YOUR SUPPORT IS URGENTLY NEEDED!

On Sunday, July 31, The Church of Francis de Sales in Mathews, Virginia will launch a fundraising campaign to help retire the parishes debt. This past January, the Church celebrated the dedication of its new sanctuary. To pay for the new worship space, the church urgently needs the financial contributions of fellow parishioners, friends, family and benefactors!
In this world its important to remember that often the fleas come with the dog and a mortgage came with our new beautiful building!

I am very happy and blessed to say that my nephew, Michael Vick the Quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, has endorsed our fundraising campaign by donating to an autographed Pro football helmet. The church is also raffling off two tickets to the November 20 Atlanta Falcons game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This also includes a one night lodging at an Atlanta hotel. For more information and to purchase a raffle ticket go to the parish web site at: www.churchoffrancisdesales.org

One measure of the vitality and dynamism of a church community can be seen in how it pays its debts. I am certain that with your prayers and generosity, we shall successfully meet this challenge!

A Priest Needs Friends

Over the weekend I had the real pleasure of hosting my best friend that was visiting from California. Each of us are Ordained priests within the Roman Catholic tradition and each of us have shared the negative experience, as a result of our vocational choice, of not having many friends our age.

Priests need friends. They need people with whom they can confide their joys and hopes, their frustrations, anxieties and disappointments. All too often people believe that priests are superhuman that are impervious to slings and arrows of ordinary life. Yes, they are "men" of faith, sacrifice and commitment but priests are mere human beings that need community in order to be authentically human.
Christ had the community of the twelve disciples in addition to Mary, Martha and Lazareth of Bethany. Not even the Christ of our faith sojourn through his divine life without the company of friends and companions. Solitude may be good and healthy for some from time-to-time but God gave us the gift of community (cf Genesis 2:8) for a purpose. There is no way I could live the life of a priest with out the love, commitment, dedication and challenging counsel of my friends.

For me, Father Lester Love has been an extraordinary friend. He has been my advocate and has challenged me to see beyond my faults, blind spots and , at times, vulnerable ego. I deeply cherish his friendship and company. When I think of Father Lester I'm reminded of the quote from Sirach: "A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure. A faithful friend is beyond all price, no some can balance his worth."

One way to foster vocations is by just being a friend to those whom you believe possess the priestly character--- namely all of us!

Only Nixon Could go to China: A Reflection on the Election of pope Benedict XVI

With absolute astonishment I received the news that Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger had been elected as the 265th Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. Yes, I knew he was one of the front runners (papably) but would the venerable cardinals of Holy Mother Church once again publicly violate the well-established tradition of not electing a son of Italy as the Bishop of Rome and Vicar of Jesus Christ? Certainly, their eminences would not be so reckless and callous with sacred history and tradition.

FOR THE GOOD OF THE CHURCH AND THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD

I shared my concern with a priest friend Tuesday evening. He emphatically told me that the cardinals' decision was not predicated on history or tradition. Their choice was based on their bedrock conviction that the Spirit was calling this particular person to lead the church at this particular time. For them, his nationality (that is to say his nation/state of origin) was irrelevant to the ministry and mission entrusted to his pastoral care. Until the election of Pope John Paul II, Italians had monopolized the Papacy for over 490 years.

Even Cardinal Ratzinger's advanced age (78) was not seen as an impediment by the cardinals. Catholicism, through history, has been run by a patriarchal gerontocracy and thus the election of Ratzinger would not be unprecedented. Ratzinger's brother cardinals were convinced that neither his race, his nationality , his age or any other physical trait should preclude him from serving the church as its chief pastor. The priority for the cardinals was that he possessed the willingness to proclaim the Gospel and to love God's people. Benedict XVI is not a perfect man, aspects of his biography attests to this but, in the Cardinal's assessment, he is the right person for the papacy at this time.

Pastoral Necessity Trumps Tradition

While its' problematic that Nither Benecdict XVI nor a significant majority of the cardinals never served the church as a parish priest, they made the pastoral discernment to ignore, if not intentionally judge as invalid, the age-old tradition of electing an Italian to be the successor of Peter. For this author, their pastoral assessment of a unique and particular situation (cf. Acts 6:1-7)merits both our allegiance and our scrutiny. More often than not, many parish priests are forced to weigh the needs of a particular individual against firmly established ecclesial teachings and traditions. While most priests respect and honor the teachings of the ordinary magisterium, there are times when, as implemented by the cardinals they are compelled to act in order to safeguard the salvation of a soul(s) and promote the greater glory of God. When this situation occurs, the priest is not maliciously attempting to thwart his superiors; he is trying to imitate Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. If the Cardinals could act in this manner for the church universal, certainly a priest could exercise a similar praxis for the people entrusted to his pastoral care. In the end, the cardinals made a clear and unambiguous statement: The needs of the people trump the nobility of tradition.

