Sorry – Just haven’t had the time to consistently update.  I look forward to getting back into the swing of things, maybe end-of-Novemberish.  God Bless all.

On Tuesday, August 18 the members of the Central Diocese Clergy all met for their Summer retreat and Clergy Conference at the Villa of Our Lady House in Mt. Pocono, PA. Most of the clergy of the diocese were in attendance. The retreat was led by Msgr. John Mraz, a Roman Catholic priest from the diocese of Allentown. Father Mraz introduced himself and his scope and idea of retreat during the first day, focusing on individual and collective ministry of a priest to his people. He was a brief speaker, leaving time for everyone to question and ponder some of the finer points of his discussion.

Personally, one of the things he did for me was open my memory banks (not so long ago) of my path to the priesthood. I thought of those individuals who were inspiring through the years – I recalled at that moment a song that was played and dedicated to me the week of my ordination, a card that I received recently that was almost embarrassing it was so complimentary.

I thought and prayed about what was inspiring to me today – those who in two and a half years have opened their hearts, homes, and refrigerators to me as both a pastor and as a friend. It can be humbling to really stop and think about those things at times. Although the spirituality and educated speakers is important, the part that sticks with the guys is easily the time shared with each other. Sitting around with guys you went to seminary with, guys from the same part of the country, or someone you have little in common with besides a calling.

At one point, I sat at a table of priests who all had English as a second language, but have been around long enough to easily understand casual conversation…until they attempted to listen to my own fast-talking, New England tinted, slang –filled jokes, stories, and of course, the tale of my engagement the week prior (sorry love-lorn ladies of the PNCC).

The retreat, led by Father Mraz and presided over by our Diocesan Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Anthony Mikovsky, was highlighted by moments of prayer, a liturgy of the Sacrament of Penance, Holy Mass, and Polish Vespers. There were many sights to see, many odd occurrences that seemingly could only happen on a spiritual retreat. As I traveled back and forth from Scranton, I was treated to getting out of my car and having a deer not even 10 feet from me in the road. I couldn’t help but stare at the Rosary draped around the crucifix in the conference room…stretched out it has to be about 8 feet long. I noticed the reserved seating in the front row of the chapel. Makes a PNCC priest feel at home, but they weren’t for the ANS, but for the Franciscan Sisters that take care of the place. And who couldn’t help but notice this holy, secluded place was a mere few hundred yards from another holy, secluded place…Mt. Airy Lodge and Casino.

As the retreat closed and the business session of the Clergy Conference wrapped up, we acknowledged the first National Clergy Conference in many years for our church. The priests of the diocese left on Thursday afternoon with a bit of inspiration, recharged, bellies full, and eager to get back to the people they minister to.

I was told my blog updates should be more frequent and more personal – well, hopefully not too personal, I can’t imagine the public clamoring for the insights of yours truly, but not my will but thy (nameless person) will be done.  Here are 5 random/interesting occurrences over the last few weeks.

1 – My big news of the year!  On Thursday, August 13 at roughly 7pm, I got down on one knee in a soaked parking lot and asked Ms. Natalie Kazinetz to marry me.  After she picked her jaw up off the ground and asked a series of questions that included “Are you kidding me?” and “Are you serious?” she happily said yes.  We then enjoyed a lovely dinner.

2 – I made a stop at the 2009 National ANS Retreat in Waymart, PA.  Which happened to be Friday, August 14.  So for the few hours I was there, I was the object of many hugs and congratulations from some of the women I have crossed paths with over the years…and, of course, my mom, who might be the happiest person in this whole deal.

3 – I’ll tell you, facebook is a thing of beauty.  You want to feel like people care about your existence on earth?  See how many “happy birthday’s” you get on facebook.  Or, I guess, better yet, announce your engagement there.

4 – I am off in an hour or so to the Central Diocesan Clergy Retreat, located a few hundred yards away from Mount Airy Casino.  My favorite part is going to the Casino in between Mass and prayertime!  KIDDING!!!

