Summer officially turned into fall this week, and for the St. Aloysius football team the goals they had in August are starting to change as well.

Despite constant efforts, a 0-5 start tempered dreams of a championship season. Even the playoffs are becoming an increasingly distant possibility. Halfway through the season, a simple win or two would be cause for celebration, and that’s the goal this week.

St. Al (0-5) will host the Cathedral (3-2) on Friday night, wanting to win not only to claim the bragging rights of their long-standing rivalry between Catholic schools, but also to have tangible success to show for their efforts in this area. point.

“There’s nothing more, in terms of my professional career right now, that I want more than a win for these kids,” said St. Al coach Bubba Nettles. “I don’t want it for myself. I want it for them, I want it for these seniors. They deserve it. But we are running out of matches to make that happen.

Nettles is still positive and optimistic about the future of the program, although this season has started to run out of steam.

The Flashes had the lead in three of their games and had the chance to win them all. Even in a 35-6 loss to Adams County Christian last week, several early turnovers provided scoring chances St. Al couldn’t take advantage of.

“I’m still as positive as I was the day I got the job because I can see beyond my nose. I can see the future is bright, ”Nettles said. “I’ve preached to these seniors since day one that whatever happens this season, whatever happens after that, you’ve helped build.”

Facing the Cathedral could provide a spark for St. Al. This is the 60th meeting between the teams since the series began in 1938, and they have faced each other every year since 1983.

Last year’s game at Natchez went into the record books with an 18-0 victory over the Cathedral, but the Green Wave was actually ahead 35-7 in the second quarter when the game was interrupted and ultimately canceled due to severe thunderstorm. The score of 18-0 is that which the MAIS attributes to the forfeits.

“They were pouring it on us before the Good Lord poured it on us. I’ve never been so thankful that a hurricane or anything goes through Natchez and brings everyone home, ”said Nettles, who was an assistant at St. Al in 2020 before becoming a coach- chef this year.

St. Al is hoping for a more similar performance to what they had against Cathedral in 2018 and 2019, when they recorded unbalanced back-to-back wins. Even without a victory under their belt, the Flash seem capable of pulling it off.

Prior to their loss to ACCS, the Flashes had lost back-to-back games for a total of 13 points. The defense allowed 35 points per game, but the offense averaged 25 points in its first four outings. Rather than a series of breakouts, it was a handful of key games that turned potential wins into losses.

“The world notices, in MAIS, that we are on the verge of not being child’s play anymore. It’s important for them to learn, ”Nettles said.

Playing a big rival, Nettles added, could help push the Flashes over the hump and into the win column at last.

“It’s a game of rivalry. At home. We are pumped up and ready to finally enter this column of victories. They are a very good football team so we certainly don’t try to ignore them – we can’t overlook anyone at 0-5 – but the kids are focused and ready to play. Hope we have one of our best training weeks yet.

FRIDAY ZONE GAMES
All games start at 7 p.m.
Cathedral of St. Aloysius (Radio: 101.3 FM)
WCCA at Porter’s Chapel (Radio: 104.5 FM)
Oak Grove in Warren Central (Radio: 105.5 FM)
Jim Hill in Vicksburg (Radio: 107.7 FM)
Germantown to Clinton
Crystal Springs in Port Gibson
View over the prairie to the Tallulah Academy
Sharkey-Issaquena Academy at Rebul Academy
Briarfield Academy in Deer Creek
Tensas Academy at Ben’s Ford
Central Hinds at Centerville Academy
Madison Parish in General Trass

Many are familiar with the annual blessing of animals at the Cathedral of the Incarnation. Community service, open to all neighbors and their pets, will take place as usual on the cathedral’s west lawn under the marquee on October 3 at 4 p.m.

This year, the cathedral is extending its celebration of the feast of St. Francis over two days. On Saturday, author Jon M. Sweeney will lead a “Day of Conversation, Meditation and Spiritual Practice” from 9:30 am to 3 pm. On Sunday, he will preach at all cathedral services and host a forum on Saint Francis at 10 a.m. at the Mercer theological school.

