Holy Trinity Catholic Church

asks your prayers for His Excellency, the Most Reverend Walter F. Sullivan, Bishop Emeritus of Richmond.  Bishop Sullivan passed away on 11 December 2012, after being  diagnosed with inoperable and untreatable cancer.

Bishop Walter Francis Sullivan was the 11th Bishop of Richmond, serving from 1974 to 2003.  His Episcopal motto was “to unite all in Christ”.

Funeral Arrangements

Bishop Sullivan will lie in state on Tuesday, 18 December 2012, beginning at 1400/2:00pm at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond.  There will be a Vigil and Ecumenical Prayer Service on Tuesday evening at 1830/6:30pm.  The Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, 19 December, at 1030/10:30am at the Cathedral.

A Memorial Mass for all of the parishes of Norfolk will be held at Holy Trinity Catholic Church on Wednesday Evening, 19 December at 1830/6:30pm for those unable to attend the funeral Mass in Richmond.  Father Joseph Metzger of Blessed Sacrament parish will preach the memorial Mass.

In addition, the Divine Mercy Chaplet will be prayed before all Masses at Holy Trinity on Sunday, 16 December, for the repose of the soul of Bishop Sullivan.

Prayer for a Deceased Bishop

O God, who chose your servant Bishop Sullivan from among your Priests and endowed him with pontifical dignity in the apostolic priesthood, grant, we pray, that he may also be admitted to their company for ever.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. -Missale Romanum, editio typica tertia

Please continue to pray for the repose of the soul of Bishop Walter F. Sullivan.

Collect Prayer from the Mass for the Aversion of a Hurricane

O God, to whose commands all the elements give obedience, we humbly entreat you, that the stilling of fearsome storms may turn a powerful menace into an occasion for us to praise you.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

St. Scholastica: The Patron Saint Against Storms

Why is Scholastica the patron saint against storms? Once a year, her twin brother St. Benedict used to visit her and they would have discussions about God all day. When St. Scholastica sensed that her death was imminent, St. Benedict came to visit her and she begged him to stay with her until the next day.

Benedict refused her request because he didn’t want to break his own Rule by spending a night outside the monastery. Scholastica asked God to let her brother remain and a severe thunderstorm broke out, preventing Benedict from returning to the abbey.

Benedict cried out, “God forgive you, Sister. What have you done?” Scholastica replied, “I asked a favor of you and you refused. I asked it of God and he granted it.”

Prayer to Saint Scholastica for the Aversion of a Storm

Blessed and Holy Saint Scholastica, intercede for your people in this time of need.

May your prayers go to the throne of God in order that we be delivered from harm that our lives and our homes be protected, and that our parishes and churches stand erect and ready to serve your people.

Finally, Saint Scholastica, may your prayers deliver all of those in danger, heal all those in illness, and direct all of those without shelter.

Intercede for us, great patroness, and offer us the good weather for which we hope.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

This column was written by our parish Youth Minister, Aaron Hostetter, to be published by lifeteen.com.  It is republished here with permission:

Dear Ladies,

I want to write you this letter as your brother in Christ who loves you and cares about your soul.

Do you know how amazing you are? I’m constantly in awe of the power you have to inspire us men to greatness. When you hold high standards for yourself, it unlocks something greater in guys.

You deserve a man who will learn to pursue your heart and fight to preserve your dignity.

“Since a woman is loved, it follows that the nobler a woman is, the nobler a man will have to be to be deserving of that love” (Bishop Fulton Sheen).

You are an amazing gift, made in the image of God himself.

Satan is the father of lies, and he’s constantly trying to keep you from knowing the dignity and power you have. He’s trying to warp the truth of what makes you good and beautiful.

You’re in the middle of a battle and every Halloween I’m reminded of it. Want to dress up? Your choices are the “sexy” “sultry” “hot” “adult” or “naughty” nurse or superhero or zombie. The message is loud and clear: “If you want to have fun, this is what you have to dress like on Halloween.”

Here’s the thing. I know you love having fun with friends for Halloween, and love getting dressed up and looking cute. But you can still do that without the skimpy costumes. They rob you of the great dignity you have!

It takes you from the powerful, inspiring, and awesome person that you are to a mere object of lust. You are already beautiful and deserve better than that. When you show cleavage and your legs with mini costumes, it is those parts of your body that are emphasized (by design).It sends the message that the most valuable thing about you is the body parts you’re putting on display.

My dear sisters in Christ, you are worth SO much more than just your body! And as a man fighting to uphold your dignity, I am outraged by it. The message that you have to look sexy on Halloween has a big impact on you whether you realize it or not. Check out this quote:

“Girls are not passive recipients of these cultural messages. Girls are active agents. We know from developmental cognitive psychology that young boys and girls, once they know what their gender is, are very motivated to be the best example of their gender. And if the examples of femininity around you are a sort of tarted up, pornographied sexuality, then that’s what you’re psyched to be.”

