MEN'S CORNERSTONE REUNION

HAPPY FEAST DAY TO ALL OF YOU

TODAY IS MARCH 19,
SOLEMNITY OF ST. JOSEPH
HAPPY FEAST DAY
TO ALL THE PARISHIONERS OF
ST. JOSEPH PARISH
Please join us in our Parish Celebration
on Sunday, March 21, 2010; 4-7 PM in Bernard Hall.
Join the Fun with Food, Music, Dance and laughter.

Admission is FREE.
Please bring a dish to share that reflects your family heritage.
(main course or casserole to serve 5 or a vegetable dish to serve 10 - large families, bring more).
Please bring food in a disposable aluminum serving pan
to be placed on warmers.
You can also bring your own wine or beer if you wish.
We will provide soda, juice, water, coffee and tea.

ST. JOSEPH PARISH FEAST DAY CELEBRATION

http://picasaweb.google.com/stjosephinformationservice

click the link to view photos of past FAITH COMMUNITY DAYS

If there is just one self-evident fact that presents itself to us time and time gain, it is this – that we belong to this beautiful faith community of St. Joseph Parish- which is filled with diversity!

We are Living Stones; We are an outward looking people of faith who reach out into the community; We are a community which puts a high value on our Catholic Faith expressed in many different traditions and practices - such as we looked at from the Letter to the Hebrews. “Let us come near to God; Let us persevere; Let us be concerned for one another to show love and to do good; and Let us not give up the habit of meeting together for worship. All of these things emphasize the importance of our working together. We are a community of believers, who desire to Know Christ personally, and also in our commitment to Make Christ known to others. We are a family, in Christ – not a bunch of solo individualists each doing their own thing, concerned only for one’s self.

But an extremely important principle of being a family in Christ, being a community of faith – is that there is, and will always be many languages, many faces, various cultures, different traditions, CELEBRATING ONE FAITH!

COME TO OUR

FAITHCOMMUNITY DAY

A celebration of the cultural heritage and diversity OF OUR PARISH FAMILY
IN HONOR OUR PARISH PATRON SAINT
ST. JOSEPH
Sunday, March 21, 2010

4 - 7 pm in Bernard Hall.

This is the occasion that no one should miss.

Beginning with a brief prayer service in honor of St. Joseph, our patron saint,
followed by
POT-LUCK DINNER
featuring
INTERNATIONAL CUISINE
from our parish family.
Admission is a dish to share that reflects your family heritage
(main course or casserole to serve 5 or a vegetable dish to serve 10 - large families, bring more).
Please bring food in a disposable aluminum serving pan to be placed on warmers. You can also bring your own wine or beer if you wish. We will provide soda, juice, water, coffee and tea.

KIDS' PLAY DATE PARTY at the FAITH COMMUNITY DAY

FILIPINO MASS

THE BIBLICAL STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Evening of Prayer, Devotion and Reflection on

THE BIBLICAL STATIONS OF THE CROSS

First Friday
MARCH 5 at 7:30 PM

The great Pope John Paul II
developed a set of Stations of the Cross
based on events in the final days of Jesus’ life
as recounted in the Bible.
Join us for this special evening
of prayer and reflection on the Stations.
We will have a prayer service
featuring scripture reflections, music, movement and visual art.

When we come together to meditate on the Stations of the Cross, we want to tell ourselves that all is not lost in hard times. When bad news comes, one bit after another, we grow anxious. When misfortune hits us close to home, we grow disheartened. When we fall direct victims of a disaster, our self-confidence is totally shaken and our faith is put to the test. In testing times we see no reason for believing and hoping. And yet we believe. And yet we hope. This can happen in our personal lives. It happens in the wider society.

