Michael Pennock, author, teacher, and dear friend of all of us at Ave Maria Press, passed away Wednesday evening in his home in Austin, Texas. His loving wife Carol, who Mike recently described as "my saint," was with him when he died. Mike had an aggressive and virulent form of stomach cancer that was only diagnosed in April.Carol said that just before he died, Mike lifted up his hand to her as if he were waving good-bye. She said he also had the "biggest smile" on his face.If I were Mike Pennock writing about someone as faithful to Christ, the Church, and his family as Mike Pennock was, I would note the appropriateness of Mike's passing on the birthday of St. John the Baptist, June 24. John was God's Herald, who came to the world to testify to Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.To the nearly 15,000 students Mike taught in the classroom at Moeller High School in Cincinnati and St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland and nearly two million more students who have used his textbooks over nearly thirty years, Mike has indeed been a herald of his Savior, Jesus Christ.As Mike has always done for the sixteen years I have worked with him as an editor, he was way ahead of himself on his latest projects. He had recently completed three textbooks that will soon be released to provide support for the United States Catholic Bishops' National Framework. In one of them, he wrote:If we imitate Jesus in his love for others, then we need not fear death. Jesus Christ wants us to befriend him in this life so we can live joyfully with him in eternity. This is not only the Good News of the Gospel; this is the greatest news we could possibly want to know.
V. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May their souls and the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen.
Please address condolences to:Carol Pennock and Familyc/oAve Maria PressBox 428Notre Dame, IN 46556
Pope Benedict XVI recently announced that the year June 19, 2009 to June 19, 2010 would be the "Year of the Priest." One of the reasons for this declaration is that this year marks the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests. The information below, taken from the textbook Marriage and Holy Orders, can be shared with your students. Also assign the questions that follow for journaling or discussion.Some parishes are always considered “more desirable” than others, but for different reasons. For example, one priest may prefer an assignment in a parish with an upper-middle class socio-economic base because he knows that the parish’s ministries—including the outreach to the poor—will be more easily funded than in other parishes and he will be able to spend more time in the roles of preaching the Gospel, celebrating the sacraments, and counseling people. However, another priest may prefer a parish with a poorer economic base because of his preference for living and working directly with people who have great needs.Certainly the small parish at Ars, France, was not considered the most desirable of assignments when it was given to newly ordained Father Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney in 1818. The village had only forty houses, but four taverns. It was a farming community where people worked on Sunday and didn’t often go to church.Father John Vianney made himself at home in Ars. He regularly visited the people in their homes and helped them in difficult times. When one of the taverns went out of business. Father John helped the owner raise money to buy his own farm. Then he tore the tavern down. The townspeople noticed some other things about their new priest. He seemed to spend most of the night in prayer. He gave away all of his clothing and much of the furniture in the rectory to the poor and ate only two potatoes per day explaining “some devils can only be cast out by prayer and fasting.”But what Father John Vianney became best known for in Ars and well beyond was the advice and counsel he offered people who came to him for confession. During the last ten years of his life, he spent from sixteen to eighteen hours per day in the confessional. In 1855, over 20,000 pilgrims came to Ars for Father John to hear their confession. He would hear up to three hundred confessions per day, sometimes being able to tell what sins were being withheld by the penitent. John Vianney’s life was his parish. He said of his parishioners at Ars:My God, grant me the conversion of my parish. I am willing to suffer all my life whatsoever it may please you to lay upon me. Yes, even for a hundred years I am prepared to endure the sharpest pains; only let my people be converted.Parish priests today are under the patronage of Saint John Vianney. He was canonized in 1925. The ministry of the parish priest depends somewhat on the priest’s personal interests and skills, but will in any case demand much time preparing for and celebrating the sacraments. One of the most crucial responsibilities a priest has for teaching the people is his Sunday homily. The priest prays about this reflection on the theme of the Scripture readings with special attention to the Gospel message during the week leading up to Sunday. His words connect not only the theme of the Scripture, but also must relate it to events in the parish and in the worldwide Church. To be able to effectively do this, part of each day is set aside for personal prayer.Visiting the sick, visiting people in their homes, visiting children in a parish school or religious education program, and working with various parish committees and neighborhood organizations are all part of a priest’s daily ministry. He also helps to prepare catechumens for the sacraments and couples for marriage. He may counsel several couples who are having difficulties in their marriage. A required focus of ministry for all priests is paying special attention to the needs of the poor. When John Vianney was pastor in Ars in the years after the French Revolution, there were many young orphan girls wandering the streets as prostitutes. To combat this problem, Father John founded an orphanage across the road from the parish church. He would spend the noon hour at the orphanage offering catechetical instruction to the girls. Today, all Catholic parishes have formal and informal outreach to the poor. The pastor is often the one overseeing these efforts and he participates in them in a personal way as well.The life of a parish priest is not an easy one. But it is rewarding, with most of the tangible benefits coming from their proximity to the Eucharist and other sacraments, the emphasis on personal prayer, and their special connection with the parishioners. Father Stephen Rossetti writes:A consistent support and challenge for priests comes from the people of God. Their presence is an important way in which God is manifested to us. As we personally connect with the people whom we serve, we are affirmed, supported, challenged, and “stretched.”Assignment
Describe a parish priest you know who has woven his life well within the entire faith community.
How would you define a "desirable parish"?
