February 12, 2012
On Saturday, January 28, 52 of our confirmandi attended a Confirmation retreat in English, and on February 4, 58 attended a bilingual retreat. There were 31 adults and teenagers who volunteered their time to make the retreats a success. I especially want to thank Lia Salinas, Carole Schloss, Angela Gaetano, Jen Beuse, Mike Dillon, Cristina Dehan, Sean Dehan, Father Matthew DeForest, Father Alex Diaz, Father Luke Dundon, Deacon Tom Bello and Brother Manuel Aviles for helping out in different ways. We are looking forward to these 110 young people's being confirmed on June 1 of this year.
God bless,
Fr. Kevin
February 5, 2012
Dear Friends,
Bishop Loverde has assigned Father Anthony Appiah, of the Archdiocese of Kumasi, Ghana, to help me and our parish serve the sacramental needs of the Ghana Catholic Community. Father Appiah will be in residence in our parish, and helping with the English Masses, as well. Given the complexities of international travel, we hope that Father Appiah will arrive in time to celebrate his first Mass with the Ghana Catholic Community on February 5. When you see Father Tony, please give him a warm St. Anthony of Padua welcome!
After four and a half years of service to the Ghana Catholic Community and to our parish, Father Augustine Owusu-Sekyere is returning to his country for a while to do research for his dissertation. We want to thank him for his years of service here and wish him every success in pursuit of his Ph.D.
God Bless,
Father Kevin
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January 29, 2012
Dear Friends,
Last Monday, January 23, we sent two buses of parishioners to the annual March for Life in Washington, DC. I want to thank Chris Curry for organizing our participation, and I also want to thank Maria Romero, Maureen Roan and Henry Villegas for helping her in this effort. We joined well over 100,000 other people who, in spite of the hours of cold rain, peacefully marched for a return to a respect for the dignity of human life before birth in our country. Many of us also joyfully prayed that our laws would reflect that respect for life. The mainstream media largely and predictably ignored the March. Even though the March is the most enduring, peaceful demonstration in our country (this was the 39th March), which has attracted millions of people over the years, more coverage is given when a few people demonstrate for a cause that the media agrees with.
It doesn't matter. What matters is that we show, with a small sacrifice of time and convenience, that it is wrong to kill an innocent child in the mother's womb, regardless of what the cultural elites say. I recently read in a major national newspaper that it is estimated that 32 million girls worldwide have been aborted over the years because of their gender. I hope that next year more of our parishioners will make the sacrifice with their presence, to say that this is a horrible injustice that needs to end.
God Bless,
Father Kevin
January 22, 2012
Dear Friends,
On Monday, January 23, some of us will go to the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.
This march recalls the sad day, 39 years ago, when the Supreme Court of this country said it was legal to kill a child in the mother's womb. As the People of God, we are called to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19) both earthly and, ultimately, the abundant eternal life that Jesus came to bring us (John 10:10). We march to bear witness that, legal or not, it is always wrong to take the innocent life of another human being made in the image and likeness of God, and redeemed by Jesus Christ, and made to be a child of God. I hope that we will never become so accustomed to evil that it will become normal for us, even acceptable.
I hope that you will find some time in your busy life to march with us on January 23rd. You can check with the office (703-820-7111) to see if there is any room left on our parish bus, which will leave our parking lot on Monday morning. If you cannot go with us to the March for Life, please fast and/or pray that one day all human life will be respected in our country.
God Bless,
Father Kevin
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