We renew and strengthen our faith, and continue to trust in the Lord. For he saves those who have lost all hope. And this hope does not ultimately disappoint us. It is truly in Christ that we understand the full meaning of suffering. During this meditation on the Stations of the Cross, while we hear with anguish the painful side of Jesus' suffering, we will also give attention to its redemptive value. It was God's plan that the "Messiah had to suffer", and that these sufferings should be for us. An awareness of this fills us with living hope. It is this hope that keeps us joyful and patient in our troubles.

A journey of faith and hope is a long spiritual journey, as we ponder the deeper design of God in the cosmic processes and events of human history. Below the surface of calamities, wars, revolutions and conflicts of every kind, there is a quiet presence, there is purposeful divine action. God remains in the world, in society, in the universe. "Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord."

POLO VALENTINES EVENTS IN PICTURES

Hello All - I wanted to share some photos from our POLO Valentine's event last weekend at Winchester Gardens. Following is a thank you from Pat Rush, fellow parishioner and Winchester Gardens resident:"On behalf of everyone at Winchester Gardens who participated, thank you and POLO for your most generous contribution to our Valentine's day. You parents came awesomely prepared and your kids mixed most comfortably with the residents. I heard remarks like, how cute they are, how sweet, how poised, etc. referring to the children. And I know the cupcakes, brownies and other favors were so appreciated." We hope to see you at the next POLO event!
POLO

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=285244472407%3A1919090034

SOUPER BOWL OF CARING 2010

Super-sized offense hits South Florida as Drew Brees and the Saints will square off with Peyton Manning and the Colts in what has all the makings of a high-scoring Super Bowl XLIV. Indy's second-ranked passing offense will be pitted against the Saints' 26th-ranked pass defense, while the Saints' fourth-ranked aerial attack will contend with the 14th-ranked pass defense of the Colts. There should be no shortage of touchdowns through the air in this one.

As these football teams play each other in South Florida, our candidates for Confirmation will try to score a touchdown for the poor and needy on our annual Souper Bowl of Caring, February 6 & 7, 2010.

"The Souper Bowl of Caring" is an annual parish event and is a great opportunity to help the needy. Our young parishioners will use that weekend, transforming the days of parties and celebrations into a day of caring for the hungry, the poor and hurting. Armed with soup pots, they will be at the doors of the church, collecting donations from each person walking by in all Masses next weekend.

ST.JOSEPH PARISH NOW ACCEPTS DONATIONS FOR HAITI RELIEF

I’m writing you all this week while taking a post-Christmas vacation. When I turned on the news on television my heart sank at the terrible news breaking forth. On Tuesday January 12, 2010 a catastrophic earthquake hit the capital city of Port- au- Prince in Haiti. The devastation has been unprecedented. The poorest nation in the Western hemisphere now faces a long and painful recovery. Our hearts and prayers go out to the many victims and the entire nation as they asses the awful damage, assist the injured, and recover those who have perished. Haiti is a deeply Catholic country with almost 80% of the population being Catholic. The Archbishop of Port-au-Prince is already been identified as having died during the earthquake. There is great fear and panic as many try to make contact with loved ones.

I know many of our own parish family have been affected as many of you have family members in Haiti. Information is still coming in as I write this column but there is no question that much of the news that will surface in the days to come will not be encouraging. In solidarity and support of all, our parish community will open a voluntary collection of funds to be sent to Catholic Charities for earthquake relief. A special second collection will be taken up at all Masses this weekend. Checks should be made out to St. Joseph Church and clearly marked Haiti earthquake relief. If you are unprepared this weekend you may send your donation directly to the parish office during the week. In the meantime our faith community will continue to pray and offer our support as this horrific event unfolds.

In God’s Peace and Love
Fr. Michael

IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE HAITIAN COMMUNITY

Our heartfelt prayers go out to the victims, their families and the entire Haitian Community in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, which resulted in serious loss of human life, a great number of homeless and missing, and enormous material damage.

We will immediately move into action and appeal to the generosity of everyone, so that our brothers and sisters receive our concrete solidarity and the effective support in this moment of need and suffering in coordination with the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark.

