Our Visit to Blessed Sacrament's Sister Parish of San Marcos in Honduras

By Blessed Sacrament parishioner Marybel Enriquez

(left to right) Cesarina Berrigan, Father Luis Alonzo, Father Anthony Killian, and Edgar Enriquez

On Wednesday, September 14, Father Anthony Killian, Cesarina Berrigan, Edgar Enriquez and I, traveled to Honduras. The experience began when we were welcomed at the airport by Father Luis Alonzo and Senor Danilo. We had the opportunity to visit some communities that are part of the parish of San Marcos (Saint Mark), the churches and lay leaders who work with Father Lonchito, as he is fondly called by his parishioners.

The visit lasted eight days; a time of discovery during which we found out about the organization of a parish with 75 villages in 3 municipalities: Belen, La Iguala and Gracias. The parish is full of the Holy Spirit and courageous lay leaders that respond to the challenge of evangelization and to the constant “yes” to the call of their pastor, Fr. Lonchito. He is a shepherd who feeds his flock.

We visited almost a dozen church communities, including Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Puerta de Ocote Community; Good Shepherd Church, Matazano Community; Sacred Heart of Mary Church, Quelac Community; Santo Niño de Atocha Church, Sarzal Community; Good Shepherd Church, San Isidro Community; Holy Rosary Church, Belen Community; Church of La Merced; The Church of St. Martin; Santa Lucia Church; San Marco Church and Risen Christ Chapel of Juan Manuel Galvez Hospital. In most churches there is also a chapel for the Blessed Sacrament.

(left to right) Marybel Enriquez, Bishop Luis Santos, Father Anthony Killian

Among the activities in which we participated were the procession of Our Lady of La Merced (Mercy); selection of Godmother for the Virgin of La Merced; visit to the parish radio station, Radio Caleb, and lunch with the staff: Ivan Gomez, Freddy Perez, Gustavo, Blanca, Ana Luisa; and meeting with Bishop Luis Alfonso Santos of the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Copán.

San Marcos has a Parish Council made up of representatives from the eight areas in which the parish is divided, as well as the coordinators of each of the three ministries, Prophetic, Liturgical and Social, as well as members of the Economic Council. There are 135 basic ecclesial communities in the parish of San Marcos, each community consists of 10 to 20 people who meet every week to pray, meditate on the Word and help each other. Father Lonchito is responsible for the spiritual growth of the leaders and members of the community.

On October 22 and 23, 855 candidates will receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Every ecclesial community is responsible for the formation in the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Marriage and Father Lonchito advises and organizes the celebration for each of the Sacraments.

We met and had dinner with Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, a total of 40, and we observed that the leaders working with the Father Lonchito have an agenda and use it to take notes of what is discussed at the meeting.  We also had dinner with those involved in the parish’s Prophetic Ministry who are catechists and kerygma leaders, were able to share their mission experiences in spreading the faith.

With the Social Ministry, we had the opportunity to attend two Masses at the Presidio (prison) along with the prisoners and be part of a group of members from different communities that assist with the lunch service (chicken, rice, salad, drinks and hot tortillas), which provides 600 meals to prisoners and guards. It was remarkable experience to visit a prison that houses 544 men, to see some of them participate in the celebration of Mass as members of the choir or altar servers, and together celebrate God's presence in a place where He can be worshiped and praised as well.

A young parishoner

The whole community welcomed us with a smile. We also shared time with some families including Juan and Maria Isabel Pineda, Mario and Rosita Cruz and the Franciscan Sisters Nancy and Brenda. They hosted us with all the comforts we could ask for: hot water, fans, hammocks and tasty coffee all day.

Surrounded by mountains and clouds we celebrated Mass every day and experienced the simplicity of our Honduran brothers and sisters involved in activities of faith, giving everything they can give, and responding to Christ's call to serve. We have great pride in being Catholics, and at the same time we realized that Blessed Sacrament is not indifferent to the needs of other parishes, specifically to our sister parish in Honduras. We were able to witness how resources are used to spread the Gospel through radio and different ministries which remind me of our early church which communicated the good news of God’s kingdom through spoken testimony.

On behalf of all our brothers and sisters of the parish of San Marcos in Honduras, we express our deepest gratitude for your generosity and prayers.

