Lenten Alms For Vocations

From the Pastor:    Lenten Alms For Vocations

       Every year just as Lent is beginning I write a bulletin article explaining several things about Lent. Some are unique to our parish, such as our annual Twenty Dollar Bills for Sisters and Semmies Fundraiser (I have adjusted the title of this fundraiser to keep up with inflation!). Sometimes the Lent information applies to all Catholics throughout the world. Still other information deals with quirky practices canonically “legal” only in certain areas. All three types of information are important and at least somewhat helpful and/or entertaining, and it is hard to determine which is most needed every year. Because we have so many more people attending Sunday Masses this year than last, I certainly need to explain the fundraiser we do for those from our parish who are in the “formation process” to become Priests, Religious Brothers, or Religious Sisters. Fortunately, we had room on another page of the bulletin to (re)introduce you to the four women and 6 men from our families who will be the recipients of your spiritual and monetary generosity. Just look for the page with the headline “Hundred Dollar Bills for Sisters and Semmies” to see what this is all about (talk about inflation soaring quickly!).
       Two of our seminarians, each taking a much different vocational path than the other, have recently sent letters thanking benefactors and promising prayers for all who have and will support them in whatever way possible. One wrote in part, “The Seminary is a seven-year process, and the cost yearly is $10,000. [Note: that is much, much lower than our own diocesan seminary costs!] Therefore, I am asking in your generosity if you would consider becoming a benefactor for me and assist in paying my tuition cost...” It is very humbling to have to ask others to pay for one’s schooling, yet seminarians are unable to work their way through seminary as they would be doing at a “regular” university. [Second note: Diocesan seminarians in the major seminary have tuition paid through CMA contributions although personal expenses aren’t covered.]
       I will quote the second seminarian’s letter more extensively here because it shows that our donations don’t always do exactly what we thought they would be doing but rather may be used for an even greater good. I want to thank all of you who were so concerned for us during and after the hurricane. By the grace of God, we were not affected as much as others, which by God’s providence allowed us to be at the service of our neighbors... Our power was out for a month, though we found it a nice change of pace. The first few days after the hurricane were spent working to open the roads and private drives for emergency response personnel, since the road was completely blocked by many feet of silt, down trees, power lines, and even a house. Because of the equipment that many of you have helped us to acquire with your donations for our building project, we were able to open the road up in a matter of hours, even demolishing the house that was in the road with our excavator (though we will be building that family, who were present as we destroyed their home, a small timber frame for their next home). The most beautiful thing about it was that Our Lord used this disaster to be our first real introduction to our neighbors, none of whom are Catholic, except the occasional “recovering Catholic”, as they call themselves. In the mountain they say, “A little goes a long way” and ever since the hurricane seemingly everywhere we go the locals will take us aside and thank us for “all you did for those people.” When we first arrived here the people were suspicious of us, not knowing what to think of these “Catholics”, but since the hurricane, they now know that we love them. Though they don’t see us much, since our life is a life of prayer and more hidden, they now know that when they need us we are here for them Of course much of this thanks has to be given to the many people, hidden as you may be, that made our response possible. If not for that equipment we would have been standing there wringing our hands like everyone else not knowing what to do... If you would like to see the entirety of the two letters quoted, I will either have them posted in the social hall or available in the sacristy, based on display space.
       This doesn’t leave much room for the other information that I also want to put here, but have no fear, I believe that can condense the rest. As for the universal Lent requirements, there are major differences between the 1962 rules and the current requirements. Although we are only bound to those currently in force, many people wish to keep to the older traditions. I can’t write them both out for you here but doing a web search for “Catholic Lent requirements” yields many sources for the current obligations. Adding the word “Traditional” to the search bar leads to a mixture of both the current and the traditional (1962) practices. If you want even older practices,  you will have to dig a bit further into the results.
       Finally, regarding the quirky things only found in several dioceses, I have written before that, although all Catholics are allowed to eat all of what is commonly thought of as seafood, reptiles, and amphibians during the days of abstinence, some places also allow the eating of muskrats, beavers, capybara, puffins, whales, porpoises, and/or seals. There are probably more exceptions to the “no meat” restrictions but these are the ones I have found in the past. Strangely enough, I have yet to have a parishioner offer to bring in any of these delicacies for our Friday Stations and Soup potlucks. Maybe this year will be different...

With prayers for your holiness,
Rev. Fr. Edwin Palka