Pastor's Blog
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From the Desk of Fr. David Bulletin Articles
A Refreshing Response (May 11, 2025)
I often skim through the Star Herald. Sometimes I read the bishop’s message and sometimes I don’t. This week, however, the headline caught my attention. Bishop Williams was responding to an article recently posted in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The article itself was disconcerting but what caused the bishop’s ‘perplexity’ was the claim that he had been personally contacted for comments and had declined to respond. He was caught off guard since he was not aware that the article was even being written, let alone that he had been contacted for comment. "He who enters the Conclave a Pope leaves a Cardinal" (May 4, 2025)
This is a famous saying in ecclesiastical circles, especially at the time of a Papal Conclave. It means that those that presume that they will be elected are most likely not to be elected. The reality is no one knows who the next Pope will be. Sure, there are favorites. Everyone is rooting for this Cardinal or that one. Nonetheless, until the actual voting begins even the Cardinals themselves have no idea which among them will truly be in the running. What Happens When the Pope Dies (April 27, 2025)
The Cardinal who is Camerlengo, or Chamberlain, of the Holy Roman Church, is notified. In the presence of the Master of Papal Liturgical Ceremonies, and other officials, he officially ascertains that the Pope is dead. The official death certificate is drawn up and notarized, and the Camerlengo seals the Pope’s bedroom and study. He notifies the Archpriest of the Vatican Basilica, and the Cardinal Vicar of the Diocese of Rome, who announces it to the People of Rome. The Camerlengo takes custody of the Apostolic Palaces of the Vatican, the Lateran Palace and Castel Gondolfo. After the Pope’s funeral he seals the Papal Apartment (wherever he was residing), having found quarters for those who had resided there to serve the Pope. Easter Urgency (April 20, 2025)
Have you ever heard a piece of news or gossip so interesting so juicy that you just wanted to tell everyone. Wanting to share information seems to be a very uniquely human activity. We love to call each other and talk about the latest this or that. Social media exists primarily to facilitate this communicative urge. Almost every post now is about ‘breaking news’ or about new a technology that ‘will change everything’! The Sacred Liturgy: Holy Week (April 13, 2025)
On Palm Sunday we begin the most sacred time of the liturgical year - Holy Week. This week is marked by the most unique and special liturgies of the Church. Each of the liturgies has their unique ceremonies and particularities. Each is a special invitation to enter into the mystery of our Lord’s passion, death, and resurrection.occasions require special treatment. A Special Request for a Special Fund (April 6, 2025)
Special occasions require special treatment. The 150th anniversary of the Mount Carmel Procession is a truly special occasion! As part of the parish’s celebrations and to mark this truly historic moment the parish has organized some activities and would like to purchase some special items. We are asking our faithful parishioners to help contribute toward the festivities. Below is a list of these activities and items:
It's Official! We Have a New Bishop! (March 30, 2025)
Several months ago, the Holy Father Pope Francis, gave the diocese of Camden a surprise. He assigned Joseph Williams, Auxiliary Bishop from the Diocese of Saint Paul Minneapolis, to be the Coadjutor Bishop of Camden. This was a true surprise in many ways.First, Bishop Sullivan had been waiting for five years to retire. Upon completing his 75th birthday, as required by Canon Law, he submitted his letter of resignation and requesting permission to retire. For five years no response came from Rome. In the meantime, Bishop Sullivan continued to labor diligently in the diocese Confirming our teens, celebrating special Masses, and of course administrating the diocese. We Did It! A Crown for Our Lady! (March 23, 2025)
On Tuesday, March 4th, I received an exciting phone call from the Diocese of Camden. Fr. Jason Rocks shared the incredible news that the Holy Father has officially granted his apostolic approval for the canonical crowning of the historic statue of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Additionally, he has recognized the longstanding tradition of the Mt. Carmel Procession of the Mount Carmel Society! A canonical coronation is a formal act by the Pope, expressed through a papal bull, to crown a venerated image of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, or St. Joseph. This act acknowledges the image's local and universal significance within the Catholic Church.
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Insights and Happenings
Can the Church Comment on Political Issues? - Responding to 4 Points on the Matter (February 14, 2025)
Pope Francis has recently written a letter to the American Bishops and indirectly to all Americans as a response to President Donald Trumps immigration policies and to Vice President JD Vance’s comments on the proper order of showing charity to others. JD Vance’s comments and the Pope’s response has been met with widespread commentary. My intent here is not to directly comment on that issue but to comment on four general critiques that have surfaced that reveal a misunderstanding regarding the Church’s right to comment on political issues and her social doctrine.
