Parish Newsletter September/October 2012
Message From Father Ron
Dear Parishioners: I am happy to share the news that Blessed Sacrament School has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School. On Friday, September 7, 2012, Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education recognized 269 schools (219 public schools and 50 private schools) throughout our country as the 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools. Blessed Sacrament School is the only private school to be recognized in the District of Columbia this year. The National Blue Ribbon Schools award honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being made in students’ levels of achievement. The designation of our parish school as a Blue Ribbon School is a testament to the ongoing hard work and dedication of our principal, Chris
Kelly, the faculty, staff, parents, students, and our parish family as they carry on the great tradition of academic excellence begun by the Holy Cross Sisters. On Monday morning, September 10, our school community gathered in the gym to celebrate
the award with a prayer service of thanksgiving for all who give so much of their time and talents to ensure the excellent Catholic education of our young people. Mr. Tom Burnford, Secretary for Catholic Education, represented Cardinal Wuerl and read a congratulatory letter on his behalf. In the letter, Cardinal Wuerl expressed the following:
“Congratulations to the entire Blessed Sacrament School and Parish family for the outstanding achievement of being named a national Blue Ribbon School! The Archdiocese of Washington is very proud of your accomplishments. It is most satisfying to see that the hard work of students and their teachers has resulted in this distinguished recognition.” Again, I am most grateful to Chris Kelly, our principal, and his faculty and staff for providing an excellent Catholic education for our young people. I am also thankful for the ongoing support that our parish family provides for our school community in so many ways. Be assured of my daily prayers for you and your families. Peace,
Father Ron
School Principal, Teacher Quoted In Online Press About School’s Blue Ribbon Status Blessed Sacrament in Washington, Father Andrew White in Leonardtown and St. Peter in Olney honored as Blue Ribbon Schools By Richard Szczepanowski Catholic Standard staff With prayers and balloons and assemblies and applause and cheers, three Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Washington celebrated their recognition as Blue Ribbon Schools. The schools which received national recognition this week as among the most successful in the nation are Blessed Sacrament School in Washington; Father Andrew White School in Leonardtown; and St. Peter School in Olney. “We always knew we were a great school, and it’s great to know that other people know it, too,” said Brigid Forcey, the music and drama teacher at Blessed Sacrament School. Students gathered for morning prayer there on Sept. 10 were notified of the school’s honor. Presented annually by the U.S. Department of Education, the Blue Ribbon designation honors a select number of schools nationwide for their academic achievement. This year only 50 private and 219 public schools received the honor. Cardinal Donald Wuerl, in a letter to Blue Ribbon school administrators, called the Blue Ribbon designation “an outstanding achievement” and noted that “the Archdiocese of Washington is so very proud.” Christopher Kelly, principal of Blessed Sacrament School, said that the award not only honors the
Editor: Pat Watson Layout: Delphine Clegg Parish Logo Designs: Ellen Smyth Artwork: Blessed Sacrament School students under the guidance of their art teacher, Judy Kearns
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school, but the “teachers and staff who dedicate their lives not only to the education of our children but to the ministry of the Church.” That sentiment was echoed by Linda Maloney, principal of Father Andrew White School. “We just feel so blessed. It’s very exciting for everybody who has been connected to this school,” the 20-year principal of the school said. “It validates so much the hard work of dedicated teachers, wonderful parents and supportive pastors.” She said that what makes Father Andrew White School special is that “each year, at the end of the school year, we think, ‘What can we do better for the kids?’ That is the heart of what we do.” The national Blue Ribbon award is presented to elementary, middle, and high schools where students are performing at high levels or where significant improvement is being made in students’ levels of achievement. To be chosen, schools demonstrate academic superiority or dramatic gains in student achievement. To demonstrate academic superiority, schools must be in the top 10 percent of schools nationally in both reading and math or in the top 10 percent on assessments for the highest grade in the school compared to national norms. In the 30-year history of the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, 24 schools in the archdiocese have received the prestigious honor. “The three Catholic schools honored as National Blue Ribbon schools for 2012 can attribute their success to their high academic standards and close-knit community,” the Archdiocese of Washington said in a statement after the awards were announced. “The schools have strong test scores and comprehensive curriculum with varied instructional methods. Community service is also an integral part of the schools with students encouraged to get involved.” continued on next page... Find us on Facebook
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That sense of community is [what] distinguishes St. Peter School in Olney, said Mary Kay Frazier, assistant principal of the school. “More than anything the sense of community and family - wrapped around the spirituality that is here - makes us who we are,” Frazier said. “It is overwhelming to see the parents, the priests, the faculty, the students, everybody pull together.” Receiving the Blue Ribbon designation, the assistant principal added, was more pleasing than it was surprising.