5 – Attended the Convo meeting at Transfiguration Parish in Wallington, NJ.  It was a good one, very productive.  Thought we were off track for a bit there, but I think we’ll have a good one in September in Scranton and we’ll be ready to rock.

That is all.  If you look through my posts from last year, I was fairly consistent through the non-summer months.  I really do enjoy writing more substantial things than this sort of fluff, and I do enjoy publishing a sermon every once in a while.  I wish more people visited my blog…but I’m thinking they would frequent it more if I frequented it more.  Anyways, the hottest week of summer has decided to show up towards the end of August, so I look forward to a number of things going on.  In chronological order:

St. Stanislaus Flea Market, August 21-23, 9-5pm – Replete with flea market types of things and food

St.Stanislaus Block Party, August 28-29, 5-11pm – Tons of food, beer tent, big wheel, games, etc.

Branch #1 YMSofR Chicken BBQ, August 29, 12-4pm – Fresh BBQ chicken, fries, slaw, and more

Track and field Meet – September 5, marathon at 8am, Mass at 10am, events and food all day

YMSofR Golf Tournament – Sunday September 13

Polish Food Fest – by the Elementary School, Sunday September 20

Needless to say, the next month is busy.  Pray for me!

Yeah Yeah, it seems like i have been on vacation since April, but I am out to Shawnee on the Deleware for a few days.  This after celebrating a wonderful wedding (well, I preached at it, you could see it at this site - if you must, most of my sermon is on video #13), I celebrated a birthday (27, ew) with a funeral (at the parish) and a 3 hour parish committee meeting.  During that meeting, our YMSofR folded, stuffed, labeled, licked, and stamped upwards of 500 envelopes, ate pizza, wings, soda, and shot the breeze for a good half hour, all while leaving almost an hour before our meeting got out.  At least the PC sang Happy Birthday and Sto Lat to me-that was nice.  So was getting a bunch of happy b-days from people on facebook.  I feel bad because I never check it to wish others…oh well.  For the next few, I will enjoy sleeping in, golfing, eating bad food, playing ladderball, catching some rays, and doing nothing. 

As I continue to prepare my lecture for Kurs 2009 (sponsored by the Central YMSofR of the PNCC), I have to sit back and think about the last few days.  June turned into July, and with it came one of the top 5 holidays of the year (my Christian leanings aside, Thanksgiving is the obvious #1). 

On July 4, many (though embarrassingly few this year) gathered at Spojnia Farm in Waymart, PA for the 4^th of July Mass and Picnic.  My first encounter with this event was with the aforementioned Kurs encampment in 2001, my first year there.  So many people, so much food, a polka band, etc.  It was quite an event, and pretty disheartening how much it has fallen off in 8 years or so.  It even had quite a drop-off from last year.  Most places run out of their ethnic food at picnics – unfortunately, there was enough left over after the picnic to feed 75 people at the Kurs…with leftovers.

I guess I would like those who read this blog to consider going to it next year.  I know people from the PNCC sometimes look at the Scranton area cryptically, but c’mon, it’s a picnic. 

The theme of this year’s Kurs is “Christmas in July,” which is on a 3 year rotating schedule because the counselors love it…which is fine.  I feel a little bad for the priests/bishops who have been presenting for those 3 years and have to speak on the same subject until I remembered that is like feeling bad for an NBA player for being forced to visit Toronto, Boston, and NYC over a week span.  Poor, poor people.  That is why we are all professionals, right?

I originally wanted to speak on something that had nothing to do with Christmas – the issues surrounding JFK’s presidency with him being a Roman Catholic.  But that seemed like it would turn out to be a little over the children’s heads, so we’ll be going with the legends, myths, and histories behind some of our favorite Christmas traditions and ideas.  For example: Santa Claus being a Bishop, Jesus’ birth not taking place anywhere near December, various Christmas ideas based on Pagan Holidays (phew!?).  Of course, I won’t try to ruin Christmas for the kids – if anything, I want them to remember something so they go home and stump their parents with some of their newly-acquired yuletide knowledge.  With that, I must go.