ONLY NIXON COULD GO TO CHINA

Many Catholic progressives were not happy with the result of the papal election. However, I believe that they can take some encouagement from a lesson of history. Former National Security advises and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is reported to have stated, "ONLY NIXON COULD GO TO CHINA". Its a well-established fact that former President Richard M. Nixon was an ardent anti-Communist and Cold Warrior. His opposition to Communist China was without question and arguably without equal. Kissinger's observation indicated that no other American politician could have successfully pulled off the tricky diplomatic feet of opening relations with "Red China". The avowed anti-communist became the agent of change, transition and openness.

We can only hope that the staunch conservatism of Benedict XVI will yield to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Its quite possible, and there is historical precedent to suggest, that this rigid traditionalist could become one of the greatest facilitators of change and renewal in the Catholic Church, as well as, for Christianity throughout the world. If Nixon could go to China, then anything is possible!

A New Pope for a New Church

America’s mainstream media devoted a whole week to the suffering and eventual death of Pope John Paul II. By association, the Catholic Church in general was once again the subject of national and international scrutiny. While John Paul II was most certainly a man of exceptional and exemplary faith he, nonetheless—as demonstrated by his public suffering, was a human being struggling to discern, proclaim and reveal the reality of the sacred in our times.

Church tradition and polity assert that the pope is the successor of the Apostle Peter and thus plays a unique and central role in the "western" Roman Catholic Church. The successor of Peter is called to be a source of unity and teaching among the Catholic People of God. That universal symbol of unity has both advantages and disadvantages.

During the long pontificate of John Paul II, a number of our parishioners had the blessing of visiting Rome and making a pilgrimage to the Vatican. Our own Father Bob Nash had an audience with John Paul as well a several other parishioners from both Francis de Sales and Visitation parishes. It must have been a thrilling moment for our local pilgrims to actually meet and talk with the Vicar of Christ. To truly integrate the reality of the universal church with the reality of the church here on Virginia’s Middle Peninsula is work that each of us desperately needs to do. The call of the prince of the apostles is also our call, our vocation. To discover the nexus between the pope of Rome and the parish pastoral council is crucial to our collective understanding of what it authentically means to be church.

The conclave that will elect the next Pope will begin tomorrow. The future of the church hinges, in many ways, on the discernment of the assembled cardinals vested with the responsibility of choosing the next supreme pontiff. I can’t emphasize enough the necessity of our prayers to support these men as they gather to make the momentous decision that will affect our church and our world.

Neither John Paul II nor any of his predecessors have enjoyed the attribute of perfection. They have known both joy and hope, grief and anguish. They have been and will be people whom strenuously holdfast to the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. The next pope will face just as many vexing issues of modernity as his charismatic predecessor. It’s my prayer that he faithfully will adhere to the emphatic proclamation of the Angel Gabriel that was echoed by John Paul II: BE NOT AFRAID!

Our new supreme shepherd should not be terrified by the reality of change, innovation and renewal. Our new Holy Father must challenge us to be courageous and speak truth to power with love and devoid of bitterness. Our "chief priest" should model for us the meaning of the "Real Presence" of Christ by being present to the flock entrusted to his pastoral care.
How wonderful it will be if this bridge-builder continues to foster and augment ecumenical and interfaith dialogue. A dialogue that does not fear breaking bread together and, therefore, opens our eyes to the Christ in people who are different from us.

Finally, our new pope should not fear the terror of the night or the arrows of dissent. Unfortunately, those who are called to be shepherds must anticipate that from time to time they may be subjected to multiple forms of lies, persecution and invective but this, too, is the price of discipleship. Again, one should heed the words of Gabriel: BE NOT AFRAID!

As long as there are people, the mercy and grace of Christ always will be with his church. Let us pray that our new supreme pastor will continue to proclaim the greatness of God!

A MINISTRY OF PRESENCE

Italian government officials have indicated that the throngs assembling in Rome to view the remains of Pope John Paul II are so massive that they have virtually brought the "eternal" city to a standstill. the enormity of the crowds compels one to posit the question why.

Surveys indicate that a majority of those making the treck to Rome are, at best, marginal Catholics. Most don't adhere to the doctrinal teachings articulated by Pope John Paul or his predisessors. So why are they there?

Yes, Pope John Paul was a great and spirit-filled man. He possessed a charisma and a deep passion for faith and people. He was prolific and intellecutally gifted but, do these qualities and attributes alone explain the unprecedented outpouring of love and public expressions of sympathy and loss? In a word, no.

Its my opinion that this unique exhibition of exultation for this man is mainly due to the fact that throughout the duration of his prontificate, John Paul II made it his priority to be physically present to the people entrusted to his pastoral care. This Pope practiced the ministry of presence.

Whether it was in the United States, Japan, South Africa, Or Brazil the Holy Father recognized the glory of God's revelation in the people he touched and in the people that touched him. Hewas willing to go the distance to expose the majesty of God in all those he encountered. You did not have to be a Roman Catholic for him to recognize and call forth the gift of the Spirit in you. His willingness and courage to apolgize for past Catholic sins is inpart evidence an openess to ecumenical and interfaith dialouge. He was able to think (in some respects) outside of the Catholic box and reveal the goodness of humanity to the world.