Jon M. Sweeney is the author of thirty-five books including The Complete Francis of Assisi, Meister Eckhart’s Book of the Heart (with Mark S. Burrows), Thomas Merton and Feed the Wolf: Befriending Our Fears in the Way of Saint Francis , he is considered an authoritative voice on the life and spirituality of Saint Francis. A Catholic, he is married to a rabbi, and their interfaith marriage has been featured in national media. He lives in Milwaukee with his wife and daughters.

Saint Francis included soldiers and fools, mothers and fathers, businessmen and rulers, poets and court entertainers, pastors and criminals. He was, at one time or another, one way or another, all of it. And the spiritual path he discovered is the path of faith made tangible, and perhaps more relevant to our time than it was in his day.

The primordial message of his life and his teachings, which will be celebrated throughout the weekend, begins and ends with the story of Francis and the wolf of Gubbio. Jon Sweeney will open this story with vivid, contemporary detail, and he will explain how Francis’ spiritual practice is an invitation to embrace the wolf: to consider another point of view, to befriend our fears, to see us. in another and discover something new.

Jon will encourage those who are gathered, with examples from his own life, to touch the scary, deny power, live as if we have nothing to lose, listen to our inner animal, pray with the moon, walk more lightly. on the floor, and turn to the simple. Francis of Assisi is the world’s most popular saint, and this weekend you’ll find out how he illuminated a peaceful path for those of us navigating today’s precarious times.

WASHINGTON (RNS) – Four years after Washington National Cathedral removed stained glass windows depicting Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, the cathedral will announce on Thursday, September 23 that the windows will be filled with works by multimedia artist Kerry . James Marshall honoring the struggle of African Americans for justice.

The windows, which are slated to be installed in 2023, will be funded by a contribution of more than $ 1 million from the Mellon Foundation.

In a separate development, it was also announced that Mellon’s president, poet Elizabeth Alexander, will contribute a new verse that will be inscribed in stone around the windows. The poetry project is funded by actress Kate Capshaw and her husband, Steven Spielberg, through the Hearthland Foundation.

Friday, September 24, 2021

SALT LAKE CITY – A small group of catechists and parishioners from Madeleine Cathedral joined their parish priest, Father Martin Diaz, and Cathy Paiz, Family Faith Training Coordinator, on the morning of September 18 in the Scanlan room of the cathedral for the English – speaking part of this year’s Pastoral Congress.

The Spanish speaking community met in the afternoon. Most of those who have attended are involved in various ministries, but three families are not, said deacon Guillermo Mendez.

Although the two fr. Diaz and Paiz missed the traditional format where Catholics from across the diocese come together in one place for the pastoral congress, there were distinct benefits to this year’s event, they said.

“It really gave us simple ways to do things that we might not be in touch with,” Paiz said. “Talking about ‘forgive and forget’ (one of the topics in Elder Loughlan Sofield’s video presentation) for example – we always say that, but that’s not what you really mean. I think the topics the speaker has shared have been very beneficial.

Most of the faith training teachers were unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts, so Paiz was happy that she could show them fr. Loughlan’s presentation later, she said. At an upcoming catechist meeting, she plans to discuss what was shared at the Pastoral Congress and get teachers’ feedback on how to incorporate it into their curriculum, she said.

Participants said they especially enjoyed this year’s small group discussions after the video, something that is not typically part of the Pastoral Congress following the main presentation.

Religious education teacher Janice Bosen said the information from the congress will help her teach the fifth and sixth graders in her charge. “We have to light a fire in their hearts so that they have something to give. Their gifts are special, and we should explore this in class and ask Christ to guide them to “What is this like in their lives?” “”

Others felt that the principles they learned could help them in their own lives.

“I learned a lot about forgiveness; I think it’s pretty important, ”said Jerry Moralez, reader at the cathedral. “I think one of the things to take away is what you learn from the act of forgiveness, how you apply it,” he said. “The bulb that lit in my head was about 70 times seven; how you forgive but don’t forget. It is the remembrance that allows you to forgive.

Another person in attendance, who requested that her name not be released, told the group how her husband’s death from COVID-19 in December prompted her to take training in immunization administration so that she can spread the good of this tragedy in her life.

“I learned a lot; I found the speaker to be excellent,” she said of the Pastoral Congress.

Bro. Sergio’s presentation to the Spanish speaking group was well received, and the discussion that followed “was really, really positive,” Deacon Mendez said.