“We felt not so much not surprise as pleasure and excitement (at the honor), because everybody knows we have a really good thing going on here, and we are just so proud to be recognized,” Frazier said. “Everybody works real hard here, it is excellent teamwork.” The Department of Education will formally honor the Blue Ribbon schools during a ceremony in November. Article posted September 11, 2012 on: www.cathstan.org. Reprinted with permission from the “Catholic Standard.”
Student Artwork Returns By Popular Demand
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ummertime, and the living was easy, yet Blessed Sacrament’s young artists were hard at work in their annual art camp offered by art teacher Judy Kearns. Their work indicates clever and creative
ideas; a sampling of student art appears in this first issue of the “Parish Newsletter” for the 2012-13 year. Thanks to all our contributors and to Judy for inspiring them. Past feedback indicates our readers enjoy seeing student artwork in the newsletter, and we’re delighted the Blessed Sacrament art teachers have agreed once again to encourage their students to contribute.
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Journeys With Landings: Three “Travelers’” Experiences By Karen Vittone
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s most of you know, Landings is a program at Blessed Sacrament for inactive Catholics to help them return to church. Our Blessed Sacrament Landings Team is preparing for our eighth session, which begins October 4. Our team asks a favor—for you to think creatively about who you might tell about this wonderful ministry, or to whom you might mail an anonymous flyer. God doesn’t ask us to be successful, he just wants us to care and to share; the Holy Spirit promises to take it from there. The following are three beautiful stories about how Landings, with the help of the Holy Spirit, helped people and their families return to the sacraments of their childhood.
“Landings was a wonderful experience for me. My participation renewed my relationship not only with Jesus, but also with the church and my own family and community. It renewed my purpose, and, therefore, I have been able to improve my life as a Catholic in my day-to-day living and choices. It helped me through discussion, prayer, and reflection with the other members learn how I can strengthen my faith and relationship with God. It touched my heart and spirit in a very positive ways. I realized after reflecting on this experience, how amazed I was about how I matured as a Catholic on many levels through my experience with Landings. At the time I was considering Landings, I was very “busy” with my life, with responsibilities of teaching, being a wife, a mother to young children, being on boards, the PTA and so much more. I questioned if I had the “time” for this. I prayed about it, and by the grace of God, I decided to give it a try, since I think I knew deep-down that I needed Artwork by Sara O’Brien Seventh Grade
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The meetings were a way to interact with other Catholics and share our journey. I gained so much by sharing and by listening to others. It was just right for me as it wasn’t too touchyfeely. It truly has impacted me, and my faith is stronger and continues to develop. I also was touched by our leader and saw God working in her to lead me and this group so well. She is doing what God intended her to do, and that is a blessing to witness.”
