April 18, 2010
FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

How much of what we see and hear each day do we really see and hear? Here’s a story that may make us stop and think.

On a cold January morning in 2007 a man with a violin played six Bach pieces for 45 minutes in a Washington, DC Metro Station. During that time approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work or school.

After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed the musician, slowed his pace, listened for a few seconds, then hurried on to keep his schedule.

Four minutes later a woman threw a dollar into his hat and, without stopping, hurried past.

Six minutes later a young man stopped, leaned against the wall to listen, then looked at his watch and moved on.

After 10 minutes a 3 year old boy stopped. But his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The boy kept looking back at the violinist.

In 45 minutes 6 people stopped to listen for a short while. Several donated money, a total of $32.

The violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most difficult pieces of music ever composed, on a violin worth $3.5 million. Two days earlier he had sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100. The subway concert was arranged by the Washington Post as a social experiment. The questions they raised were

• In a commonplace environment at an unexpected hour, do we perceive beauty?
• Do we stop to appreciate it?
• Do we recognize talent in unexpected places?

My question is: How many other things are we missing?  There is a proverb that says: Life is not about waiting for the rain to stop; it is rather about learning how to dance in the rain.                    -Fr. Peter

GUN TURN-IN
St. Wenceslaus will again host a Gun Turn-In day on Saturday, May 1, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in the rectory. The event is sponsored by the Catholic Review as an attempt to stop the gun violence in our city. There will be a $100 cash reward for each workable rifle, automatic or semi-automatic gun, and $50 for all other workable guns. All transactions are anonymous and the weapons collected will be turned over to the police to be destroyed.

COMING EVENTS AT ST. WENCESLAUS…
Family and Friends Day will be celebrated on Sunday, May 16, with a Mass at 10:00 am and luncheon to follow in the hall. Be sure to extend the invitation to family and friends. We will be honoring our 2010 graduates on this day.

Annual Benefit Crab Feast will be held on Saturday, July 24 at Columbus Gardens from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. Tickets are $50 each or $450 for a table of 10. Those with paid up subscriptions will receive one ticket. All proceeds benefit the Lucielle Fitzgerald Outreach Center.

EVENTS FOR WOMEN…
Three events are scheduled in the coming weeks for the spiritual enrichment of church women:

Sisters in the Spirit is a regional gathering of Black Catholic Women on Saturday, April 24, at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Arlington, VA Ms Therese Wilson Favors will be the keynote speaker. The $20 fee includes the program, continental breakfast and lunch. Registration forms are available in the back of the church.

Sisters in the Struggle is a weekend retreat at the Oblate Sisters of Providence Motherhouse May 14-16. Fr. Joseph Muth and Dr. Myrtle Stanley will serve as spiritual directors. The cost for the weekend is $150. Contact Ms Bonnie Williams at 410-245-5451.

The Third National Gathering for Black Catholic Women will be held in Charlotte, NC August 13-15. The event is sponsored by the National Black Sisters Conference. Brochures are available in the back of the church.

MASS TIMES
Travelers can find the location of a church and the times of weekend Masses on a shared data base: http://www.masstimes.org/. After entering the site you can use a zip code, place name or phone number to locate a church. You may also phone 1-410-676-6000 and enter a zip code or phone number to locate churches close to your destination.