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The Very Rev. Kevin McKenna
No one has ever walked on our earth and been free from the pains of loneliness. Rich and poor, wise and ignorant, faith-filled and agnostic, healthy and unhealthy, have all alike had to face and struggle with its potentially paralyzing grip. It has granted no immunities. To be human is to be lonely at times.
To be human, however, is also to respond. Sometimes it has led us to the true encounter of love; sometimes it has moved us to a greater depth of openness toward God and others, to fuller life, and sometimes to a highly deprived emotional life; sometimes it has made the human spirit - sometimes it has broken it; always it has affected it. For loneliness is one of the deepest, most universal, and most profound experiences that we have. How much of our fixation with communication technology flows from this loneliness - the cell phones that have become attached to our ears, tweeting, facebook pages - anything that will tell us that we have friends.
We can be attentive to what the scriptures breaks open to us with the Samaritan man that returns to give Jesus thanks. All is a precious gift. This realization is important because we too frequently go through life taking things for granted. Life, friendship, health and work are seen as things that are owed to us. For this precise reason we fail to appreciate them with the reverence and respect they deserve. Instead of seeing them for what they are, precious gifts, we take them for granted, over-expect from them, over-demand from them, and use them in a fashion that leaves little room for respect and reverence. Once we learn that we are pilgrims on earth our life becomes a lot less "ordinary" and humdrum. Suddenly family members and other persons who care for us, but whom we have long taken for granted and stopped respecting and appreciating fully, become a lot more precious. A wit once remarked: "Be it ever so humdrum, there is no rut like your own." The realization that we are pilgrims foes a long way in teaching us to meet life with the reverence it merits because it makes us see life for what it really is - a precious undeserved gift.
If we listen to our loneliness of heart, it can help teach us what it means to live between Christ's first coming and his return in glory. By keeping us restless and dissatisfied, loneliness, like many other things - living in community, reading God's Word, breaking bread together, challenging and consoling each other, and reenacting through liturgy the major saving words and events of Christ's life - helps us keep alive Christ's promise that he will return and dry every tear upon the face of the earth.
God bless! Have a wonderful week!
Fr. Kevin McKenna
WEEKEND MASS TIMES
WEEKDAY MASS TIMES
CONFESSIONS:
Whats Coming Up :
October is Respect for Life month.
Joseph's Place Open Wednesday October 16th, 2019 (Hours for October 16th will be from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, which are the regular hours for the third Wednesday of the month.)
Call in sign-up for Thanksgiving Baskets, now through October 31st (Call into the Office - 254-3221 - to sign up to receive a Thanksgiving Basket. You may sign up through October 31st, 2019 at Joseph's Place or by calling the office. There is a maximum of 200 baskets that will be distributed on November 25th, 2019. No baskets will be available for pickup after 5:00 pm on November 25th.)
Harvest Festival (Trunk and Treat) October 19th, 2019 (Our annual Harvest Festival and Trunk or Treat will be held on Saturday October 19th from 11:30 am until 2:00 pm in the Cathedral parking lot. Many family fun activities will be available.)
Men's Retreat, October 25-27, 2019 ("Our Spiritual Journey." Share in the Journey this year at Notre Dame Retreat House. Hear the stories from scripture which offer words of encouragement along out personal journeys. Walk.... Pray.... Talk with Jesus as you journey through the retreat weekend. For more information please contact Jin Schell at 880-6352; Chuck Murrman at 944-3093; Don Taylor at 727-7344.)
A Baby Shower for the Women's Care Center, October 26th and 27th (The Social Ministry Committee will be collecting un-wrapped baby items on October 26th and 27th in the Narthex. The Women's Care Center, located at 3252 Lake Avenue, is in need of the following baby items: Diapers size newborn, 4, 5, and 6 and Baby Wipes; Any kind of formula and any size bottles; Baby clothes newborn to 9 months, such as sleepers, onesies, socks or booties, hats, snowsuits, sweater sets and bibs; Baby blankets, flannel blankets, crib sheets; Hooded bath towels and wash cloths; Baby shampoo, wash and lotion; Car seats and Pack & Play to sleep in.)
Celebration of the Feast of All Souls: Saturday November 2nd, 2019 at the 4:00 pm Mass. (All are invited to the mass that day for a special celebration to remember our faithful departed and to offer comfort to those who mourn.)
East Ave Grocery Run/Walk to Support Joseph's Place, November 2nd, 2019 (See the insert in this weeks bulletin. 7:00 am Registration Opens; 8:15 am 5K Run & Walk begins; 9:15 am 1 Mile Run & Walk; 9:30 am Children's Fun Run.)
Presentation by Professor Harry Murray; Sunday, November 3rd, 2019 at 10:30 am ("The Effects of Racism on Poverty and Homelessness in Rochester". Dr. Murray has been a leader in the Catholic Worker Movement for many years and coordinates the Saturday meal at St. Joseph's House of Hospitality. He is the author of Do Not Neglect Hospitality, a study of the effects of homelessness on human health. His talk will take place in our parish hall. All are invited to join us. A free will offering for St. Joseph's House of Hospitality will be collected, and light refreshments will be served.)
A Forum on Human Trafficking, November 4th, 2019 from 7 pm - 9 pm, U of R Interfaith Chapel (Free parking is available in the Trustee Lot on the River Campus. Please come and join the conversation as the Rochester community takes a stand on this issue. Any questions may be directed to Deacon Mike Kristan at [email protected] or by calling him at (585) 633 - 0397.)
Bentley Vega Benefit, November 9th, 2019 at West Creek Lodge and Party House in Hilton, NY from Noon until 5 pm. (Bentley is a five-year-old who attends Nazareth Elementary School and our All Star Scholar Program. His family is well known and very active here at the Cathedral. He has been diagnosed with Leukemia and is currently undergoing treatment for several months at Strong Memorial Hospital. For ticket information call Rachel (607) 661-5786 or Tammy (585) 613-6228.
One of our responsibilities as a follower of Jesus Christ is to study and learn more about him each day. As followers of Jesus we are also called to study the "signs of the times" that we might promote Gospel values and our Christian Faith within the culture and community in which we live, which also requires us to study and educate ourselves about issues that concern the common good. With this in mind, we will soon be opening a "Cathedral Library and Cafe" in the former Gift and Book Shop. We would welcome your kind contributions of "gently used" books and periodicals on the topics of Jesus Christ, The Catholic Faith, Catholic History, Our Lady and the Saints, Theology, Liturgy, Social Teaching, etc. You are welcome to drop off your books to the office during office hours or you may leave them at the Narthex Counter on the weekends. We will also have coffee available for those using the new Cathedral Library. Thank you for your interest and support.
Our Mission Statement
The Cathedral Community is a Roman Catholic parish of the Dioceses of Rochester that gathers and worships at Sacred Heart Cathedral. We are an ethnically, racially, and economically diverse community with unique gifts and challenges within an urban neighborhood.
Our mission is to reach out with hope to all in our community, neighborhood, and beyond, to proclaim the Gospel with joy and enthusiasm, and to prepare disciples who will go forth to serve God and others, especially the poor, with mercy and compassion.
Here's what we're doing to ensure that our children and vulnerable persons are safe:
DOR Creating A Safe Environment Information (click here)
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
1150 Buffalo Road
Rochester, New York 14624