Words of Wisdom on God's Call to the Monastic Life

The following letter written by Abbot Robert Barnes came to the attention of Adoramus Te and we wanted to share it. Holy Cross Abbey is a Cistercian (Trappist) monastery east of the town of Berryville, Virginia, north of Route 7. The monks have a retreat house which many people visit to make a week long retreat.  In his letter, Abbot Barnes highlights the pressing need for men to hear God’s call to the monastic life.
Click here to read Abbot Robert Barnes' letter.

Our Lady of Victory

When I was a new graduate student at The Pennsylvania State University (that's Penn State for those with much less pretense), I had the option of joing a local Parish or becoming involved in Campus Ministry.  A number of my cousins had been baptized at a parish called "Our Lady of Victory," so I ended up joining and diving in as a CCD teacher.  It took me two home football games to appreciate the irony of the Catholic Church closest to Beaver Stadium, home of Joe Patterno's Nittany Lions, being called Our Lady of Victory.  It took me a year to appreciate who Our Lady of Victory is.  It happened that, in the fall of my second year of graduate school, I was to teach a CCD lesson at the beginning of what Blessed John Paul II had decreed to be the year of the Rosary.  It would also coincide with our parish feast day.

In preparing my lesson, I found out that Our Lady of Victory is a title of Our Lady given after the victory of European naval forces ("the Holy League") against an advancing Ottoman Empire at Lepanto in 1571.  In a five hour battle at the northern most edge of the Gulf of Patras (off the coast of Greece) Holy League forces had driven back the Ottoman Empire, securing the Mediterranean.  Before the battle, Pope Pius V had encouraged all of Europe to pray the Rosary for victory, and upon hearing of the victory at Lepanto credited Our Lady with safely leading the Holy League's forces to victory.  Hence, the title "Our Lady of Victory."  Over time, the title Our Lady of Victory became synomous with Our Lady of the Rosary.  

It seemed odd to me, at the time, that Our Lady of Victory and Our Lady of the Rosary were the same.  Honestly, I had a difficult time reconciling my mental image of 16th Century artillery fire with the quiet times I had spent saying the Rosary. Certainly, as a student at a secular university, I could identify with the Holy League, tossed about on an uncertain sea in a world that is full of traps.  I was, however, uncertain as to where the Rosary fit in until I found the writings of St. Louis de Montfort.  St. Louis said, amongst other things, that "The rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the Heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer, who so loves His Mother."   

The "how" became clearer when I read Blessed John Paul II's Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae:

With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer.

No one had ever explained to me that the Rosary was a meditation on the Gospel.  Sure, I knew the mysteries and I could recite a Hail Mary with as much enthusiasm as the next person, but the concept of entering into the Gospel?  Walking through salvation history?  Over time, it became easier to see how one, when daily meditating on the mysteries of salvation, might grow in holiness.  

As our current Pope, Benedict XVI, stated:

When reciting the Rosary, the important and meaningful moments of salvation history are relived. The various steps of Christ's mission are traced. With Mary the heart is oriented toward the mystery of Jesus. Christ is put at the centre of our life, of our time, of our city, through the contemplation and meditation of his holy mysteries of joy, light, sorrow and glory.  [May 13, 2008, Recitation of the Holy Rosary, Address of His Holiness, Benedict XVI, St. Mary Major, Rome, Italy]

Through a daily Rosary, Christ becomes more and more the center of our life.  And if Christ is the center our life, it is much easier to fight against the temptations of the world.  "No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary: either they will give up sin or they will give up the Rosary" (Bishop Hugh Doyle), or as it says in one of my favorite children's books, "Where you tend a rose, my lad, a thistle cannot grow."

And, as we  are transformed by the Rosary, Christ will use us to transform the world.  It might not be as dramatic as an unexpected victory at sea, but it has the potential to be far greater.    

If you have never prayed a Rosary, start today.  If you aren't ready to commit to a daily Rosary, say one once a week.  Can't make it through the whole Rosary?  Start with a decade.  Ask Christ, through His Beloved Mother, to inspire you with a love of the Rosary.  Watch a decade turn into a whole Rosary.  Watch a weekly Rosary become a daily Rosary.  And see how Christ becomes the center of your life.


Click here for more on the history of this Feast.
Click here for more information on how to pray the Rosary.

The author, Laura Itle, is a Blessed Sacrament parishoner. 

