Church Blog

Dear Parishioners,

It seems as if each day I discover something new and exciting about Saint Luke Parish.  It kind of started out with the mold in the crawl space under the rectory and the civilization of ants in the rectory family room.  But I assure you, it’s gone uphill from there.

One day this week I went on the front porch to retrieve the morning paper and the first word that jumped into my mind was “Duck!”  (No, it was not an attempted drive-by shooting by disgruntled parishioners.)  It was a whole bunch of ducks in the rectory front yard.  I had seen one or two previously in the parking lot, but this was the whole extended family.

Perhaps seeing this wildlife is something common in Meridian Hills and on Holliday Drive.  But we sure did not see much wildlife around my previous rectory at the Cathedral, 14th and Meridian, downtown.  The “wildlife” around there is something not particularly suitable to describing in a church bulletin.

I also have seen a bunch of these ducks near Cathedral High School and Fatima Retreat House.  Both of these places are in Saint Matthew Parish.  Perhaps now that I am at Saint Luke these ducks are changing parishes.  Probably not, they would turn out to be just a bunch of quacks.  And yes, I know this whole paragraph is one big fowl joke.  But this is all one more new adventure for the new pastor Saint Luke—the ducks.

Let me again mention our Saint Luke Fiftieth Year Celebration!  The kickoff to our Golden Jubilee Celebration as a parish is Saturday, September 24.  From noon to 10:00 p.m. that day we will have our first-ever “Jubilee Jam Parish Festival.”  That evening, the 5:30 p.m. Mass will be our first liturgical celebration to kick off an entire year of festivities.  I encourage everyone to get on board in whatever way you can to make our “Jubilee Jam Festival” a grand success.

The educational enterprise here in our parish is in full swing.  Saint Luke Catholic School is up and running.  Much to my delight, at this writing, our enrollment is over 600—the largest number of pupils we have ever had in the history of Saint Luke School!

Religious education at all levels including adult education and the RCIA will soon be up and running as well.  There is information about this elsewhere in today’s bulletin including the ongoing need for volunteers.

Speaking of education, we are about to embark on some education concerning the Mass.  The words we say and hear at every Mass are about to change.  Mass will remain the same, but the sound will be different.  The words are English translations of texts first composed in Latin.

The revised translation pertains to the book we previously called the Sacramentary.  This is the “red book” the priest uses at the chair and at the altar.  The new translation of the Latin into English pertains to the words we speak or sing at every Mass and to the prayers that the priest recites alone from the Sacramentary.

Even the title of the Sacramentary will have a “new translation;” we will now refer to it as The Roman Missal.  Gee, that’s what we used to all it when I as a kid.  It’s true:  “what goes around comes around.”

Why is this changing?  Well, the liturgists have some very fine explanations.  But let me translate those for you and cut to the chase:  The 1970 translation we use now is not all that great.  It’s also not all that accurate in terms of the real meaning of the original Latin.  Over 40 years later, we know we can do better.  No need to point the finger at anybody.  (The original translators are probably mostly at the Heavenly Banquet Table in heaven anyhow.)

We will have lots more to say about this from the pulpit and in this bulletin.  Our parish musicians will also help us with the sung parts of the Mass.  Several of the sung or recited responses at every Mass will be slightly reworded.  But, overall, I’m not worried.  I’ve come to the conclusion that if a person can read, he or she will just do fine.  I’ve observed that most people at Saint Luke can read (except those who park in my parking spot).

Most of the changes will affect my part, the priest’s part.  I will need to practice.  I’ve been saying these words basically the same way since I was ordained nearly 30 years ago.  But, for example, remember not all that long ago when the lector or the priest concluded the readings by saying, “This is the Word of the Lord.”  Or “This is the Gospel of the Lord.”  It changed to be more accurate and match what we say at Holy Communion (“The Body of Christ” or “The Blood of Christ”) to “The Word of the Lord” and “The Gospel of the Lord.”  We survived.

I did have more of a challenge when Pope John Paul II died and Pope Benedict XVI was elected.  I was so in the habit of saying, “for our pope, John Paul II.”  It took me a few weeks to adjust.  The same thing recently happened when we began to include our Auxiliary Bishop Christopher Coyne along with Archbishop Daniel Buechlein in the Eucharistic Prayer.

I do suppose that if Jesus Christ decides to change his name, I will have to hang it up.  But that’s not likely.  More on these Mass changes later.  We will be fine.

Of one thing I am convinced; of one thing I am certain:  Providence never fails!

Faithfully yours in Providence that so far has not failed us,

Rev. Joseph F. Schaedel