25 Men Ordained Deacons at Cathedral

On Saturday, June 15, Bishop Zubik
raised 25 men to the Order of Deacons.
Among those men was Anthony J.
Giordano, who served St. Joseph Parish
as DRE two years ago. We congratulate
Deacon Tony and offer him our support
and our prayers as he embarks on this
new spiritual journey. Please keep all
these ordained deacons in your prayers:

Michael Ackerman (Transitional Deacon), Kenneth
Marlovits (Transitional Deacon), Robert Bittner,
Richard Caruso, Victor DeFazio, Ronald Demblowski,
Joseph Dougherty, Anthony Giordano, William Hahn,
Robert Jancart, Barry Krofcheck, Philip Martorano,
David Miller, Timothy Noca, James Olson, Donald
Pepe, Gary Pielin, Brian Podobnik, Charles Rhoads,
Frank Szemanski, Leonard Thomas, Jr., Samuel Toney,
John Vaskov, Robert Wertz, Jr., Timothy Zenchak.

(Transitional Deacons will go on to be ordained priests next year.)

Rainbows - the Promise of a Merciful Father

Rainbows - the Promise
of a Merciful Father
by Ginny Ambrose

Maybe you were lucky enoughto catch the awesome sight ofthe double rainbow that presented itself after a rain shower last Monday night. The rare sight was awe-inspiring in its beauty and presence. It lasted only a moment, then faded from the sky as the evening clouds rolled in. Fr. Rich was quick enough to snap this photo of the rainbow before it faded. We are all familiar with the Biblical
story of Noah, and how God sent a rainbow as a sign of His covenant, a promise of hope, and salvation from sin. (Gen. 9:8-17) God, our eternal Father, our Source of hope, is a merciful
and forgiving Father. This weekend we will sing, “Loving and Forgiving” by Scot Soper. The lyrics remind us of God’s understanding of our human frailties, as well as his undying love and patience with us. So, the next time life sends you a rainbow, may you remember its symbolic message of salvation!  The following is a prayer for fathers. (From Catholic On-Line)

Father,
I thank you for the gift of my family for whom I now pray
and upon whom I now ask you to shower your blessings.
With St. Joseph as my guide, may I always be ready
to spend my life for them.
Bless my wife whom you have given to me as my spouse,
sharing in your wondrous work of creation.
May I see her as my equal
and treat her with the love of Christ for his Church.
May Mary be her guide
and help her to find your peace and your grace.
Bless my children with your life and presence.
May the example of your Son
be the foundation upon which
their lives are built, that the Gospel may always
be their hope and support.
I ask you, Father, to protect and bless my family.
Watch over it so that in the strength of your love
its members may enjoy prosperity,
possess the gift of your peace and,
as the Church is alive in this home,
always bear witness to your glory in the world. Amen.

Can We Ever Get Enough Bread?

Can We Ever Get Enough Bread?

Growing up in an Italian household, learning to bake bread was paramount. I sometimes think I learned the art of kneading dough before I could walk. I have early memories of pulling the sticky substance off my fingers and plopping it into my mouth before my grandmother could see me; putting the pans into the oven and marking the oven door with the Sign of the Cross after closing it; smelling the aromas that permeated our house as I anxiously awaited the freshly baked loaves. Bread, at least in our house, was sacred. If we dared to drop a piece, we kissed it, and never… never had to throw it away, because it was coveted and would not go to waste. Now, I must watch each calorie I take in, and sadly, bread is not something I can indulge in anymore. As humans, when things are plentiful or readily available to us, we tend to overlook and take them for granted. But each day, Christ offers us life eternal, simply by partaking of His Body and Blood. How easy it is to pass this sacred opportunity by, because of indifference or culpability.

Today’s feast of Corpus Christi reminds us that we are a community of believers, gathered around the table with our brothers and sisters around the world, all sharing this same wondrous meal. It is both a personal and a social event, and as we kneel in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, we are reminded of Christ’s sacrifice for the salvation of His people. He invites us to worship, adore and partake of Him in loving remembrance of His sacrifice. As we meditate on this precious Gift, we are reminded of Christ’s boundless love for us. We mirror that love in Eucharistic Adoration, which is an expression of our communal and personal love for Christ and our worldly family. My grandmother’s bread never went to waste; nor would I have passed up an invitation to sit at our dinner table. Let us enjoy this Feast prepared and freely given for us, as we go forth to love, as true family, united as one body of Christ in the world!

 

A Frog in the ‘ville and Other Oddities

A Frog in the ‘ville and Other Oddities by Ginny Ambrose

Have you ever noticed that many things tend to happen in sets of three? It may be pure coincidence or just simple happenstance, but for some reason or another, the number 3 is significant. I’m convinced that God sends us beautiful messages that we simply have to open our eyes of faith to see. That fact was clearly evident on Saturday, when I encountered a “trinity” of sorts in my backyard. I’ve seen many different creatures in and around my neighborhood, but the last thing I ever expected to see was a frog. There he was, sitting on a lily pad in the middle of my small pond (he really was!) I wondered where on earth he came from since there are no bodies of water around except for the large pond at the Allegheny Cemetery. I imagined him hopping his way down Butler St., avoiding cars, dogs, and small children, just knowing he would eventually find the right fish pond to move into. Now my two goldfish have a new roommate… and froggie makes “three”. That same day, while sitting on my swing, I was “buzzed” by a hummingbird, who mistakenly thought my silk wisteria blossoms were real. This little bird (arriving earlier than usual in the season), got so close to me that I could hear the whirring of it’s tiny wings. It hovered right in front of my nose, just as curious of me as I was of it. Then he moved on, flying away with the speed of light. My third encounter of the close kind came in the form of a little kitten—black and furry, no bigger than the palm of my hand, sitting under a plant near my front sidewalk. I kept trying to catch it, but it was faster than I was and evaded my grasp. I hope it will be okay wherever it is. Because I love animals so much, I consider these three events to be gifts from God, simply put in my path, just to let me know He’s around and keeping a close eye on me. May God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit keep a watch over us all as we go about our simple tasks of our every day lives this spring!