His special ministry of Presence , through his many travels, touched the hearts of untold millions. As a final gesture of love and gratitude, some of the people whom he visited are now gorging the Basilica of St. Peter's just to have a brief last gimpse of this extraordinary person. He was present to them and they are (by the millions) seeking to be Present to him!

Authentically Black & Truly Catholic: What God Has Joined...

The Washington Post recently published an article addressing a dispute between the Catholic university's America and the national Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Students at Catholic University had petitioned theschool for the establishment of a NAACP chapter on campus.

This impasse has a potentially vexing aspect for African American Roman Catholics. In 1984, the Reverend Edward K. Braxton (currently the Bishop of Lake Charles, Louisiana) proudly asserted that black Catholics were authentically black and truly Catholic. The subtext of the statement was a reference to the belief, held by many minorities of good will, that to be faithful to every tenet of Catholic orthodoxy could be incongruous and potentially injurious to black pride, identity and self respect. To be authentically black and truly Catholic was to say there is no (and there should never be a) division between being true to one ethnic-cultural heritage and their particular faith tradition. The conflict between the Catholic University of America (CUA) and the nation's oldest and largest civil rights orgaization once again sheds light on how divisive faith and culture can be in or post-modern context.

Is the Catholic Church being intolerant, bigoted and racist as the June 4th statment of the NAACP indicates ? Is the NAACP being disrespectful, and intolerant of established orthodox church teaching in its endorsement of a woman's right to choose? Can black Catholics have it both ways? If we concur with the osition of CUA have we capitulated to the "over culture" and committed an act of of betrayal to the black community? Moreover, is it permissible to pulbicly descent from a pronouncement of the Catholic hierarchy and/or institution of Catholic auspices and still be a loyal catholic?

As an African American priest its my hope and prayer that my brother black priests ad bishops have been in communication with Kweisi Mfume of the NAACP and the Reverend David M. O'Connell,C.M. of CUA to help faciilitate a resolution to this matter. For more than a century, African American Catholics prayed for Black priests and bishops. Now its imperative that we make bold, positive and constructive steps to maintain the unity and diversity that God ordained.

A cursory reading of the Catholic Church in the US, as well as, the history of the civil rights movement indicates that the Catholic Church and the NAACP have been allies in the struggle for justice, equality and peace for many decades. From my vantage point, the NAACP continues in that noble tradition by its current advocacy of minorities, women and all others that seek justice, fairness and respect. In sum, this priest believes that the mission of the Catholic university of America is not incompatible witht he mission of the NAACP.

African Americans that are Catholic were given two special blessings: The gift of blackness and the gift of a faith. These two gifts were conjoined in the human person. What God has joined, let no one separate!

All are welcome in this place!

Sometime in either November or early December, the Church of Francis de Sales will celebrate the solemn dedication of its new sanctuary. For more than five years our community has been preparing for this momentous event. Bishop Emeritus Walter F. Sullivan had challenged our parish family to prepare for the future by taking bold, innovative steps, and we have.

What began as a mission in the early 1980s has become a dynamic and active Roman Catholic community in the rural county of Mathews, Virginia. From such humble beginings God has sent bountiful blessings. Francis de Sales, in particular, as with the Catholic Church in general, is always open for change, transformation and renewal. Of course, there are voices of resistance to innovation and renewal. It's imperative to remind each other that in every age the people of God remained steadfast to the age-old liberating values of the Gospel while the institutional church adopted itself to meet the cultural, political and social circumstances of the time.

The building of our new sanctuary is a large public expression of our faith in Christ and in all of our parishioners. Over the years we have built our faith as we built this new house of prayer. In this new sanctuary, as in the old, all of God's people are welcome! All are welcome to experience the Real presence of the Blessed Lord in Eucharist and in each other. Yes, all are welcome. All are welcome in this Place!

The Church of Francis de Sales!

Located in Mathews, Va., we are a growing Roman Catholic community within the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. Our mission is to proclaim the Word of God, celebrate the Eucharist and serve the local community.

Bishop Francis Xavier DiLorenzo is the diocese's newly appointed bishop and the Most Reverend Bishop Walter F. Sullivan D. D is the bishop emeritus.

As did our patron, Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622), our parish constantly is seeking new ways to proclaim God's glory. The parish was established in 1983 with the approval of Bishop Sullivan, the undaunting prayers of the small community of Catholics and the pastoral leadership of its founding pastor, the Reverend Jack Dougher.

Since 1983, the parish has grown in numbers as well as in its ministry and mission to the rural community that is Mathews County. We are taking bold, positive and constructive steps to prepare for the future by renovating and expanding our facilities.

We welcome all who wish to come and experience the Real Presence of the Lord through the Breaking of the Bread at Mass, the proclamation of the Divine Word and the hearts of our people. We strongly believe that all of God's people possess the light and wonder that was the Epiphany of the Lord.

May God bless and inspire you!

Sincerely,
Rev. John D. Boddie, Pastor