St. Anastasia Roman Catholic Church
Our New Website!

The new and improved St. Anastasia website went live this morning.  We are pleased to be able to provide to our parishoners and visitors a well-organized, comprehensive representation of all that our faith community offers.

We do expect that there might be one or two technical glitches along the way as we make this big transition.  If you happen to run into a problem (such as a link that leads to nowhere) please drop Marian Bart an E-Mail and we will try to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

Please remember that the “back” button on your browser is an effective tool when negotiating any well-built website.

Our goal is to keep the content very current, so please stop back often to see what’s new!

Father’s noon time women’s group is cancelled today, Sept 29, 09.

Last week’s article examined the ripple effect of one particular sin and how it has caused a degree of suffering to many of us. Admittedly, the suffering I described was relatively minor in comparison to the pains of those afflicted with disease, starvation, mental illness, and various other products of living in a fallen world. I have long recognized, though, that since the dark dawn of Adam and Eve’s downfall, loneliness – separation from LOVE – has been the primary, overarching consequence of sin. It defines and pervades all of our other miseries. This idea is well-described in the article Jesus Still In Agony? by Louis Dupre. He says:

“A great deal has been written about the purifying, strengthening qualities of suffering. These qualities may be known to him who has suffered, but not to him who suffers. Within my actual suffering I detect no meaning. I experience it as absurdly gratuitous….To suffer is to be alone. No one can follow the sufferer into this most private world…. It is like nothing else and, in it, I am like no one else. Indeed, it is the only part of myself that is exclusively me, that bears my name. No one enters this most intimate dwelling. ‘Were you there when they crucified my Lord?’ Yes, Lord, I was there in the only way I could be present to your suffering: in the solitude of my own pain.”

In many ways, I agree with Dupre. I would follow his account with these conclusions:

The mystery of this life’s suffering – and the way we open ourselves to God’s participation in it – often sharply defines our faith life. Over the years, I have been privileged to suffer alongside some truly amazing people, and to increase my faith in the process. A truth that often comes to light during these times is: “We must endure this because we live in a fallen world.” Never before this summer, though, have I so plainly LIVED the natural consequences of just one specific sin rippling outward to cause waves of suffering for other ‘innocent’ folks.

Catechist Certification Topics are ongoing.  Classes are just not for Catechists, Parents would find many topics motivating and full of the Spirit.   Once at the website, please click on “Offices & Ministries” in the left sidebar menu.

Parent / Child Sessions:

Monday 2/1/10 – 4th Grade

Monday 2/22/10 – 6th Grade

Monday 3/1/10 – 5th Grade

Saint of the Week

On September 21st we celebrate the feast of St. Matthew. We know St. Matthew as the author of the first gospel in the bible and also as an Apostle. He was probably born in Galilee and was a tax collector at Capernaum (Mt 9: 9-13) when he was called by Christ to follow Him (Lk 5: 27-32). This is a dramatic scene in the life of Jesus because he calls a tax collector, the lowest of the low in Jewish society, to be an Apostle. This shows that Jesus did not come into the world for the just, but to call sinners to Him. He immediately stood up and left everything behind; his way of life and his attachment to sin. He preached in Jerusalem and then eventually went to Ethiopia and was martyred in Persia (modern Iran). Matthew is recognized in liturgical art by an angel holding a lance, a coin, a pen, or a money box.

“The Occult and the New Age Movement”

Wednesday, September 30th at 7 pm

Fr. Mark Prill will address the threat of the occult and the New Age Movement in our sociey.

As the Church year ramps up and we get ready for the start of Religious Education, I can’t help but thank God for all of you, your families, the staff, and the leadership that Father JJ and Father Mark provide. Since I’ve been here (March 23rd was my first day) I’ve had the privilege of getting to know the staff and many of you; your concern and care for the community and physical plant of St. Anastasia is not something you see everywhere in the Archdiocese. St. Anastasia is an outstanding resource that has to be taken care of with tender loving care. It’s not often that so many ministries and services are centered in one location. We truly are a lighthouse of sorts not only to our parishioners but to the community at large as well as the Archdiocese. This lofty position carries with it much responsibility, one that I do not take lightly. Every decision we make in the office carries with it prayerful consideration and the honest effort to do the best we possibly can for St. Anastasia and the ministries we represent. Do we make mistakes…yes…do we correct them when we find them…you bet. We are always open to new ideas and processes and we would be very foolish if we didn’t take advantage of the “brain and brawn power” sitting in the pews every week. If you have any ideas, advice, or can offer your services in some way, let us know. I’m not guaranteeing we can use every idea forwarded to us or take advantage of every offer of help, but I am committed to keeping a robust line of communications open between the office and you…the community of St. Anastasia; my contact information as well as the rest of the staff is on the directory page.

Wash Feet Anyone?

The night before He died, the Lord gave us a compelling model to follow. We are to serve as He taught and give as He gives. The more we come to know Christ, the more we will recognize that all we are, all we have, and all we will become is purely a gift from Him. Our response to this generosity is to follow His example and give freely, fully and generously. Your help really can make a difference. Our answer to Jesus’ call to serve others will change not only those we serve but we who do the serving.

A few of the corporal works of mercy are to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick, and bury the dead. Some of the spiritual works of mercy are to counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, comfort the sorrowful, and pray for the living and dead.

This weekend is our “Called to Serve” weekend and you will find a thousand and one opportunities to share your gifts and be transformed. Please take the opportunity to go to the tables in the Social Hall and sign up for a fulfilling ministry. There will be folks there to answer any questions you may have. Someone is waiting for your service. Thank you for saying yes to Christ’s call.

Officially, the summer season comes to a close this weekend and the school year begins, much to the collective applause of parents and some children. Our Religious Education Department is back in full swing and working diligently to get ready for the onslaught. This is a very busy time in the office and I have to admit, I prefer the hustle and bustle to the relative quiet of the summer…although as you are well aware, our summer at St. Anastasia has been anything but quiet. The initial quotes are in for the security upgrade and we will be looking at (depending on how much security we actually need) anywhere’s form $10,000 to $18,000. Father JJ, Father Mark, Stewardship, and myself will be making a recommendation to the Parish Council in the next 6 weeks and we’ll keep you informed as to progress and anticipated cost. In speaking with the Troy Police, two other churches in the area have been broken into and one was also vandalized in the last four weeks.

The work on the HVAC system on the Gym is almost done. As I’ve shared with you in past articles, we have decided to cover the cost of $9,000 from the operating budget, choosing not to access our Diocesan savings account. I can tell you that the entire staff is mobilized to “help find the money” and I have every confidence that we will succeed. It won’t be without some pain, but then everyone out there is hurting to some extent. The HVAC on the rectory is now starting to act up but we have no firm answers on that one yet…hopefully it won’t be a major repair…BUT….I have to ask…what the heck is going on with the all these HVAC issues? None of these units are old, only about 6 years and as luck would have it the warranty period expires at 5 years (or earlier). I think it points to the fact that we need a bonafide HVAC preventative maintenance program and we have had several quotes on that in the last month. I’ve not analyzed those yet but will let you know what we decide to do and the impact to the parish finances; we’re probably looking at an annual cost of around $3,000 to $4,000.