Blessed Sacrament Parish Ministries Fair

Parishioners attend Parish Ministries Fair (9/11/11)

        Parishioners filled Quinn Hall at Blessed Sacrament on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011 for the annual Parish Ministries Fair. 

The variety of ministries seemed virtually endless.  While not all parish ministries were represented, the more than 20 present included the Adoration Society, Saint Fiacre Garden Guild, Knights of Columbus, Saint Padre Pio Prayer Group, Respect Life Ministry, Legion of Mary, Eucharistic Ministry, Lectoring, Altar Servers, Ushering, ALIVE!, Carpenter’s Shelter, Choirs (Folk and Adult), Cantors, Handbell Choir, Religious Education (CCD), Funeral Ministry, the Courtyard Garden Project, the Eucharistic Family Rosary Crusade and more.

            The parish’s Adoration Society is seeking new members who are willing to commit to one hour each month in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during Friday Eucharistic Adoration in the daily chapel between 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.  During Lent and Advent adoration concludes around 6:30 p.m. with Benediction since there is a 7:00 p.m. parish Mass.  A Children’s Holy Hour is held every Friday 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.  Parishioners can choose any Friday of the month and their preferred time. 

Parishioner Kevin Heanue said outreach at Carpenter’s Shelter, 930 North Henry St., Alexandria, is something the Blessed Sacrament community has been doing for over 25 years.  Even earlier Blessed Sacrament ran a homeless shelter in the basement of the basement of the old church building.  Carpenter’s Shelter provides many programs in an effort to end homelessness. On eighteen Monday evenings a year from 5:30 p.m.-7:15 p.m. dinner is prepared for shelter residents by Blessed Sacrament parishioners.  Dinner volunteers should contact Hap Whitestone, 703-820-7263 for more information.  Volunteers are also needed for tutoring and working at the shelter’s front desk. 

ALIVE! (ALexandrians InVolved Ecumenically) is another service to the poor with great volunteer opportunities.  ALIVE, a consortium of 33 Alexandria congregations, is “the largest private safety net for those in need in the City of Alexandria.” Parishioners can contact Vivian Webb (vwebbb@comcast.net) for information on assisting with the food pantry, home furnishing program, child development center or the transition shelter. 

            Debbie Hand, Head Usher at Blessed Sacrament, said ushers are needed at Masses throughout the year.  The time obligation is “just the time you come to Mass,” she said.  Duties include greeting parishioners, handing out Mass programs, taking up the collection and distributing bulletins as people leave Mass.  “It is a great way for young people to do service hours for Confirmation,” said Hand.  Altar servers are also needed and boys and girls can find out more by attending one of two upcoming mandatory training sessions Sat., Sept. 17 and Sat. Sept. 24. 

            Music ministry is also welcoming new members said Sharon Dooley, who has been a member of the parish’s 9:00 a.m. Mass folk group for over 15 years. “We take all comers!” she said, noting that God gave everyone a voice and if you want to sing, remember God “gave you that voice – give it back to him!”  Music ministry also includes cantoring, adult choir or handbell choir.

            The parish’s Knights of Columbus Council No. 11947 is welcoming men interested in joining the charitable and fraternal organization of Catholic laymen. Meetings are held in the Parish Center on the first Monday of every month, except holidays. Members are asked to attend three meetings and three events each year.  On Monday, Oct. 3 at 7:35 p.m. in the Parish Center, the Knights will hold their First Degree Initiation Ceremony.  Contact gk11947@vakofc.org for more information.

            Blessed Sacrament Parish also hosts Northern Virginia’s Saint Padre Pio Prayer Group, which meets on the fourth Sunday of every month at 3:00 p.m. in the daily chapel. 

The parish’s Saint Fiacre Garden Guild, named after a 7th-century Irish-born saint who lived in France and is the patron of gardeners, meets on the first and third Saturdays of each month in Quinn Hall after the 8:30 a.m. Mass.  The guild and does gardening around the parish, learns about flowers and gardening and visits local gardens. 

            A new parish Courtyard Garden Project is in the fundraising stage with the goal of transforming the yard in the center of the parish complex into a lovely new garden space with landscaping, a fountain and rosary walk.  Parishioners can purchase engraved bricks for $100 each as memorials to honor the living, the deceased or those who have served or are serving in the military.  For more information, e-mail bscc_courtyardproject@yahoo.com.  The deadline for order submission is November 10, 2011.
            The parish community thrives with lay involvement, people living out their baptismal call to share the message and mission of the Gospel in countless ways inside and outside the parish. 
            Information about parish ministries is available in the weekly bulletin, posted on the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church website.