As I occasionally do, I am posting the sermon I preached this past Sunday June 28th.  Not that it was groundbreaking or it made people swoon and faint with great faith, but I enjoyed preparing it immensely as it was one of the Gospels that always stuck out as I heard it growing up.

“Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.” These words are taken from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark.  My B&S, when we left Jesus last, he was awoken from a deep sleep in the middle of a torrential rainstorm. His followers thought they were going to die, and he scoffed at them for even thinking God would allow this to happen with Jesus on board, that their faith was absolutely lacking. Jesus calmed the storm, and they were on their way.

Unfortunately for anyone with fame, you aren’t getting very far without a crowd of people knowing at all time. I believe we saw this with the coverage of Michael Jackson passing away- I think I knew exactly where he was for the past 96 or so hours. Not a moment after Jesus arrived on shore, he was besieged by the crowd and a number of requests and, as scripture says, he stayed close to the sea. Like I mentioned last week, this was early on in Jesus’ ministry and while he was establishing his name in the area, he still was subject to cold feet every once in a while, just like anyone else would be. And like anyone else, Jesus, a human like you or me, felt things – sorrow, shame, fear, joy.

In the OT reading from the book of Wisdom, we read about how God made everything in his creation inherently good – “For he fashioned all things that they might have being; and the creatures of the world are wholesome.” The Book also says how God formed man to be imperishable, but by the devil, death entered into the equation. As we step back from the scriptures, we can recall all the times in church or whenever where we have heard that death is not the end, but the beginning, that it is entering paradise, that it is a relief of pain, etc, etc. We are told that the devil is what made the finality of death possible, that is, not making it into eternal paradise but suffering damnation and separation from God.

 That fear of death might be the most powerful human emotion besides love, and it causes many to do things beyond their normal limits. The woman who was hemorrhaging for 12 years was one of these examples. Thousands of days of suffering, embarrassment and shunning from the public surely put her in a depressed state. Her affliction was surely considered a punishment by God.  Yet her fear of death, her faith in God told her that if she could just graze Jesus’ cloak, all would be ok. This woman, certainly not used to mingling with larger crowds anymore, did just that, braving scathing eyes and contemptuous looks in order to get better. Jesus stopped, called her out, again instilling her with a new kind of fear, only to commend her on her strong faith.

This all took place only after Jesus was notified by Jairus, the synagogue official, that his daughter was dying. If we search our memory banks, we can recall a story where Jesus healed a servant just by speaking to his master, on the basis of his master’s faith. Jesus didn’t even have to venture to his house. So why does Jesus now decide to travel to Jairus’ house in order to at least see his daughter? Recalling again our gospel today, the daughter dies, but Jesus insists on still seeing her. Jesus walks in, clears the room, tells everyone that she isn’t dead but sleeping, gets laughed at (and worse), cures her, and the parents are gifted with their child back, safe and sound. A surreal close to this gospel, the dead being brought back to life. What we get though, is the power the God truly has over death.

At Vacation Bible School a couple weeks ago, Bp. Anthony explained to the kids that at the Last Supper, Jesus changed the words of the ancient Passover meal because, well, he was God and could do those sorts of things. Today was an instance of those “sorts of things.” Like the book of wisdom said today “God formed man to be imperishable…but by the envy of the devil, death entered the world.” Jesus showed those present that he, God on earth, had THAT very power over death, over the devil, over the world. He had the power, the right, the ability to change things forever that no one before or since could do. That is why Jesus ventued into this house, to show the people.  And again, as Jesus was prone to do, he told everyone not to say a word about this, knowing full well that those crowds that have been following him would only grow even larger.

My brothers and sisters, this is where we hang our hats as Christians. Jesus, fulfilling the scriptures, saving those in need the most from the devil due to strong faith. We show God our strong faith every time we enter the doors to this church and every time we open our hearts up to him in prayer. Let the lessons of scripture today serve as a reminder to the power of faith in the lives of Jesus’ chosen ones, and let us revel in the fact the he chose us to be his followers. Amen.

