Christmas Letter 2013

Since 1990 every year I send out a Christmas letter to my friends and parishioners.  It's done "the old fashioned way," that is, printed words on a paper, inserted in an envelope, mailed by the U.S. Postal Service to a mailbox.  I suspect in the very near future, my letter will go out like this, that is, electronically.  Here's the 2013 version.

December 17, 2013

Dear friends,

Merry Christmas!

Just when you think you've "seen it all," the God of Surprises strikes.  On Monday, February 11, as I was preparing to drive to the Byzantine Catholic Seminary to teach a class on moral theology, I was astounded to hear that Pope Benedict XVI had resigned the papacy, the first since 1415.  Wow!  After a month of frenzied papabile-searching (yes, our gang of friends had a "new pope party" compete with betting on candidates) the world was again shocked by the election on March 13 of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina.  A pope of many firsts--first Jesuit, first from the Americas, first from the Southern Hemisphere, and first to take the beautiful name and patron of St. Francis of Assisi.

Today is Pope Francis's 77th birthday, and in the mail came his smiling visage as TIME's Man of the Year.  Our church and our world have been blessed by his deeds, his words and his smile.  May we all learn how to follow Christ more deeply in the 21st century from this humble, holy man.  I suspect that Pope Francis is not finished surprising us with his ministry as bishop of Rome.

Life and ministry for me in 2013 was undramatic but satisfying.  The four parishes I pastor continue to work together with us three priests.  The pastoral councils and finance councils meet as one body monthly.  We've had many meetings of ministers for greater cooperation and collaboration.  The first week of 2014 will bring a roll-out of one bulletin for the four parishes, and a new "portal" website, www.catholicnewcastle.org .  St. Vincent de Paul and St. Vitus parishes completed their participation in the $125 million diocesan "Our Campaign for the Church Alive" by exceeding their targets.  Mary Mother of Hope and St. Joseph the Worker parishes will begin their campaigns after Christmas.  Our four parishes were blessed by two seminarian interns this summer, Chris Mannerino for his second year, and Zach Galiyas.  God willing, and the bishop wanting, both will be ordained deacons next June.  I felt both the weight of my years and the accumulated wisdom of 35 years in the priesthood as I mentored these fine young men.

One highlight of the year was a pilgrimage to Italy in October.  My associate, Father Nick Vaskov, and I led 50 delightful parishioners from New Castle on tours of the Vatican, Rome, Assisi, Verona, Siena and Venice.  We were privileged to see Pope Francis twice, in the square outside St. Peter's Basilica at his usual Wednesday audience, and in Assisi two days later, on October, 4, the feast day of his patron.  We celebrated Mass at the tomb of a future saint (Blessed John Paul II), an evangelist (St. Mark, Venice), an apostle (St. Paul Outside the Walls), a miracle-worker (St. Anthony, Padua), and an African fisherman-bishop (St. Zeno, Verona).  I also learned the best locations for gelato in Rome from a gustatory expert!

The other highlight was facing the "big 6-0."  Instead of crying, my friend Rosanne Saunders and I decided to have some fun.  Rosanne and I are only 11 days apart in age, and on October 25 we hosted a "60s for 60" party to benefit Sisters Place, a ministry of Catholic sisters in Clairton which offers supportive housing to single parents and their children.  We challenged friends and neighbors to pony up a donation, and boy did they come through--over $12,500 for Sisters Place.  Most of the guests took our suggestion and come in costumes of the 1960s.  What a blast! Rosanne and I brought our own surprise as an accordion duo covering the Beatles' "With a Little Help from our Friends."  Let's just say the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame won't be calling us.

Here's my prayer that the God of Surprises will bless you with grace, peace, mercy and love in abundance in the birth of our Savior, and throughout the new year of grace 2014.