In other words, if the culture around you shows you that the social norm is to get dressed in skimpy outfits and go to parties with alcohol on Halloween, then that’s what a lot of you will subconsciously measure and compare your actions to that day.

One part of that quote really sticks out to me: girls naturally strive to be great. The desire to emulate something beautiful is good! But what the pop culture sells you is like a fake diamond: a shiny and flashy version of beauty that’s all appearance but not reality. It carries the look of greatness but if you look at it closer it’s just a cheap imitation. You were made to shine like a diamond, and have the power to impact every room you walk into (one way or the other).

What kind of man do you want to fight to win your heart? Do you want someone who’s only after your body, or someone who is going to respect your dignity as a daughter of God?

Do you want to know what true beauty is? Every Halloween, the Church celebrates all “hallows” (holy ones) eve. We look at all the saints from the 2,000 year history of the Church and celebrate the lives they lived proclaiming and defending the truth of our faith in Jesus Christ.

I want to invite you to look at the many holy women in the Church’s history and find out about their amazing stories. They’re not stories of quiet, boring women kneeling in a chapel with a halo. The saints are from all walks of life and they vibrantly lived out humility, grace, fortitude, and courage. They’re bold, radiant, and filled with grace.

We have to fight against the the constant stream of bad examples with good ones. Let the example of their lives set yours on fire this Halloween!

I will be praying for you this Halloween. The saints, whom we venerate as a Church, will be praying for you. I pray you enjoy amazing company, good times and that you may give glory to God in all that you do!

Love, your brother in Christ,
Aaron

Mary the mother of God,
St. Maria Goretti,
St. Cecilia,
St. Catherine of Siena,
St. Clare,
St. Monica,
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton,
St. Gemma Galgani,
St. Catherine of Bologna,
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross,
St. Gianna Beretta Molla,
St. Teresa of Avila,
St. Therese of Lisieux,
Blessed Mother Teresa,

PRAY FOR US.

This year, Holy Trinity will send a caravan of families to Life Teen’s Camp Covecrest in the mountains of North Georgia for a weekend of service and mission.  During the heart of the Season of Advent, this is a great way for families to truly spend time together, preparing for Christmas and contributing to the mission and needs of the Church. Father Dan will participate on Friday and offer the Vigil Mass on Saturday evening.  Covecrest is approximately 8 hours drive from Holy Trinity.

More information is available in this document: Family Missions – Invitation & Registration 2012.  NOTE:  Please do NOT contact Camp Covecrest with questions.  Instead, contact Father Dan as soon as possible.

We expect that Family Mission weekend will fill very quickly, so please indicate your family’s commitment as soon as possible, but no later than this Friday, 19 October 2012.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Flight attendants wear jeans and pink shirts or ties.  Yogurt lids and pickle jars, NFL jerseys and fireman’s uniforms take on the feminine hue.  Twitter pages, calendars, and flashes of Hollywood all seem to bear the image of pink as well.  Each year in America, the month of October is a reminder of the need to be ever more vigilant in early detection, unwavering support, and continued research to overcome the disease of Breast Cancer.  As the leading form of cancer in women, a disease that will be diagnosed in one out of every eight women, this becomes a pro-life, pro-woman issue for our Church.  The Catholic Church has always exhibited a profound respect and dignity for the feminine genius of woman; and now standing in support and solidarity for them in the face of such a terrible disease is a part of our mission to be a pro-life, pro-woman Church.  And although breast cancer is far less likely in men– just under 1 in 1000 men, we stand in solidarity with them as well.

Support the Fight and Fund the Research

There are almost no families alive who have not been affected by Breast Cancer in an immediate family member or a friend who is like family to them.  As we have watched heroic and courageous women fight such a disease, we recognize the moral imperative as Catholics to support the cause against breast cancer.

Sadly, Catholics are morally unable to support Komen for the Cure, the largest breast cancer research and support organization in the nation, due to their financial and material support of Planned Parenthood and their refusal to fund research indicating a link between procured abortion and breast cancer.

However, Catholics can and should consider financial support to the following organizations:

The Breast Cancer Prevention Institute

www.bcpinstitute.org/home.htm

The Avon Foundation For Women

http://www.avonfoundation.org/

The National Breast Cancer Foundation

http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/

Pray for the Cure

Holy Trinity commits to praying for an end to this tragic disease, to supporting the women who undergo treatment, and to supporting the families who are affected by it.  Prayers are included in October during the Prayer of the Faithful, reminders are included for women to schedule their mammograms, and Mass intentions are offered for a cure.  In addition, families would do well to invoke the assistance of Saint Agatha, the patroness of breast cancer victims and their families.

Saint Agatha

Saint Agatha has been venerated as a virgin and martyr since the time of her death in AD 251.  Besides the Blessed Virgin Mary, she is only one of seven women saints commemorated in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer 1) and as early as the fifth century had two churches in Rome dedicated to her.  Born in Sicily to a noble family, Agatha was a devout Christian who dedicated her virginity to God.  Pursued by Quintianus, a prefect or governor, she rebuffed his advances.  He had Agatha arrested for being a Christian and forced her to renounce Christ.