“My husband and I both grew up as practicing Catholics with very similar environments in terms of the role that the Catholic faith played in our family. In my family, our parish and our faith were an integral part of who we were, and all of my seven siblings grew up active in our church. It played a positive role in shaping me. However, as I got older and went to college and then started my professional career, I grew farther away from the church. I always had a positive experience, but I started to rely on my own self-sufficiency and felt as though I didn’t need the Catholic faith to
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make me a good person. I also was working in the political arena at the time and felt as though the Catholic institution was trying to shape my beliefs and didn’t feel as though they were consistent. In some ways, it was youthful arrogance, thinking I knew better and that I really didn’t need God in my life as much. I certainly didn’t need an institution telling me how to live my life. Years later, my view changed, and I went on my own spiritual journey that did bring me back to more of a reliance on God and less on myself. However, I still was not back in the Catholic faith. I met my future husband, and although we share similar backgrounds and faith principles, we got married by a Presbyterian minister five years ago. The thought of getting married in the Catholic church and receiving the sacraments never entered my mind; I thought that I would have to jump through too many hoops to make it happen. When our daughter was born, my husband and I talked about how she would be raised, faithwise. I really felt that it was important to get her baptized but was unsure about returning to the Catholic faith. So, on one of the weekends when my husband and I were ‘church shopping,’ we found ourselves at Blessed Sacrament. I was trying to not have ‘contempt before prior investigation,’ and when we went, we both just felt very comfortable at Blessed Sacrament, as did our 2 year-old daughter. Ironically, the reading was the story of the prodigal son, so I felt as though God was welcoming us back with open arms. As we continued to attend Mass, my husband saw a flyer for Landings and thought that it may be something that we should explore. I was reluctant initially, and then I thought. ‘Why not?’ I thought it might be a nice way to meet other members of the community, have others get to know us, and perhaps get a little refresher on the Catholic faith (after all, it had been a while). Some of the
questions on the flyer really resonated with both of us, such as asking if we were Catholics who had been away from the church. The questions definitely spoke to us. My husband and I really benefited from Landings. We appreciated the honesty and hearing others’ perspectives as well as their own faith journeys. Many in our group were somewhat skeptical or had different experiences, but we all felt as though it was a safe place to express those doubts and ask questions. We also were fortunate to meet Father John who really helped us on our journey by answering questions that we had, but more importantly dispelling some of the fears that we had after being away for so many years. The Landings experience guided my husband and me to receive the sacrament of marriage and baptize our daughter, and we were so grateful to have many members of our Landings group share in our joy since they had all been part of our journey. Our family continues to be part of the
Artwork by Mary Kate Hogan Third Grade
Blessed Sacrament community, and our faith continues to grow and be an integral part of who we are. If anyone is curious about returning to the faith and exploring the Catholic Church or even those Catholics that are on the fence, I would highly recommend being a part of Landings. It really helped bring us back.” continued on next page...
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“I suppose I was what you would call a lapsed Catholic. I married a divorced Catholic whose first marriage had not been annulled. Since we weren’t permitted to marry in the Church, I rarely attended Mass. If I did, I usually left feeling deprived because I was unable to receive Communion. The Church that had once brought me solace had become a source of hurt and sadness in my marriage. The sense of community and belonging I had previously known was eventually replaced with an emptiness I didn’t know how to fill. Then a few years ago I attended midnight Mass at Blessed Sacrament and found a Landings brochure in the pew. I remember thinking I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I took the first step and made the phone call. The Landings participants welcomed me in a way I hadn’t felt in decades. They offered me encouragement and compassion, and my faith in the Church was rekindled. They gently urged me to speak with the pastor, and to this day I am amazed that circumstances that proved to be obstacles in the past were finally overcome. I am once again a practicing Catholic. I am so grateful for this gift. The Landings program paved my way back.”
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Editor’s Note: At Blessed Sacrament, the LANDINGS program, under the leadership of Karen Vittone, has successfully welcomed back Catholics for several years. Karen reports that after participation in the program, many of the “returnees” have actively participated in parish ministries as both members and leaders. Parishioners who have served as welcomers and persons who have returned to an active practice of Catholicism report a new awareness and appreciation of their faith and of the parish community. To participate in the program, contact Karen Vittone,
[email protected] or 301.585.0592.