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From the Desk of Fr. David Bulletin Articlesthe sacred liturgy: Gestures, postures and etiquette
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The Sacred Liturgy: Gestures, Postures and Etiquette - Part VII (March 2, 2025)
Silence in Church
Imagine that you are going to the library to do some reading and study. You are expecting to find an atmosphere of quiet. You set yourself up at a table, get all your material ready and start to work. Once you are settled two people at the neighboring table start to chat, someone at another table is watching a video on their phone without earphones, people walking into the library are talking loudly. Annoyed but patiently enduring the inconvenience you hope the noise is temporary. Sadly, it continues. Frustrated, you resign yourself to the distraction attempt to push through but eventually, however you are unable to work and decide to watch videos too and not bother trying to study.
The Sacred Liturgy: Gestures, Postures and Etiquette - Part VI (February 23, 2025)On Leaving after Receiving Holy Communion
Imagine that you have been invited to a fine dinner by a very important person. To be invited is an honor and privilege. Now you arrive at the banquet you are seated, and dinner is served. As soon as you place the last morsel in your mouth you stand and leave without greeting anyone or even saying thank you. You are still chewing the food as you head for the door. You have determined that you are no longer interested in the rest of the meal or conversation. How would the host and the guests judge your comportment?The Sacred Liturgy: Gestures, Postures and Etiquette - Part V (February 16, 2025)
In the last several articles we have been reviewing the proper gestures in the Holy Mass and in the Liturgy. Today we begin our discussion of proper etiquette.Church etiquette refers to proper behavior in Church and during the Sacred Liturgies. These are the basic dos and don’ts before, during and after the Holy Mass and other activities in church. The following list is not exhaustive but covers many of the issues priests see in general and what I notice in particular at our parish.Pilgrims of Hope - Jubilee year 2025 (February 9, 2025)
A jubilee is a special holy year of grace and pilgrimage that happens at least once every 25 years.
2025 is the Jubilee Holy Year, the 2,025th anniversary of the Incarnation of our Lord, an "event of great spiritual, ecclesial, and social significance in the life of the Church." The concept of "Jubilee" has its origins in the Book of Leviticus (chapter 25) as a special year of reconciliation, pilgrimage, and coming home. Pope Francis has designated the 2025 Holy Year as a time to renew ourselves as "Pilgrims of Hope."The Sacred Liturgy: Gestures, Postures and Etiquette - Part IV (February 2, 2025)
It has become common in many parishes for the faithful to extend their hands or hold hands during the Our Father. The position of extending hands during prayer is called the 'orans' position. "Orans' is Latin for 'Praying'. One principle of the Sacred Liturgy is the clear distinction between the laity and the clergy in the context of the Mass and other Rites. That means that the priest has his proper gestures, words, etc. and the laity have theirs and the two should not be confused. Based on that principle one rule of Sacred Liturgy is that the laity should not mimic those gestures or say those words that are exclusive to the Priest during the Liturgy. During the Our Father the rite prescribes that the Priest extends his hands to offer the prayer while it says nothing about the laity.The Sacred Liturgy: Gestures, Postures and Etiquette - Part III (January 26, 2025)
We continue last week’s explanation of gestures and postures in the Sacred Liturgy and Holy Mass. The previous article ended with a paragraph regarding standing during the Holy Mass. As we go through the Mass the next gesture of note is the ‘striking of the breast’. This gesture is part of the penitential rite during the ‘Confiteor’ – the ‘I confess…’. When we say the words ‘through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault’ we strike our breast as a sign of repentance and contrition. By tradition we strike our breast three times, however one time is sufficient.The Sacred Liturgy: Gestures, Postures and Etiquette - Part II (January 19, 2025)
Praying with the Body
Gestures and postures in prayer are the way we pray using our bodies. To move a certain way for a certain reason is the exterior way of expressing a belief, thought or emotion. We smile when we are happy, we tremble when we are afraid or nervous, we applause to express approval and admiration. In the Sacred Liturgy our gestures and postures are how we express, reinforce and communicate our faith, belief and devotion.The Sacred Liturgy: Gestures, Postures and Etiquette - Part I (January 12, 2025)
Active participation in the Sacred Liturgy takes on different forms as we have noted in the last series of articles. The past several articles focused on how we participate in the Sacred Liturgy through music. In this article I would like to now focus on the participation in the Sacred Liturgy by way of our physical gestures, postures and etiquette.
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