The Community of St. Malachi Newsletter  

· ‘Tis The Season…
· Volunteers Needed
· Seasonal Events
· Advent Communal Penance Service
· Children’s Choir For Christmas
· St. Malachi Center “Las Posadas”
· St. Malachi Center Christmas Boutique
· “Happy Birthday” To Fr. Paul Hritz
· “Happy Ordination Anniversary”
· Christmas Masses
· Special Prayers Roster
· Welcome Home - Again
·  Message From Steve And Rosemarie Dejohn

Newsletter Editor: Mary Englert MTEnglert@juno.com

  The Community of St. Malachi – First Personal Parish of the Diocese of Cleveland
Celebrating Faith in God and in the Future! 

Third Sunday of Advent

December 11, 2005

‘T I S   T H E   S E A S O N…

to deliver fruit baskets to the elderly in the Lakeview and Riverview high-rises, SUNDAY DEC. 11. Meet at noon at St. Malachi Center. Info: Sr. Francis, 216-861-5343.

to help with church decorating for Christmas – lights, trees, wreaths - after 12:30 p.m. Mass Sunday, Dec. 18. “Many hands are needed and welcomed, says Kay Vine, 440-871-5868.

to help with holiday activities at St. Malachi Center. Even just a few hours will be helpful. Sign up at coffee hour or call Jackie Bluett, 216-771-3036.

Advent Communal Penance Service - 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, at St. Patrick (Bridge Avenue) Church. Priests from St. Malachi, St. Patrick and St. Wendelin will hear confessions.

Children’s Choir for Christmas - with practices at 4:30 p.m. each Friday in the church. Plans include singing at the 4:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Liturgy and a play for the Epiphany celebration. All children welcome. Information: Charlene McElwee, 216-781-3110.

St. Malachi Center “Las Posadas” - The center years ago adopted the Mexican tradition of celebrating the Holy Family’s search for a room at the inn. The celebration includes a procession, with prayer and song, around St. Malachi grounds followed by a light meal served by volunteers and center participants. The event will be held from 5:15 p.m. to about 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17. All are invited. Sign up at coffee hour or call the center, 216-771-3036.

St. Malachi Center Christmas Boutique - The Center needs new or “like new” gift items for mothers, fathers, teens, children and toddlers for the annual boutique this year to be held 1-6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 19. The children “shop” for them at no cost. Please bring gift items to the center by Wednesday, Dec. 14. Santa’s Workshop – Center participants shop for gifts for their families from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 22. Breakfast for Shower Participants, Friday, Dec. 23. Information: Jackie Bluett, 216-771-3036, or st_malachi@ameritech.net 

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“We are sponsoring another of our ‘world-renowned’ European excursions next year, June 15-26, 2006. Travels will take us to Budapest, Prague, Cracow and Warsaw. Included in the price of $2,950 is airfare from Cleveland, including two intra-European flights, all hotels, admission and transfer taxes, breakfast every day and three dinners. We fly Cleveland to Chicago to Warsaw to Budapest. Return flights are from Prague to Warsaw to Chicago to Cleveland. The itinerary is exciting and romantic and historic. For copies, call 216-228-0000 and leave your name, address and phone number. Or even better, leave your e-mail address and you’ll have it almost instantly. This part of Europe is a ‘must-see’ and is still a very good value, especially during season, whereas the rest of Europe gets more expensive by the minute. What a great Christmas present!” - S. and R.

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NEWS from MARTY MILLER and our CSM TASK FORCE ON SEXUAL ABUSE…

This is the story of Tony Comes, a Toledo firefighter who as a boy was sexually abused by a priest, attempted to report it to his bishop years later and - well, here’s how the New York Times put it: “Twist of Faith” is a documentary that follows Comes as he deals with his inner turmoil and the often uncharitable reactions of others as he attempts to bring his abuser to justice, while maintaining his sincere faith in God and his loyalty to the Catholic Church. (Full review is at http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?y_id=317816)

The CSM Task Force encourages all adults to see the movie, then join an open discussion of it at our coffee hour on Sunday, Dec. 18. Complimentary admission tickets are available at the rectory or the above can be clipped and similarly used for free admission.