Soeren Palumbo, now a junior at the University of Notre Dame, delivered a powerful testimony of love for his sister, Olivia, prior to his high school graduation in 2007. Soeren spoke out against the use of "retard" as a word that both teens and adults use disrespectfully toward people with disabilities. His reminder to treat all people with dignity and respect is an important one. Check out a tape of his speech:
The National Directory for Catechesis shares the following guidelines for providing catechesis for persons with special needs:
Catechesis for persons with disabilities must be adapted in content and method to their particular situations.
Specialized catechesis should help them interpret the meaning of their lives and give witness to Christ's presence in the local community in ways they can understand and appreciate.
"Great care should be taken to avoid further isolation of persons with disabilities through these programs which, as far as possible, should be integrated with normal catechetical activities of the parish" (quoting Pastoral Statement of U.S. Catholic Bishops on Persons with Disabilities, no. 16)
Catechetical efforts should be promoted by diocesan staffs and parish committees that include persons with disabilities.
Encourage your students to learn these relaxation techniques for prayer. Take some time during a class period or other gathering to allow them to practice these three steps. Consider providing a religious icon or image for them to observe and contemplate on during this time. 1. Awareness of Your SensesAssume a comfortable position. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Hold it momentarily, and then let it go. Relax your body. Begin with your neck muscles, then your shoulders, your chest and your back, your arm and legs. Be aware of the clothing on your shoulders, on your back. Become aware of your legs. Let the tension of your legs leave through your feet. Become aware of your hands. Easily bend your fingers back and forth. Repeat this pattern of awareness. Take a deep breath. Relax the neck muscles, the shoulders, the trunk of your body, your arms, your legs. Feel the heat or coolness of the room. Dwell for a moment on the part of your body that is most tense. For example, relax the forehead, the jaw, the neck. Let your arms and legs rest. Come to a total stillness. You are now ready to pray. 2. Breathing Take a relaxing position. Let the tension drain from your body. Now focus on breathing through your nose. Observe your breathing. Feel the air as it comes in and goes out. Don't try to control your breathing. Just observe it for a few quiet, peaceful moments. Be aware of how it comes in to fill your lungs and how it goes out of your nostrils. After a short time observing your breathing, begin to count your breaths silently. Count "one" as you inhale. Count "and" as you exhale. Count "two" as you breathe in again; "and" as you exhale. Continue to count to 15 or 20. You are now ready for prayer. 3. Listening Take a comfortable position. Close your eyes. Relax the tension in your body. Feel the tightness drain from your face, your neck, your shoulders, your arms, your legs. Feel the air on your skin. Be aware of each breath that you take in and let out. Block your ears with your thumbs. Listen to each breath as you take it in and let it out. After ten breaths, let your hands reset on your lap. Now be attentive to all the sounds around you. Hear them all: the sounds near to you and the ones in the distance. Listen to the sounds, big and little, blend together. Continue with this exercise as you ready yourself for prayer.
Encourage your students to read, reflect, and pray for peace. The following activity is taken from Activities for Catholic Social Teaching.
Scripture Passages for Peace:
“If a grain of wheat falls in the ground and dies, it yields a rich harvest” (John 12:24*). “Love one another as I have loved you. . . . No greater love than to lay down your life” (John 15:12-13). “By the blood of Christ we have been brought close together. He is the peace between us, breaking down barriers that used to keep us apart, . . . restoring peace through the cross” (Ephesians 2:13-16). “Those who lose their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel will find life” (Mark 8:35). “Love your enemies; do good to those who persecute you” (Luke 6:27, 35; Matthew 5:44). “Pray for those who persecute you; ask God to bless those who insult you” (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:28). “Seek first the Kingdom of God and then all these other things will be given you (Matthew 6:33). “Forgive others and God will forgive you” (Luke 6:37). “An eye for an eye? No, don’t try to get even with those who have hurt you” (Matthew 5:38-39). “Take the log out of your own eye . . .” (Luke 6:42). “Turn the other cheek; walk the extra mile” (Luke 6:29; Matthew 5:40-42). “Give to everyone who asks and . . . lend without expecting to be paid back” (Luke 6:30, 35). “Blessed are the poor, the meek, the gentle . . .” (Matthew 5:3-4, 7). “but woe to you rich and well-fed” (Luke 6:20-21, 24-25) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice” (Matthew 5:6). “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9). “Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of right” (Matthew 5:10). “Integrity will bring peace; justice give lasting security” (Isaiah 32:17).
Questions
Which of these Scripture passages challenges you most at this moment?
Which most touches your heart and what does it reveal about the things that make for peace?
What one thing could you do specifically to put this passage into practice?
Sunday, June 7, is Trinity Sunday.
Many images—including the shamrock—have been used to try to express the mystery of the Triune God. The Shield of the Trinity is one.
The translation reads this way: The Father (Pater) is (est) God (Deus); the Son (Fillus) is God and the Holy Spirit (Spiritus Sanctus) is God. Thus, God's unity is professed. Equality among the persons is symbolized by the equilateral triangle. And the distinction between each person of the Trinity is again conveyed by the Latin: the Father is not (non est) the Son nor the Holy Spirit; and the Son is not the Father nor the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit is not the Father nor the Son.
Assignment
Read each of the following quotes about the Blessed Trinity. Then write at least two of our own quotations that describe the Trinity.
God is the beginning, the middle, and the end of every good. But the good cannot become active or be believed in otherwise than in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.—St. Mark the Ascetic
The Trinity is our maker. The Trinity is our keeper. The Trinity is our everlasting lover. The Trinity is our endless joy. —Belssed Julian of Norwich
The Spirit works, the Son fulfills his ministry, and the Father approves; and man is thus brought to full salvation.—St. Irenaeus
