Bulletins

December 1, 2013

Download the Bulletin as a PDF

"Pope surveys Catholics on issues from divorce to contraception"
"Pope's unprecedented survey signals far-reaching reform"
"Why Pope Francis is Polling the World's Catholics"

In the "What the Pope Really Said" department there is more work to do correcting the overzealous popular media which wants to portray the Holy Father as submitting the Church's moral teachings to a majority vote. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Next October in Rome an extraordinary meeting of the Synod of Bishops will take place having as its theme Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization, for which a preparatory document was recently released by the Holy See, outlining the scope of the theme, briefly summarizing the teaching of the Church on marriage and the family and presenting a series of questions for the purpose of allowing the Diocesan Bishops of the world, with input from their local churches, to participate in the preparations for this meeting. Accordingly Bishop Loverde has asked for input from each Dean, Pastor and Parish Administrator. If you would like to study the document and submit to me your thoughts, please do so quickly. Visit the Synod of Bishops' page at the Vatican website or follow this link and get back to me by Friday.

Much to the chagrin of revisionists, the questions pertain to how well we are understanding, living and imparting the teachings of the Church, not many of them should be changed.

God bless you.

Fr. Christopher J. Pollard

P.S. During the Season of Advent, you will find our Marian antiphon for the conclusion of Holy Mass in our hymnal at number 428, Alma Redemptoris Mater:

Alma Redemptoris Mater,
quae pervia caeli porta manes,
et stella maris, succurre cadenti,
surgere qui curat, populo: tu quae genuisti,
natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem,
Virgo prius ac posterius,
Gabrielis ab ore, sumens illud Ave,
peccatorum miserere.

Loving mother of the Redeemer,
gate of heaven,
star of the sea,
assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again.
To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator,
Yet remained a virgin after as before.
You who received Gabriel's joyful greeting,
have pity on us poor sinners.