We, the St. Joseph Parish Faith Community, invite everyone to join in our prayer to the Lord for the victims of this catastrophe and for those who are mourning their loss. We assure our community’s spiritual closeness to people who have lost their homes and to all those affected in various ways by this calamity, imploring from God consolation and relief of their suffering.

FILIPINO MASS

FILIPINO MASS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 2010
Beginning at 2:00 PM

ST. JOSEPH PARISH
767 Prospect St.
Maplewood, NJ 07040
973-7615933

As another year unfolds,
may God grant you the strength and faith

to count your blessings, not your your crosses;

count your gains not your losses.

Count your joys not your woes;

Count your friends not your foes.

Count your smiles not your tears;

Count your courage not your fears.

Count your full years not your lean;

Count your kind deeds not your mean.

Count your health not your wealth;

And love your neighbour as much as yourself.

CHRISTMAS at ST. JOSEPH PARISH
767 Prospect Street, Maplewood, nj 07040
973-761-5933
www.stjosephmaplewood.org

We welcome all to share fully in the life of our Parish Community

Schedule of Masses

Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24
4:00 pm Vigil Mass with Children’s Choir
6:30 pm Vigil Mass
Contemporary Carols led by Trinity at 6:00 pm
12:00 am Midnight Mass

Carols with Choir and Trumpet at 11:30 pm

Christmas Day, Friday, December 25
9:30 am Mass with Traditional Carols

11:30 am Mass with Choir & Trumpet

Prepare the Way of the Lord

Advent
is a period of devout
and joyful expectation.
The Son of Man calls us to holiness
and blamelessness in the sight of God.
Are we ready to meet him face to face?
All the comings of Jesus are Gospel, Good News.
God is greater than our sins, our faults and our despair
and is leading us to a greater love for the world and our own selves.

Come to our

ADVENT RECONCILIATION SERVICE

Wednesday, December 16 at 7:30 PM
This service of Sacramental Penance
will help us to make ready and straight the road to our God.

Priests will be available for individual confession.

CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT

Advent is a special time in the Church calendar. It is a time of paradoxes. We are beginning a new liturgical year while the secular world is ending one. We wait for the coming of Christ even as we acknowledge his constant presence with us. It is a time when we really experience the “already and not-yet” nature of our faith lives.

CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT is one way to experience Advent waiting and the sense of joyful anticipation. We savor the sounds of our longing while reveling that Christ is already in our midst. What better way to do this than joining us on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 beginning at 8PM at St. Joseph Church, 767 Prospect St, Maplewood, NJ and sing with us familiar Christmas carols during this Parish Evening of Reflection and look at them through the lens of Advent. Carols by Candlelight is a wonderful way for families and friends to get together and celebrate with joyful anticipation the coming of the Lord.

PASKUHAN - Filipino Mass and Christmas Party

Paskuhan 2009
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2009
beginning at 2:00 PM

St. Joseph Parish
767 Prospect St.

Maplewood , NJ 07040 * 973-761-5933

· Misa ng Bayang Filipino
· Awitan sa Paskuhan
Tayo’y sama-samang mag kantahan ng ating mga paboritong awiting Pamasko.
· Salu-Salo sa Paskuhan
Pagsaluhan natin ang ating mga paborito’t masasarap na lutong Pinoy.
Please bring a pot-luck dish for everbody to share.

· Feature Family Presentation & Salu-Salo Entertainment

WE WILL WATCH THE AMERICA ’S FAVORITE
CHRISTMAS SHOW WHICH COMES ALIVE IN DVD!!!
bringing you the magic of the
RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR
Featuring - THE ROCKETTES -

Together as a Filipino Family, we will watch the video via wide screen projection of this unparalleled show featuring the Rockettes signature eye high kicks, and precision choreography in multiple show stopping numbers. Bring your entire family! Audiences of all ages will delight in this multifaceted spectacular including the awe-inspiring Living Nativity - the beautiful story of the first Christmas. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is an enduring Christmas tradition which has dazzled and inspired for over 75 years and continues to create memories that last a lifetime.