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“Additions and corrections to the Community of St. Malachi roster are available at coffee hour in the hall this Sunday, Dec. 11. Please stop by and pick up your copy of this information. Also, following this Sunday’s 11 o’clock Liturgy there will be an informational meeting in the hall for anyone interested in membership in the CSM. All are welcome.” - C.D. 440-356-2980.

“If you are looking for Christmas cards, Christmas ornaments or Christmas decorations at a reasonable price, visit Malachi Mart. Malachi Mart has just what you are looking for to add sparkle to your holiday. The mart has received a new shipment of wonderful items for you or your home. The mart also carries a wide assortment of cereal, milk, crackers, pop, frozen dinners and snacks. Visit Malachi Mart after Mass on Sundays or from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. All proceeds support the programs of St. Malachi Center.” - J.S.

‘Collections for the period from July 1 through Nov. 30 were substantially below budget:

 

	Budget	Actual	Short
July	$15,588	$12,728	($2,860)
August	11,376	10,517	(859)
September	11,515	9,295	(2,220)
October	16, 801	11,815	(4,986)
November	11,884	8,971	(2,913)
Totals	$67,154	$53,326	($13,838)

Please review your pledge for the year and check to see if you are fulfilling your commitment.

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(This report is from CSM member Chris Schenk, CSJ, executive director of FutureChurch)

FutureChurch grieves that the recent Vatican statement banning gay men from the seminary will be wounding and alienating to many good priests who are gay. Like their straight brothers, most are dedicated, effective priests who are faithful to their celibacy promises.

The Church needs priests. If the new policy is enforced, the Church will lose a number of good seminarians. This will worsen the already severe priest shortage, limiting even further our ability to meet the immediate and long range pastoral and eucharistic needs of our people.

There are no data to support the idea that gay priests who have received the celibate charism are any less capable of living healthy lives than straight priests who have received celibate charism.

By stating that the norms banning gay seminary candidates are “made more urgent by the current situation” the document implies that priests with a homosexual orientation were to blame for the clergy sex abuse crisis rather than the bishops who covered it up.

There is no credible evidence that gay men are more likely to molest children than heterosexual men. More than 70 per cent of men who molest boys rate themselves as heterosexual in their adult sexual preferences. Nine per cent report that they are equally heterosexual and homosexual. Only eight per cent report that they are exclusively homosexual. The majority of men who molest boys are married, divorced, widowed or living with an adult partner. (According to “The Abel and Harlow Child Molestation Prevention Study” from The Stop Child Molestation Book, by Gene G. Abel, M.D., and Nora Harlow Xlibris 2001. Gene Abel is one of the fore-most researchers in the area of child sexual abuse.)

This policy will not necessarily keep gay men from entering the priesthood. It appears that many people do not understand their orientation until later in adult life. This policy will only drive the issue of orientation underground. This will only exacerbate the likelihood of unhealthy sexual development and behavior. The real issue is not one’s sexual orientation but whether or not one is able to live the celibate charism.

Our Church should welcome all the priestly vocations God sends, including those given to women and married men. The Catholic priesthood should reflect the same wondrous diversity that enriches and enlivens the People of God.

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Humility of Mary Sisters’ Heartbeats 

– is joining with Rocky River’s Ten Thousand Villages to promote Fair Trade and Alternative Shopping. A portion of this Sunday’s sales (Dec. 11) will go to the InterReligious Task Force, the interfaith group that supports human rights and economic justice for the people of Central America and Columbia. H.M. Ministry Center, 20015 Detroit Rd., Rocky River. 800-808-1991.

George Eppley’s “Looking Back and Learning” 

– is now available on CDs - “a perfect gift for the older person on your Christmas list.” To order, see www.georgeeppley.com

Monday Night Meal Menus

Dec 12: Kielbasa 
(no sauce)

Dec 19: Chicken

Dec. 26: Christmas Donations

Jan 2: New Year’s Donations

Jan 9: Chicken

Jan 16: Rigatoni

Jan 23: Chicken

Jan 30: Potluck

Dave Starre

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