Her documented legend speaks of the brutal interrogations and torture she endured at his hand.  When she refused she was imprisoned in a brothel, then a prison, stretched on the rack, burned with red hot irons and had her breasts cut off.  She had a apparition of St. Peter as a physician and was miraculously healed of her wounds.  Four days later upon further interrogation and to the surprise of her torturers, she was condemned to death by rolling her naked body in broken glass and hot coals.  At the very moment of her final torture a great earthquake struck the region.  Immediately before her death Saint Agatha was heard praying, “O Lord Jesus Christ, good Master, I give You thanks that You granted me victory over the executioners’ tortures.  Grant now that I may happily dwell in Your never-ending glory”.
For more reading, go here and here.
Saint Agatha is the patron saint of breast cancer and victims of sexual assault.
 

In the Vice Presidential debate this week, American Catholics had the chance to see two of their own speak about their faith publicly.  When Vice President Biden spoke of his Roman Catholic faith, he professed to be a practicing Roman Catholic.  Because the Vice President made public statements asserting that he is a “practicing Catholic”, it is important to examine exactly what he said and why his words are not consistent with the Bishops of the Church and their teaching, which is always under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  While Vice President Biden certainly may have a great love and devotion for the Catholic faith, his statements are themselves inconsistent with the faith he holds. The exact text of his statement and Church teaching is offered below for your consideration.

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:

With regard to — with regard to abortion, I accept my church’s position on abortion as a — what we call a de fide doctrine. Life begins at conception in the church’s judgment. I accept it in my personal life.

The Vice President is correct.  That life begins at conception and should be treated with full dignity and respect is, in fact, a de fide doctrine.  All Catholics are obligated to believe this truth.  However, when it comes to the doctrine of the faith in our moral behavior, we are required not just to assent to the teaching, but to live the teaching in our actions, and to work to promote that moral behavior for the good of society.   It is great to assent to the teaching of the Church regarding the intrinsic evil of abortion.  But when one simultaneously ignores the Church’s teaching that Catholics are also obligated to act in ways that defend the dignity of life, it is problematic and dismissive of the Church.

In the statement of faith by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Donum Vitae, the Magisterium teaches:

“The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin. Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being’s right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death.”

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:

But I refuse to impose it on equally devout Christians and Muslims and Jews, and I just refuse to impose that on others, unlike my friend here, the — the congressman. I — I do not believe that we have a right to tell other people that — women they can’t control their body.

CHURCH TEACHING:

Catholics must always believe that the Lord’s teachings on society and moral living are the best for all people and the greater good of society, not simply our own.  The Bishops of the Church are clear:  ”To make such intrinsically evil actions legal is itself wrong. This is the point most recently highlighted in official Catholic teaching. The legal system as such can be said to cooperate in evil when it fails to protect the lives of those who have no protection except the law.  Those who formulate law therefore have an obligation in conscience to work toward correcting morally defective laws, lest they be guilty of cooperating in evil and in sinning against the common good.”

– The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Letter to Catholics in Political Life.

Further, noting that there are those who are not Catholic who do not believe in the teaching of the Church, and thus we should not require them to believe as we do is an invalid argument.  The Church acknowledges that the dignity of human life is a part of the natural law, and that it is known by all people, regardless of faith.  Blessed John Paul the Great describes this more clearly,  ”This doctrine is based upon the natural law and upon the written word of God, is transmitted by the Church’s tradition and taught by the ordinary and universal magisterium. No circumstance, no purpose, no law whatsoever can ever make licit an act which is intrinsically illicit, since it is contrary to the law of God which is written in every human heart, knowable by reason itself, and proclaimed by the Church” (Evangelium Vitae 62).

 VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  With regard to the assault on the Catholic church, let me make it absolutely clear, no religious institution, Catholic or otherwise, including Catholic Social Services, Georgetown Hospital, Mercy Hospital, any hospital, none has to either refer contraception, none has to pay for contraception, none has to be a vehicle to get contraception in any insurance policy they provide. That is a fact.

CHURCH TEACHING:

It is not a fact.  It is an intentional lie to American Catholics.  In his  support of the Obama Administration’s HHS Mandate, which would require Catholic institutions to pay for services, procedures, and drugs that are contrary to our Catholic faith.  The explanation of his statement and the truth, as explained and corrected by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, can be read and downloaded here. - USCCB statement.  It is important to note that never in recorded history has the Bishops Conference had to correct a candidate for office during a debate performance in such a documented, formal way.  Clearly if the Bishops have called on priests to preach on this for an entire “Fortnight for Freedom” this summer, have devoted media and advertising resources to educating the American people, and have supported literally dozens of lawsuits around the country, Vice President Biden’s statement is untrue.