ALL SOULS DAY - REMEMBERING OUR DECEASED LOVED ONES

REMEMBERING OUR DECEASED LOVED ONES

November is traditionally a time for praying, remembering and lighting a candle for our loved ones who have died. We give thanks for them and recall how each one brought a touch of God’s light into the world. We remember their loving deeds and rejoice in their faithfulness. As we thank God for their witness and inspiration, let us renew our desire to live lives that reflect God’s love.

If you wish to have a loved one remembered in our parish Novena of Masses which begins on All Souls Day, envelopes are available in the racks in the back of church for those who do not have one at home. Envelopes must be returned anytime before Monday, November 2. Names submitted will be entered into our parish Book of Remembrance. This will be placed by the Baptismal font during the month of November.

In a spirit of unbroken, loving connection,

our parish Ministry of Compassion invites you,

your family and friends

to come together with the faith community of Saint Joseph Parish

for a

MASS OF REMEMBRANCE

on

MONDAY, ALL SOULS’ DAY, NOVEMBER 2ND

at 7:00 p.m.

during which, we will honor the cherished memory

of all our beloved dead, especially those who died during this past year

and whose funeral rites were celebrated at St. Joseph Parish.

In addition, we would like to acknowledge your loved ones

who have died since last November

whose funeral rites were celebrated elsewhere.

Immediately following Mass, light refreshments will be served in the back of church.
-We hope that you can join us in prayer and support

St. Joseph Parishioner produced "split ends" - the movie

SPLIT ENDS - NOW SHOWING IN MAPLEWOOD THEATRE
Limited Engagement - October 25th - November 5th


http://www.splitendsthemovie.com/

Bob Pusateri - a parishioner of St. Joseph Parish in Maplewood, New Jersey, has produced and production-managed Back Pocket Productions’ short films. He brings to Back Pocket a background in feature film and commercial special effects, as well as experience in industrials for major corporate concerns. Bob has also been actively involved in the Los Angeles and New York theatre scene, enjoying the challenges of producing, directing and showcasing the acting talent those cities offer.

Bob’s background in business — more than 12 years’ experience in profit and loss responsibility, sales, marketing and business development — makes him uniquely positioned to develop independent feature film projects. Bob has a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Theater from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY.

......................

NOW SHOWING IN MAPLEWOOD THEATRE - OCTOBER 25TH - NOVEMBER 5TH

SPLIT ENDS - THE MOVIE

Manningtree, New Jersey is a little town on the brink of extinction. The 19th century storefronts of Old Town are being threatened by an international development cabal, North Sea Assets. North Sea is preparing to raze Old Town and replace it with a massive mall/luxury condo complex named – incongruously – Cortona.
If Cortona is built, a dozen mom and pop businesses will be bought out and uprooted, and if anyone refuses to sell, North Sea Assets is prepared to use eminent domain law to pry the Old Towners off of their property.

When our story begins, Cortona has a great shot at being approved. Manningtree’s portly Mayor, Tiny Provenzano, has a vested interest in Cortona’s success, and North Sea’s point man, the charming Warren Brown, is determined to remove any obstacle in its way.

That obstacle is Scottish-born Lizzie Munro. She owns and operates The Paisley Set hair salon in Manningtree. Lizzie is over 40, vibrant, witty, and quite capable of attracting male attention. Her salon caters to the locals, and while Lizzie’s not making a fortune in the beauty game, she earns enough to get by and keep three local beauticians employed – worldly-wise Jacquie, bohemian waif Ashley, and a wry Pakistani immigrant, Mehar. They’re a tight group who work together and occasionally meet for a meal at MacIntosh’s, the local pub.