Sometimes, I have to step back a take a 3-d look at what goes on around this church.  Growing up in a Parish of moderate size, I was used to certain things.  Come to a Cathedral, and expectations change a little bit.  Some good things have come out of it, though.  There are never days when nothing goes on.  Granted, I think I’d sacrifice a pinky toe to be able to sleep in once a week, but c’mon, you think Jesus slept in?  No way, he saved his sleeping time for boats in the middle of a storm.  This week has been nice and full, as every night from 6:30-8:30, we have held Vacation Bible School

Vacation Bible School (VBS for short) has been going on for a few years here and is wildly popular.  Although I spend a while preparing to make comments on what goes on every night, I personally am only 1/100^th of the production.  A few very dedicated people go all-out and present/facilitate a 2 hour program for about 40 kids.  That is not easy, and what makes it all the more commendable is the fact that (of course) it is all volunteer work.  My only complaint is that I am a late supper eater, like 7:30ish, so I wait until about 9 to eat.  Peanuts of a complaint, especially when everyone is fed there.  But I, like anyone, likes to complain about good things.

That leads to this interesting weekend at St. Stanislaus.  I am sure a priest every once in a while has a few days like this, but this is good.  Also, I’m blessed to split the workload.  Between 6pm tonight and 1pm on Sunday afternoon, in order, this is what is going to be done: Wedding rehearsal, wake service, commentary at VBS, morning Mass, morning Mass, morning Mass, Funeral, Wedding, Sunday Mass, Sunday Mass, Sunday Mass, Sunday Mass, Baptism.  Then I have two softball games at 130, but that’s just fun stuff.  I think that is a nice, full, voluptuous schedule.  What’s your weekend look like? 

Anyways, if you stay on a soapbox too long, you slip off.  I want to congratulate the LA Lakers for managing to avoid KG and beating a junky basketball team from Orlando for an NBA Title.  Also, congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins for taking the Stanley Cup swimming.  BTW, how much less loathsome are the Penguins compared to the Steelers?  Like, 450%?  It is sort of like comparing the beauty of a Crosby goal to the big, fat, stupid, dirty, smelly, rotten, greasy “Ben” Roethlisberger.   And that’s just his  crusty goatee/beard.  Man, I can’t stand that guy.  Sickening. 

Back to nice things, as I was signing off on a couple of Mass Cards today for the funeral, I thought how interesting it is that there is a funeral, wedding, and baptism in a 24 hour span here.  It’s like the phases of life, in reverse order. 

And because I am devoting this post specifically to Saint Stanislaus, I wanted to point out that mixed in the hubbub on Saturday is the Elementary School’s Chicken BBQ.  I go to a half-dozen or so chicken bbqs every summer, and I honestly say that this one has the best chicken.  In other news, we are having a parish picnic on the 2^nd Sunday of July as usual, and for the first time, we are throwing a block party at the end of August.  Pizza, clams, burgers & dogs, some Polish food, a big wheel and a beer tent are pretty much all the ingredients for a successful church picnic.  We’re doing it on the corner of the church property too, so it is going to be really tough to miss.

Finally, to update some going-ons with yours truly, I’ll be spending a day or so at the Acolyte Retreat of the Central Diocese next week, a few days at the Central YMSofR’s Kurs encampment, and then it’s the middle of July.  Also, Red Sox look great, my softball team hasn’t had a game in almost 2 weeks due to the ridiculously awful weather (and a field that doesn’t drain well), Frankie & Batman celebrated their 1^st birthday on the 16^th by splitting a can of Miller Lite (or a can of tuna, whatever), I missed out on Red Sox-Phillies tickets, I celebrated 3 Corpus Christi Sunday Masses and procession alone (Bp=out of town), preached at the Corpus Christi Seniorate Service, and saw a blimp.  Till next time, “I’m normally not a praying man, but if you are up there, please save me Superman!” Homer Simpson  (A joke, of course)