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Is The Bible On Your Bucket List? By Rita Matory, MD
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hen I thought about retirement, I began making a bucket list. Reading the Bible had a prime spot on that list of was one of my “todos.” When I grew up in the Philippines, we were not supposed to read the Bible by ourselves. Without a priest or nun to guide us, we might interpret the Scripture wrongly, and few priests had the time to sit down and read the Bible with us. Instead, my Catholic education focused on the questions and answers of the Baltimore Catechism and the lists of venial and mortal sins. Back then being a Catholic was very difficult. Catholics did not sing in church. Catholics weren’t allowed to even step in the door of non-Catholic churches. Every morning at 5:30 a.m. when I went to hear Mass with my aunt, I was supposed to follow her lead. She pinched me if I slouched as I knelt, and she knelt through the entire Mass, even during the homily! As an adult in the United States, whenever I heard someone say, “I’ve read the Bible cover to cover three times,” I asked myself, “What’s wrong with me?” I hadn’t read it once, much less three times! In 2007 I retired from practicing medicine, and it was time to begin checking off my bucket list. I tried reading the Psalms and Proverbs first, but the language and the concepts were confusing and even seemed contradictory sometimes. It wasn’t until I heard of the Bread, Book, and Brethren Bible Study (affectionately known as BBB) from member Jane Simanis that I discovered a wonderful way to reach my goal. I joined Jane on Wednesday mornings to study the Bible with a group that has persevered in reading the Bible for 25 years. Before we start our study, we enjoy a continental breakfast and hot continued on next page...
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coffee or tea. The format fits me just right: we have a study guide to read and questions to prepare in advance; next we meet in small groups and discuss the material with a facilitator; and then an invited speaker offers insights that complement the readings. All these elements amplify the concepts contained in the Bible passage and increase my understanding. I confess, I still have trouble “getting” the Old Testament because I still get confused sometimes; I handle the New Testament much better. However, with BBB I’ve made a great start at discovering God’s Word in the Old Testament and the New, and in my life. I’ve discovered some
the Christmas and spring potluck luncheons; and I engage in the annual Day of Reflection that BBB sponsors at the Washington Retreat Center. Delphia Dirks, another BBB member, shared her interest in icon painting with me and then guided me in making an icon of the Blessed Mother in February 2012. That process was very healing for me because my husband died in 2009 and I am still grieving for him. Through my Scripture readings and through the process of making an icon of my own, I felt deeply drawn to a different kind of prayer, bringing me to an awareness of God that I can’t express, but that is the spiritual nourishment I need. The Bible
basic principles that help me:
became a world familiar to me and every time I look at my image of Mary, I feel at peace.
•
The Bible is both the Word of God and human beings.
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The Bible is not just a book; it is a library of 73 books.
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The volumes in the library were written at different times over a thousand years.
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The books contain many different literary forms, such as history, poetry, prayers, and even genealogies.
If I were to begin my journey into the Bible again, I wouldn’t start with the Psalms, but with the Acts of the Apostles, which gave me the story of the early church, especially St. Paul’s missionary work with the new Christian community. Just that book helped me understand how Christianity and Judaism and the Old and New Testament were closely related. And when I found out how many different Bibles were in use, I decided on a personal favorite—the New Jerusalem Bible—which has excellent notes and commentaries. I keep a Bible dictionary close at hand, too. Even more than helping me to tackle a life-long challenge, BBB has become a community for me. I have found great friendships. I participate in a group that knits and crochets for the Layette Program of the Christ Child Society; I enjoy every minute of
September/October 2012
I am still at the beginning of my journey through the Bible, but I’ve found a wonderful support system in BBB that helps me in other life experiences too. My BBB friends came to my husband’s memorial service at the National Cathedral in 2009. I’ll never forget the comfort their presence offered. Even though I hadn’t been in BBB very long, our bond was sealed. My knowledge of the Bible has flourished in a community of friends who are willing to tackle tough questions. I am so grateful for Bread, Book, and Brethren, my watercolor lessons with my first BBB friend Jane, the Layette Afghan Circle at Blessed Sacrament, and reading, really reading and understanding, the books of the Bible that we study each year.
