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3/5/2021

Hecker Award Weekend

March 5, 2021

Dear Friends on the Journey,

A major Paulist Center Community event of the year: awarding the Hecker Award for Social Justice. NB: you must register in order to get the link.

2019 Isaac Hecker Award for Social Justice Recipient- Sr. Joan Chittister, Saturday, March 6 from 7-8:15 pm

All are cordially invited to attend the Zoom event celebrating the 2019 Isaac Hecker Award winner for Social Justice, Sr. Joan Chittister. In many ways, Sr. Joan demonstrates an unwavering commitment to many social justice issues including special care for the poor and marginalized. Her attention is focused now on the plight of immigrants fleeing violence and persecution, rampant social and economic inequality, and the perils of climate change – issues of special concern to the Paulist Center community as well. (To see how to support Sr. Joan’s Ministry, see below “Community Gift.”)

Here is the registration link to this event. After you register, we will email you a zoom link the day before the event.

For more information on the Sr. Joan event, follow this link.

Almost every conversation I’m part of nowadays includes at least one mention of receiving the vaccine. I found this blessing from Rabbi Naomi Levy helpful:

A Prayer for Receiving the Covid Vaccine

I have been praying for this day and now it is here! With great excitement, a touch of trepidation
And with deep gratitude
I give thanks
To all the scientists who toiled day and night
So that I might receive this tiny vaccination
That will protect me and all souls around this world. With the pandemic still raging
I am blessed to do my part to defeat it.
Let this be the beginning of a new day,
A new time of hope, of joy, of freedom
And most of all, of health.
I thank You, God, for blessing me with life
For sustaining my life
And for enabling me to reach this awe-filled moment. Amen

Anti-Racism:

• Who will be our next Black American saint? I mistakenly included Katharine Drexel in my note last week. An observant Paulist Center member (I know, that’s redundant) told me that Drexel, the patron saint for racial justice, was not African American. So please learn about Augustus Tolton. We all need to know about the truly great African American Catholics who have preceded us.
• Archdiocesan Racial Justice Workshop (Virtual) with Keynote Speaker Danielle M. Brown, Esq., Saturday, March 13, 11am-12:30pm. Go here to learn more and to register (required).
• Next week: Last week, over 60 Paulist Center folks completed an eight-week journey in racial equity. They give us great hope. We will see how they can be the leaven in our community.

IMPROVING OUR LIVESTREAM WORSHIP

In order to improve our camera angles during our celebrations we are going to provide an order of worship with the music selections (rather than posting them on the screen). Here is the Third Sunday of Lent. (This link will also be available on the YouTube broadcast and our website. You will also be able to scan a QR Code from your screen.) In about a week we will ask for your feedback as to how this is working for you. Thank you for your participation.

From our Care for Our Common Home Ministry: “We Catholics share a strong tradition of embracing Lent with prayer, repentance, self-denial, and generous action. This year our Common Home ministry encourages us to use the Laudate Si “lens” the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor’ for our Lenten practice.

“Our Lenten practice this week is about transportation, exploring alternative ways of getting around to reduce our carbon emissions. Consider giving up one car trip this week; instead walk, bike, take public transportation, or skip the trip.

Worshiping In-Person at the Paulist Center Chapel
(imperative if you will be worshiping with us)…

How to reserve a place?

Please call the Center (617.742.4460) Wednesday through Friday during business hours (10am-5pm). Sal, our receptionist, will take your name and contact information (either email or phone number. We need this information so that we can contact you should we become aware, after the liturgy, of a person with Covid who attended your Mass).

Note Carefully: If you are experiencing ANY symptom that would indicate that you are ill (not just for Covid), please stay home. If in doubt, please stay out! Also, please read carefully the Procedures and watch the video (both links below). Of special note:

• The doors open 10 minutes before the service;
• Since there is no singing, we invite you to hum along with the songs.

Procedures:

1) Here are the expectations and requirements

2) A wonderful YouTube Video Link

If you can assist as a Minister of Hospitality with welcoming, seating, and directing people into and out of the Chapel, we would love to hear from you! If you are not in a vulnerable group with regard to COVID-19 and are willing and able to assist in this very important ministry, please contact Peter Ghiloni at peter@paulistcenter.org.

2) Paulist Center Families’ Liturgy of the Word, 10am, Sunday:
See Fr. Mike’s Email Missive for the link details.

• A delightful experience of Paulist Center members singing “Down to the River to Pray” here   https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m1oYdbBtpWi5VjPSYqaCZx6PS9GPyzPI/view?usp=sharing

3) Paulist Center Rosary Circle. 7:30pm every Monday.
Here’s the Zoom Link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/487503158
pwd=aVFZb3BWNFBiQzZMSXdhbmo3NUozUT09
Meeting ID: 487 503 158; Passcode: 021078

4) All are welcome to a half-hour prayer gathering with/from the Paulist Center’s  “Struggling to Remain Catholic Group” led prayer next Wednesday, 7pm. See Fr. Michael’s email missive for the url.

Ways of Giving:

Our “Community Gift” is the Paulist Center’s tradition of giving away 5% of our weekend offerings, averaged out over the whole year, to a group outside of ourselves. A few exceptions to this pattern arise each year, and this week is one. That is, this weekend we award the Isaac Hecker Award for Social Justice, and we designate the Community Gift to the winner’s ministry. This year, as we are delighted to give the Award to Sr. Joan Chittister, designate our Community Gift to supporting her prophetic ministry by supporting her religious community, the Benedictines of Erie, Penn. We urge you also to send donations exclusively to support Sr. Joan’s ministry here to the Paulist Center, designating very clearly that you wish it to go to support her ministry.   Thank you so much for your generosity!

We are so very grateful for your support during this time of uncertainly and financial peril. Here are two ways to give:

1. To make a one-time or recurring donation using your bank account or credit card, click on the following link: https://tinyurl.com/DonatePaulistCenter
   Giving by text: Text 844-899-7511 with the amount you would like to donate (whole dollars only). Donations collected this way will be designated as part of the “Weekend Offering.”
2. Giving by text: Text a whole dollar donation amount to 844-899-7511; this will be designated as your “Weekend Offering.”

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I conclude now with the Prophet Micah 6:8:

Our Faithful God has told you, O mortal, what is good;
   and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, to love kindness,
   and to walk humbly with your God?

And let us pray for/with one another.
Michael
Michael McGarry, C.S.P.
Director, the Paulist Center

Along with Patty, Chuck, Susan, Peter, Dorothy, John, Barbara, Rob, Alvaro, and Sal. Please feel free to call upon your Pastoral Ministers if you wish.

I will be sending out something every Thursday or Friday as the “shut down” continues.