I had a YMSofR meeting tonight, under auspicious clouds and threat of rain.  But what caught my (everyone’s) attention was when I revealed I check my email something like 5 times a day when I’m home.  Needless to say, everyone thought this was a bit excessive.  Eh.  Just think if I blogged on a regular basis or tweeted.  Unfortunately, Twitter is beginning to grow on me.  However, I don’t think people would be too jazzed up to hear tweets like “the thermometer says 83 degrees in church-I’m hot” or “The altar boy keeps on asking me why I take the ‘fun’ out of funeral.”

Anyways, I got to thinking about my internet interests and thought I would share them.  Here are a few sites that I’m not so sure I could live without anymore.  Besides the ones that go without saying, like cnn or espn or ebay.

Bostondirtdogs.com – If you like horribly biased Red Sox banter, as well as photos-hopped pictures of Alex Rodriguez, well, this is the place to check every couple of days.

Baseball-reference.com – For someone who turned out to be awful at math once high school came around (I blame Mrs. Picci and algebra), I can find myself getting lost in baseball stats for way too long.

Thevalleysoftball.com – Check out Russen’s Bar!  That would be my team, a team consisting of roughly a half dozen PNCC twenty-something’s and various other friends and acquaintances.  Too bad there wasn’t stats included; I may be the only priest in America batting 833.  Not 333, 833.

Gamefaqs.com – Yup, still love video games.  Proud owner of a PS3, Wii, PS2, DS, GBA.  Not to mention back home the NES, SNES, N64, GC, PS1, 360, GB, GG.  If you know what at least half these stupid letters mean, you’ll love this site.  I vote for Legend of Zelda, Mario Kart, Dark Cloud, Final Fantasy 6, and Madden as best games of all time.

gethimabodybag - listen to this for a full minute.  If you love karate kid and being hypnotized, this site if for you.

Popeater.com – Very embarrassing.  But it is only because whenever I open my email, irresistible blurbs like “TV star loses pants, life” show up that I can’t resist clicking.

Imdb.com – Nothing is more satisfying then watching a movie, then clicking on imdb to look at the bloopers.  A couple of weeks ago, I had no idea in Good Will Hunting“When Sean tells Will about how his wife used to fart all the time, even in her sleep, everybody is laughing. Even the cameraman. The camera starts bobbing up and down at two very funny moments during that dialogue.”

Hulu.com – who needs to go home early to watch tv when you could watch it whenever you want on the computer?  This is how I haven’t missed a Simpson’s episode all year.

So those are a variety of my guilty pleasures.  I would love to have included some of the religious sites I visit, but they’re not as fun.  For kicks, I get a ton of information from catholicencyclopedia.com, lots of good stuff from silk.net (sounds bad, but it isn’t), and of course, I would never, ever, ever forget, http://pncc.org

Greetings again all.  As the Polish National Catholic Church continues to celebrate the Octave of Pentecost (yup, the coming of the Holy Spirit isn’t a one-and-done event here), we get prepared to shrug our shoulders, take a deep breath, and brace ourselves for what Sunday morning has to bring.

Yup.  Not cool at all.  For as many people as October and November brings to church, June through August has the opposite effect.  Not at our Cathedral quite yet…June 7^th is 1^st Holy Communion after all…but all bets are off for June 14…and 21…and so on.  It stinks, there is not a terribly lot to do about it besides preach that vacationing in summer is demonic or something.  With all that said, summer still rocks.  It is June 5^th and I am still waiting for a nice post Memorial Day day…like sunny and at least 75.  This is a joke this year.  No wonder my girlfriend keeps on asking me about the post-marriage prospects of going to a parish in Florida or California or Arizona or Hawaii or…you get the picture.  Here are the 5 thoughts burning a hole in my brain today.