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Teens Help Rebuild Homes In New Orleans By Molly Flores Junior, St. John’s College High School
or the past couple of years, the Blessed Sacrament Youth Group has offered a service trip to New Orleans for teens of the community. Led by the Youth Group commissioner Mark McCaffery, these teenagers perform service work helping out the people of New Orleans. This year there were two different trips to New Orleans in June to help rebuild Artwork by Faith Fisher, Seventh Grade
houses that still sustained damage from hurricane Katrina: one targeted for high school students, and the other for middle school students. Teens in high school thought that this trip was an excellent way to serve others while receiving service hours for their school requirements. The group worked five long days in the Louisiana heat helping survivors rebuild their homes. For Maggie Alt, a junior at Georgetown Visitation, this was her first year participating in the service trip. Inspired to participate after Liz McCartney, alumna of both Blessed Sacrament School and Georgetown Visitation spoke to her school about the St. Bernard Project that she co-founded, Maggie reacted to the trip, “It was truly an eye-opening experience to
“It was
rebuild houses that were devastated by hurricane Katrina and to see that even after
truly an
seven years the need for volunteers and restoration throughout New Orleans is still
eye-opening experience ....”
high.” During the trip the teenagers stayed at the Loyola University New Orleans campus and received a tour of Tulane’s campus. Jack Mullally a junior at Gonzaga said, “It was a cool experience to stay in the college dorms and use the facilities.” For
more
information
on
this
trip
and
other
Blessed Sacrament Youth Group activities during this upcoming year, please visit:
http://www.
blessedsacramentdc.org/youth/youthgroup/.
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Artwork by Lucy Fredell Eighth Grade
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Just ‘N Time By John Dluhy, M.D.
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“God is the artist, and we are the brush.” he priest presided over the funeral and talked about God, the Grand Artist. He
creates us; He gives us some talent; and He expects us to use it. We become a brush in the Hand of God and have the commission to add positive and creative strokes to His creation. Artists use many different tools to produce a variety of art forms. I see myself in this scheme: I become a brightly painted, translucent rock. It should become a tiny part of a huge mosaic in God’s ongoing creation. If it shines, an observer can distinguish it amongst the billions of other colorful stones in this wonderful creation of our Aba.
Blessed Sacrament School students sharing their artistic talents: unique expressions making an impression...on the pages of this newsletter and beyond. Clockwise from top right: Ronan Larkin, Rachel Days, Max Gleason, and Michael DiLorenzo
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his November, the Blessed Sacrament School gym will be transformed once again into a festive bazaar for a day. This is the place where you are sure to find fabulous holiday gifts from numerous vendors, bargains at the Chic Boutique and at the white elephant sale, yummy baked goods, delicious lunch selections at the onsite “cafe,” and fun activities for youngsters.
Holiday Bazaar
Saturday, November 10 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Blessed Sacrament School Gym
A preview party, new this year, is planned for Friday, November 9; details will follow in upcoming parish bulletins and on the parish Web site. Proceeds from the bazaar support parish and non-parish causes. Last year’s proceeds funded the cleaning of statues in the church, a plaque for the chapel relating the history of the new crucifix, restoration of the tabernacle door, and the repair of pew kneelers. Sanctuary Sodality also made donations to the following charities as per requests from individual sodality units: St. Anthony Catholic School, DC Diaper Bank, Bethlehem House, Little Sisters of the Poor, Centro Tepeyac, Growing Together, Spanish Catholic Center, S.O.M.E., Washington Middle School for Girls / THEARC Campus, Wider Circle, Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School, Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation, the Williams Syndrome Association, and the Autism Research Institute.