The important thing that came out of the convention was that those who attended realized that everyone has gifts given by God to serve the people, said the deacon.

“Some people said they never thought about it, about these gifts,” he said. “But after the presentation, they thought about it and said,“ Yes, certainly, I have gifts from God to put at the service of God, of the Church… of the people. “

For him personally, the message that struck home was that the Catholic Church is opening its arms to everyone, the deacon said. The thought of the Catholic Church as a universal Church “was really pleasant to share with everyone,” he said.

“I think what we’re going to find is that more people attend the Pastoral Congress because it’s local,” said Fr Diaz. “There is a greater opportunity, especially for people who do not live in Salt Lake County, to participate and experience the Pastoral Congress. “

Bro. Diaz said he hopes to share Bro. Introducing Loughlan with the parish council and using the issues discussed “as a way to challenge ourselves as a community of leaders to guide the parish. It is a real advantage to have this video available to us.

Because several Spanish-speaking members of the cathedral council attended the congress, he doesn’t think he will share Fr. Sergio’s presentation, he said.

However, he plans to encourage parishioners to watch the presentations themselves.

“I think this will be a great opportunity for people to look separately and alone at what has been said,” he said.

Marie Mischel contributed to this article.

By CHRISTIE L. CHICOINE

Cardinal Dolan said he couldn’t think of “a better place to be” than St. Patrick’s Cathedral “on this dark anniversary” of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

He shared his feelings in opening remarks during a morning mass he offered on September 11 at the cathedral for members of the FDNY and the families of firefighters who perished on September 11.

“The welcome to all of you this morning is particularly sincere and fervent,” said the cardinal in his homily.

“As this whole one nation under God celebrates this twentieth anniversary of the tragedy of September 11, you all have a special right to it,” the cardinal said.

“You, FDNY, were there. You, FDNY, have lost your dear colleagues, 343 ”said the cardinal.

“And you beloved families – how much we love you – realized on that day that the day you had long dreaded, the phone call you often feared, the supreme loss you knew was part of the package. , had happened all at once.

“So you’re all very comfortable here in St. Patrick, folks,” he said.

“This is where we come to sob, to remember with respect and gratitude, to remember with love those we gave that day.”

The cathedral, he continued, is where we come to hear the inspired word of God, especially the teaching of Christ.

“This is where we come to bow our heads, whisper a prayer, dry a tear, fight a lump in our throat, light a candle and realize that we are not alone. God is with us, family, friends, community, the Mother Church, is with us.

The cathedral is also “the place where we come to obey this command that Jesus gave us that night before his death, this Last Supper, this Holy Thursday: ‘Do this in remembrance of Me’, as we offer the Holy One. Sacrifice of the Mass, the Most Holy Eucharist.

“It is here, at Mass, that we come to renew his own sacrifice on the Cross, at Calvary, at the time of his death, so that we can live forever.

“This is where we come to remember them – the ones we have lost, to embrace each other, to feel a little bit of eternity and to yearn for a reunion,” Cardinal Dolan said.

Later that day, Cardinal Dolan led a 20th anniversary memorial service at the cathedral to remember the 343 FDNY firefighters killed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11. The annual service is sponsored by the FDNY.

The cardinal, in his closing remarks at the morning mass, referred to the cathedral’s depiction of the Pieta statue as a symbol of comfort. “Mary, at the foot of the cross, holding the body of her son Jesus. And you families, oh my god what consolation you should take.

The liturgy ended with the hymn “America the Beautiful”. As the firefighters retreated, they were greeted by resounding applause from the rest of the congregation.

Outside after mass, FDNY firefighter Matthew Bland, 41, of 96 Engine in the Bronx, spoke to CNY. He was accompanied by his 3 year old daughter, Taylor.

Bland, who has been a firefighter for 17 years, said he attended cathedral mass in memory of Michael Lynch, a firefighter who died at the World Trade Center.

As part of an FDNY program connecting firefighters with children who lost their parents in the line of duty on September 11, Bland was paired with Lynch’s son, Jack, who is now 20 years old. . never forget, ”said Bland of befriending Jack when the boy was 6,“ and being here with his family we have become very close to is an incredible gift. “

“The fire department, our big phrase since 9/11, has been ‘never forget,’ Bland said. “For me, when I joined the fire department, I was that post-9/11 generation,” he added of his entry into the FDNY in 2004. “My involvement in the program was pretty much to hold this promise to Jack, to let him know that I will never forget and the ministry will never forget, and now we will always honor his father’s memory.

