSO A RELATIONSHIP OF CHRISTIANS.” Ron Perger’s
article in the May Communio resonated a quiver of sympathy in me.
Perhaps I can best explain why I am also disturbed at the changes that
Community members have allowed to occur at St. Malachi.
I have been a lifetime Catholic and became a CSM member 25 years ago when Dave
Starre asked me to join the Community. I came with some hesitation because
the priest at St. Rose gave free reign to the parish council I helped form in
order to organize community activities. However, it was nothing like the
collegiality I found at St Malachi.
I come from a family that felt that Catholic meant more than going to church
on Sunday, but was in fact to serve seven days a week if necessary.
My grandfather immigrated to New York and brought his Catholicism with him.
My father moved on to Cleveland and moved into the Italian-American community at
St. Rocco. The parishioners labored as a community and built St. Rocco Church
with their energy. Later my father moved to the St Rose parish.
When Pope John XXIII dedicated Vatican II and encouraged collegiality, I
observed the difference that Dave Starre referred to between Parish and
Community and I moved to St. Malachi upon his recommendation.
As time went on, I can best describe the drastic deterioration of the two
forms of churchgoing (Community and Parish) when I quote PHIL DALY, a
long time member. He told me, “I go to the 9:30 am parish mass now. Why should
I go to the 11:00 am community mass when it is no different?” Another well
known member (nameless) I ran into at a restaurant commented when we met “that
going to St. Malachi is useless when I can go to a parish mass close to home.”
Those are two of many examples that have occurred in the last several years and
the 11:00 am churchgoers still don’t get it even when the membership has
dropped to about 389 from a former surge of 700 or more. Community is not
just religion but also about relationship and collegiality and dialogue with
clergy.
Parish is about priestly dominion over both religious and secular matters
with little concern for dialogue with laity.
Several conclusions
1. St. Malachi is perhaps the only community construct in the diocese. What
happens when it’s clustered with all parishes? You can take a guess for
yourself. The community will become a thing of the past.
2. The original band of Catholics came and got permission to celebrate mass
at St Malachi with their idea of a Community. If the idea of a real Community
is no longer desired, why doesn’t another band of Catholics solicit “Community”
at another church?
3. Why aren’t several more members solicited for council positions so
members can vote rather than have a call for acclimation? A collegial
membership has a duty to participate in a council of laity.
4. If the time has come for Community members to decide whether we should
join the Parish then we should vote on it.
5. The State has begun to examine the credibility of Charter schools
and their effect on Public education and the teaching profession. Why
would any committee members with an education background agree to have a
charter school at St. Malachi?
P.S. members are welcome to comment at e-mail: zorba2wo@aol.com
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Community of St. Malachi, 2459 Washington Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44113-2380
216-781-3110 www.stmalachi.org
Sunday Community Mass 11 a.m. Parish Masses Sat. 4:30 p.m., Sun. 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m.
Holy day: Vigil 5:30 p.m., 7 a.m., noon. Weekday: 7 a.m., noon. Legal Holiday: 9 a.m.
We celebrate Children’s Liturgy of The Word every other Sunday, please see the Calendar.
For information on the Sacraments, please call the Community Office.
THE COMMUNITY OF ST. MALACHI is a lay-directed, non-territorial personal
parish of the Diocese of Cleveland. Although separate from the Parish of St.
Malachi, we join together for many worthwhile activities. All are welcome to
worship at the 11 a.m. Community liturgy on Sunday. Community members are
expected to actively contribute of their time, talent and treasure.
Communio is a monthly publication of the Communications Committee of the
Community of St. Malachi. Deadline is the second Sunday before publication. You
ease our task by submitting materials by E-Mail or on disk. All viewpoints of
interest to our Community in the context of our journey of faith are welcome
here. Viewpoints are those of the writers and not necessarily the teachings of
the Roman Catholic Church.
For e-mail delivery of Communio or Newsletter through CSM’s E-Subscription
service
complete the Newsletter/Communio Add/Removal Request Form
© 2007 Community of St. Malachi. Reprinting of articles originating in Communio
is encouraged – please contact the Editors for permission. |
Newsletter: Mary Englert
216-228-8417,
fax 216-861-5340,
14921 Lake Ave # 10, Lakewood 44107.
E-mail mtenglert@juno.com
Communio
Chief Editor: Joe Pulizzi
216-941-5054
E-mail joe_pulizzi@yahoo.com
Volunteers to collate and staple:
Nadge Herceg 440-930-2781
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Volunteers to hand out after Mass:
Kevin Garven
Copying and attachments: Kimberly Tatro
216–781–3110
St. Malachi Web Site: Mike May
E–mail stmalachiweb@catholic.org
Prayer Request: If you have a
prayer request, please contact the rectory 216–781–3110
To receive Malachi e–mail prayer alerts, go to www.stmalachi.org/prayers.asp.
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