Father’s Day reminds me of a conversation I had with a very sincere fundamentalist Christian who would not call me “father,” because Jesus said to call no one on earth father. I’ve had this conversation many times, and frankly, I find them more amusing than annoying. I said to this man: well, what do you call your male parent? He didn’t get it. I said what do you call your mother’s husband? Oh, he said, I call him dad, not father! OK, call me dad if you like.

The truth is that “father” is my favorite title. I’m not especially fond of “reverend” or “very reverend.” They describe qualities I don’t always feel. “Pastor” is a nice title, but it feels more like a job or a function. But father is a term of relationship. Both in families and in church, father denotes one who balances qualities of care and compassion with those of strength and protection.

Father Ted Hesburgh, the former president of Notre Dame, was known the world over. He said that his greatest joy was to meet perfect strangers who would call him father and admit him into that special relationship of warmth and friendship that is implied in that title. Of course this is both a privilege and a sacred responsibility. It’s why the incidents of child abuse by priests are such horrible crimes. They take advantage of that special relationship, the trust and affection that Catholics have for their priests, and they pervert it in such a way as to do terrible harm to the child, bring shame to the priesthood, and make life that much more painful for all priests. If we have learned anything from this sorry spectacle it should be that the church’s response must be public confession, reconciliation, and safeguards for children. We can’t just pass the blame onto others.

CRAB FEAST

Please help us promote our annual Crab Feast for the benefit of our outreach ministry. The date is Saturday, July 24, from 1:00 to 5:00 at Columbus Gardens. Tickets are available now in the church office and the outreach center at $50 each or $450 for a table of ten. There are promotional flyers and menus in the back of the church which you may take to help in this promotion. Besides a delightful social occasion the Crab Feast is the principal source of funding for our food pantry which is serving a growing number of families in these difficult economic times. Some 85 families patronize the center on a regular basis, in addition to those who need occasional or emergency assistance.

PRAYER WALK FOR PEACE

St. Wenceslaus will be participating in a neighborhood prayer walk on Friday evening, June 25, to greet our neighbors and share prayers for peace. The Memorial Day weekend shootings are a sobering reminder of the need for our community to stand together in solidarity and prayer, for an end to the violence on our city streets. Please come out and support this effort which is sponsored by our local Safe Streets Initiative. We will gather at Monument Street and Patterson Park Avenue Friday evening at 6:30 pm.

BLACK AND INDIAN COLLECTION

The annual collection for the support of the Black and Indian Missions of the United States totaled $513. Many thanks for your generous support of this home mission effort.

SUMMER BIBLE CAMP

The annual summer bible camp, sponsored by the Missionary Sisters of Charity, will be held in the lyceum from July 12 to 31, Monday through Friday, for children ages 5 to 12. Applications are available in the back of the church. The application must be signed by a parent and brought to the convent any day after 3:00 pm. The camp features spiritual, Cultural and practical learning experiences and field trips, and breakfast and lunch each day. There is no charge for any of the camp activities.

ON OUR FATHERS

As we celebrate Father’s Day today we lift up our prayers for all our fathers, living and deceased. May the God and Father of us all grant them peace and joy, and may we continue to carry them in our hearts and in our prayers.

FATHER’S DAY HONORS

Five men of St. Wenceslaus were honored at yesterday’s Father’s Day Breakfast, co-sponsored by St. Wenceslaus, The Men and Families Center, and A Good Black Man, Inc. They are representative of the many good fathers in our church family who will be honored in years to come. Congratulations to:
Isaac Clayton
            Pete Moody
            Craig Randall
            Bill Sewell
            Gregory Spriggs, Jr.

YOUTH ACTIVITIES

The bus trip to Kings Dominion amusement park near Richmond, VA is set for Saturday, June 26, departing from St. Wenceslaus at 8:00 am and returning at 8:00 pm. The event is sponsored by the St. Wenceslaus Youth Group for the children and adults of St. Wenceslaus and St. Ann.
There will be a meeting today at 12:30 pm of the youth and their parents for next month’s youth conference in Steubenville, Ohio. The meeting will be held in the downstairs meeting room of the rectory

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please pray for all our sick and homebound members and friends, especially for Albert Novak who continues to recuperate from surgery and Marie Livingston, who was recently hospitalized. We extend prayerful sympathy as well to Andrea Anderson, whose father, James Boller, died last Sunday and whose funeral took place at St. Wenceslaus on Friday. We also extend prayerful 80th birthday wishes to Hattie Boone and Ike Clayton. “Live long and thrive.”

MASS TIMES FOR TRAVELERS

If you’re traveling this summer, you can find the church location and Mass times for any destination at http://www.masstimes.org/ or by calling 1-410-676-6000.