Although Bland, who belongs to St. Frances de Chantal Parish in Wantagh, Long Island, does not know Lynch, he has come to know his story and to keep him “near and dear” to his heart.

At the time, Lynch “was on the list for promotion to lieutenant,” Bland said. “He could have come to the Bronx and been my lieutenant. I’ve lost guys that I could have potentially worked with that day, and I try to honor and commemorate them by being there for their children.

Lynch, Bland explained, was posthumously promoted to lieutenant. “He was at the Trade Center that day and helped form a human ladder to get people out of elevators. Definitely a hero.

By DAN PIETRAFESA

On September 9, Cardinal Dolan offered mass at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral to raise awareness among persecuted Christians in Africa.

“As we gather in the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of New York, our hearts are in and with our beloved Africa as we lift their anguish and concern to Jesus on the cross as we move into the renewal of his sacrifice on Calvary, ”said Cardinal Dolan, the main celebrant, in his opening speech.

Bishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, served as concelebrant. Also on the altar were Auxiliary Bishop Edmund Whalen, vicar of the clergy; Mgr. Joseph LaMorte, vicar general and moderator of the curia; Mgr. Peter Vaccari, president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association; Bishop David of the Coptic Orthodox Church; Bishop Joseph, Metropolitan the Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of Antioch in North America; and many priests and deacons.

The music was performed by Ghanaian, East African, French speaking and French African choirs. Kenyan nuns led a procession for the acclamation of the Gospel and the presentation of the gifts. The petitions were read in Tigrinya, French, Swahili, Akan and English.

Cardinal Dolan said in his homily that he heard nuns, priests, bishops and lay people talk about what Christians in Africa face.

“You tell us we are in pain, we feel forgotten, we feel alone,” he said. “We need the world to plead for us, come to our defense because believers in Africa are under attack. We no longer need endangered species in Africa. We here tonight confess that we may feel worthless as we seek ways to speak out and reach out to persecuted Christians in Africa.

“Our faith, the faith for which the nations of Africa suffer, tells us … that we have a duty, a sacred obligation to be in union with you, and to come together in prayer, in supplication for them. afflicted believers, is powerful and effective, and that we do with enthusiasm tonight. We pray and we pray hard with and for Africa.

Cardinal Dolan suggested offering a Mass on September 9 on the feast of Saint Peter Claver. Father Peter Mushi, AJ, pastor of St. Cecilia Parish in Harlem, and Brother Tyrone Davis, CFC, executive director of the Archdiocesan Office of Black Ministry, chaired a Mass organizing committee.

Saint-Pierre Claver was a 17th-century Spanish Jesuit priest and patron saint of slaves, who looked after the passengers of slave ships entering New World ports. He baptized slaves, taught them the faith, and heard their confessions.

“The fact that we come together on this feast of Saint Peter Claver strengthens our own faith in prayer,” said Cardinal Dolan.

After planning began, two nuns were shot dead in a group of nine sisters returning to their homes in Juba, South Sudan, on August 16.

“For our African brothers and sisters, this holy sacrifice of the Mass is so essential that they risk a bullet, a machete, a bomb rather than missing it”, declared Cardinal Dolan, closing his homily.

“We hear them persecuted for their belief in Africa, exclaim with Jesus from the height of his cross: ‘I am thirsty.’ They thirst for freedom, respect, security and peace to express in the noblest practice of all human aspirations, faith.

Elizabeth Mensah, a parishioner of St. Luke’s in the Bronx, is originally from Ghana and has lived in the United States for 28 years.

“People persecute Christians just because they are Christians, and that is not acceptable because God is love and he made us all equal,” she said. “There is no East or West, South or North, in God. We must all be together and live in peace.

Sonia Ilboudo, originally from West Africa, is a parishioner of Saint Joseph of the Holy Family in Harlem and said she felt obligated to attend mass to sing and pray.

“What we can do is pray and pray to God that the government will do something. We pray a lot that this will happen, ”she said. “May God therefore give his strength to our people and our government to face them and stop them.” “