            Are you ready to try something new? Where is God calling you?

Jennifer E. Reed is a parishioner at Blessed Sacrament.

An Invitation to Adoration….

By Father Anthony J. Killian

Adoration at the main altar, St. Peter's Basilica.  

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At all Catholic parishes, but especially ours which is named Blessed Sacrament, the Eucharist is to be the center of parish life. Everything we do as the Church, as “the assembly which is called out” by God, must have as its source the Eucharist – which is Christ present with his people. Of course, we Catholics act on our faith in Jesus Christ present in the Eucharist when we go to Mass each Sunday.

           

Yet Jesus remains, imprisoned we could say, in the tabernacle of the church. The lighted lamp is the sign of Christ’s abiding presence in the tabernacle. He is there above all so that the Blessed Sacrament can be brought to the sick. Another reason why the Sacrament is reserved is for the adoration of the faithful. Adoration is an important aspect of our spiritual life.

Why Adoration?

To adore is to gaze lovingly.  Parents do so with their children.  Spouses do so with each other.  Blessed John Paul II, in his encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia, said “the gaze of the Church is constantly turned to her Lord, present in the Sacrament of the Altar, in which she discovers the full manifestation of his boundless love.”(Ecclesia de Eucharistia, No. 1.)  We gaze at the Lord in order to better understand what love truly is because God is Love and therefore the source of our love.  Pondering the words of Blessed John Paul it becomes clear that adoration of the Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament is not only a personal act, but an ecclesial one.  The members of the Mystical Body, as it were, unite mystically with their Head who in turn fills them with spiritual blessings.

We should have a natural desire to visit the Lord often in the Blessed Sacrament.  And our motivation is love.  Our love is nothing other than a desire for a deeper communion with God in Christ.  In his presence, we should thank him for the blessings God has given to us: our family, our friends, our talents, and above all our Catholic faith. From our hearts, we should speak honestly to the Lord about our needs, and ask him to help us to grow to be better disciples. Perhaps there is a particular fault or sin that one wants to root out of his life; or someone may be dealing with a particularly challenging situation, a particularly difficult person, or a decision that needs to be made. All of these can be topics of conversation with the Lord. We speak; but we also need to be quiet and listen to the Lord as he prompts us from within the quiet of our hearts. This is nothing other than friendship, real friendship, with the Lord!

The time spent in adoration allows God to shape us more and more into the image of his Son.  The graces Christ gives us make us into better lovers both of God and our brothers and sisters. Our devotion to the Holy Mass increases. 

Adoration and the Saints

Many saints have been devoted to adoring the Lord in the Eucharist.  One thinks especially of St. John Neumann who was the first to organize the Forty Hours devotion throughout a diocese.  St. Katherine Drexel founded a religious community of sisters named for the Blessed Sacrament.  St. Thomas Aquinas wrote the liturgy for Corpus Christi as well as the great Eucharistic hymns Pange Lingua and Adoro te Devote. An important influence for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s conversion to Catholicism was the Eucharistic devotion of Catholics in her day.

Make an Appointment with Christ

Blessed Sacrament Church is open Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Thus, there is plenty of opportunity for anyone to visit the Blessed Sacrament.  There is Exposition every Friday after the 8:30 a.m. Mass with Benediction times varying according to the liturgical season.  We also have Exposition on the first Sunday of each month after the 2:00 p.m. Mass with Benediction beginning at 3:50 p.m.
 

Making adoration of the Blessed Sacrament a regular part of our devotional life can change our lives! Let us not pass up the opportunity to strengthen our friendship with the Lord and with one another by making visits to Christ in the tabernacle. What a joy to see spouses, parents and children, and laity praying in the Blessed Sacrament chapel! It is before the tabernacle or the monstrance that we find the answers to the challenges and or difficulties of life as well as the peace for which our hearts long. So, say yes to this invitation and let us become even more strongly and actively a Eucharistic parish – the parish of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

The author, Fr. Anthony Killian, is a Parochial Vicar at Blessed Sacrament Parish