1 – Despite popular belief, I had a pretty good time at the Corning Museum of Glass yesterday.  I like museums, I like glass (who hates glass?), I don’t mind longish bus trips.  I went in not expecting too much but was entertained for most of the day.  For some reason, up until the night before, I thought this place was either in the middle of Philadelphia or New York City.  I was off by quite a bit.

2 – Despite popular belief, I still kinda sorta think the New York Yankees stink.  In essence, they rot worse than an overstuffed litterbox, but I mean this year I think they are winning with smoke and mirrors.  They got the public to finance this 1.5 billion dollar grandiose ballpark, spent a month complaining about it, then found out that with their team (slow, hit-it-to-right-field hitters), it could actually work.  Meanwhile, they’re only plus defensive player is Mark Teixera, who I would love to make visit the David Ortiz memorial Yankee Stadium hole.  Now that I mention it, what kind of voodoo they do in NYC to make that man melt?

3 – Isn’t it terrible that David Carradine actually killed himself?  This guy was all about Zen and doing Yellow Pages ads – The total opposite of what you would expect, I guess.  Maybe it was from being the target of Uma Thurman (not in the good way) in Kill Bill.  I just think the conspiracy theories are a little interesting.  Rest in Zen-like peace.

4 – There is an article in today’s Scranton Times about how a woman rescued a kitten from her car.  Not only did it make the paper, not only did it get her and the kitten’s picture in the paper, it was on the front page!  Why did I use an exclamation point?!  Because that is exactly how my girlfriend’s family got their second cat, none other than Harry Houdini.  The cat was so stuck, it took hours to get out.  No papers or auto workers were called, it was all done in-house, and the family kept the kitten afterward and gave it a good home.  Let’s see a happier ending than that!

5 – Finally, congrats tonight to the graduates of St. Stanislaus Elementary School!  Two eighth grade graduates and six kindergarten graduates will be moving on to another grade.  With the boss (Bishop Anthony) out of town, I turn out to be Mr. Diploma giver.  Here is hoping against hope that I won’t screw up.

Really…don’t call it one.  After a month away from blogging, I decided to triumphantly return…in a couple of days yet.  Between May Devotions every Wednesday and Friday, winding down Elementary School, 1st Holy Communion and Confirmation Classes, Red Sox season heating up, Celtics and Bruins being choked out, picnic and golf season opening, my 1st trip to Atlantic City, a trip home to Massachusetts, Saint Ubaldo weekend in Jessup, working out almost every day (honestly, 26 out of the last 30 days) while eating junk most of them, and general lethargy, I somehow completely forgot that I had a blog.  I must have read 200 blog posts from various sources too.  Oh well.

For my next trick, I’ll let everyone know how Fr. Jason and his softball team are doing, a few exciting developments at St. Stanislaus Cathedral, an explanation of our May Devotions, and updates on 1st Holy Communion 2009 and the graduation at our Elementary School.  Bishop Mikovsky will be away that day, so yours truly will be the head honcho in black.  I wonder if they hand out honorary diplomas? 

So in the meantime, know that if I didn’t disappear, I would have offered my thoughts at minimum, on these 5 things during May:

1 – Notre Dame got exactly what it wanted by asking President Obama (POTUSA, greatest acronym ever) to speak – TONS and tons of media coverage.  Well played, South Bend.

2 – I won’t speak of the local Roman Catholic Bishop’s ways and whatnot today (knowing that he is a major computer nerd, and I mean that in a commendable way), but c’mon people of Scranton.  The garbage that you send in to the editorial section of the Times make Catholics look dumb.

3 – Boston Celtics, you are officially my 2nd favorite sports team (sorry Patriots, I still love you though).  Watching the playoffs was painful knowing that if we had our best player, we might be up 3-1 heading towards the NBA finals again. 

4 – The economy can’t be so bad if the PNCC is buying the National Church Center, heading a relatively productive money drive, and not closing a single church over the last number of months.  Right?

5 – What does “Holy Day of Obligation” even mean anymore?  I know it is borderline blasphemy, but it might be time to look at things a bit more realistically.  I say this with the image of Ascension Day in my head.