Highlights from the 2011 holiday bazaar at right.
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WMET 1160 AM Announces New Fall Activities By Molly Fitzgerald
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reetings from WMET 1160 AM! On the air since May, 2010 and Washington’s only Catholic radio station, WMET 1160 AM is part of the Guadalupe Radio Network, the third largest radio network in the country. This past month, Steve Prinzivalli joined WMET 1160 AM as general manager. Steve has extensive broadcasting experience that includes working as a television meteorologist for 10 years in markets extending from Wichita, Kansas to Binghamton and Syracuse, New York. Steve is on fire to be part of the “New Evangelization” as we reach out to the millions of people in the Washington area to help lift souls out of the darkness and into the Light of Christ, while promoting a culture of life consistent with the Gospel. Steve and his wife Britta live in Maryland with their son Xavier. They are expecting their second child this month. The theme of our fall radiothon, October 23-26, is “The Year of Faith.” Each year, we have two radiothons (spring and fall) which provide the needed funds to operate our radio affiliate. Our first annual “Fishers of Men” luncheon on Thursday, November 8, at St. Francis Hall, located next to the Franciscan Monastery in Washington, D.C., will honor the Rev. Deacon Sabatino Carnazzo, M.A., Founder and Executive Director of the Institute of Catholic Culture, who will receive “The Fishers of Men Award” award. (See flyer at right.)
Radio for Your Soul!
WMET 1160 AM
Guadalupe Radio Network Presents
First Annual “Fishers of Men” Luncheon Thursday, November 8, 2012 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Johnnette Benkovic The Year of Faith! Our Source of Authentic Hope Johnnette S. Benkovic is Founder and President of Living His Life Abundantly® International, Inc. and Women of Grace®, Catholic evangelization apostolates. She can be heard daily on WMET 1160 AM. After years of being a non-practicing Catholic, Johnnette experienced a deep conversion back to her Catholic faith in 1981 and discerned a call to share the Gospel message through the media. She has been a consistent presence in Catholic radio since 1987 and in Catholic television since 1988. Don’t miss this unique event with Johnnette! Be sure to bring your family and friends so they can also be inspired to live their Catholic faith more passionately by hearing one of the best known Catholic speakers. You will also be treated to a delicious catered lunch. Seating is limited, so reserve your tickets now.
Fishers of Men Award Recipient Rev. Deacon Sabatino Carnazzo, M.A.
Founder and Executive Director of the Institute of Catholic Culture
WMET 1160 AM
To Make A Reservation www.grnonline.com or email:
[email protected] or call toll free: 877-636-1160 Single Seats $75 – Couples $125 Gold Sponsor $5,000 (table of 10) includes 3 months on-air advertising and listing in program, mention at luncheon and small group dinner at 7:00 PM on November 7th with Johnnette Benkovic and GRN Leadership. Silver Sponsor $2,500 (table of 10) includes 2 months on-air advertising, mention at luncheon and listing in program. Bronze Sponsor $1,500 (table of 10) includes 1 month on-air advertising, listing in program.
St. Francis Hall 1340 Quincy Street, NE, Washington, D.C.
Contact us at 877.636.1160 for more information, and become involved with WMET 1160 AM.
Chevy Chase At Home Fall Activities By Caroline Michaelis The September 18 Meet & Mingle (Chevy Chase Village Hall, 2 to 4 p.m.) will feature an interesting discussion of “Opportunities for Senior Travel”: cruises, canal trips, Road Scholar (formerly Elderhostel) and more. Then go home and start packing! Save Two Dates: Tuesday afternoon, October 2, for a slide presentation by Betty Monkman, former White House curator. Wednesday evening, October 10, for a lecture, “Sleep As We Grow Older,” by Richard Waldhorn, M.D. Chevy Chase at Home (CC@H) serves the community’s older residents.
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3630 Quesada Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20015 202.966.6575 www.blessedsacramentdc.org