Lizzie’s love life is full of split ends. She has carried on with Len French, the owner of a coffee shop in Old Town, another business slated for the bulldozers. Len’s marriage to mousy DEANNE is on the rocks, or more accurately, on life support, but he is hesitant to pull the plug. His relationship with Lizzie might just be the town’s worst-kept secret. Although Lizzie is an intelligent gal, she has, like many women, settled for less than she deserves. Len has filled a void in Lizzie’s life, but now their relationship is no longer enough.

When Lizzie receives official notice from the Town of Manningtree that the powers that be intend to plop the grotesque Cortona right in the middle of Old Town, Lizzie vows to fight the invasion. Invoking the spirit of her countryman, William Wallace, aka Braveheart, Lizzie enlists the aid of antique dealer Bernie Depper, her Paisley Set staff, Tiny’s Aunt Connie Provenzano, and the whole town, in her struggle to fend off the developers.

Just when the local drama begins to heat up, a new leading man walks into Lizzie’s life. He’s romantic, considerate, passionate … and, unfortunately, the enemy. It’s none other than Warren Brown, under cover – and under the covers – in the service of North Sea Assets.
Is Lizzie headed for heartbreak? Is Old Town headed for the wrecking ball?

HOLY NAME SOCIETY PRESENTATION

The Holy Name Society of St. Joseph Parish and Our Lady of Sorrows
Presents
“MY OWN FOUR WALLS”
Next Sunday, October 18th
10:00 a.m. in Bernard Hall
Light Breakfast and Special Presentation

ALL PARISHIONERS ARE WELCOME

You may never think of homelessness in the same way again! Come for a powerful presentation that will give voice and visibility to homeless children from across the country, in towns and rural areas from coast to coast. How can we help answer their wish for a permanent place to call ‘home’?

Did you know that this week our partner parish has been hosting several homeless families in their lower church as the parents search for housing? Parishioners from our parish have supported this outreach by their welcoming presence and by cooking meals.

This video presentation and discussion is being sponsored by the Holy Name Society of St. Joseph and Our Lady of Sorrows Parishes to help us all become more aware and informed. Find out about the next dates when you can help support the Interfaith Hospitality Network. Tia Aery, Executive Director of IHN of Essex, will be our guest speaker.

HELP AND DONATE - BACK TO BACK FLOOD VICTIMS IN THE PHILIPPINES

DELUGE IN THE RAIN SOAKED PHILIPPINES

As you may know, the main island of Luzon in the Philippines was greatly affected by a Back-to-Back Typhoons KETSANA (ONDOY) on September 26 and PARMA (PEPENG) on October 9. Driving rain on the heels of back-to-back storms triggered dozens of landslides burying more than 150 people, drowning over 500 people, washing away villages and leaving almost an entire area under water which is as high 12 feet. The latest deluge brought the death toll to nearly 700 from the Philippines' worst flooding in 40 years after storms started pounding the country's north on Sept. 26. About 4 million people have been affected by the disaster.

The people are calling this the Katrina of the Philippines. More than 50 provinces have declared a "state of calamity." Heavy rains flooded 80 percent of the capital city of Manila and almost 60% in Northern Luzon destroying houses and infrasturcture leaving behind tons of mud and debris. Houses were completely submerged.

Catholic Relief Services, together with its partner, CAritas Philippines, is providing thousands of homeless families with immediate food aid as well as blankets, mosquito nets, sleeping mats, soap, etc.

Please help by channeling your donation to:

OFFICE OF FINANCE

Archdicoese of Newark

P.O. Box 9500

Newark, NJ 07104-0500

Checks can be made payable to: ARCHDIOCESE OF NEWARK - PHILIPPINE RELIEF.

You may open these links to see some footages of the calamity:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAI6YtYs8kM

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=parma+and+ketsana+in+Philipines&search_type=&aq=f

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V6uRHxtQUM

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=videos&search_query=Philippine+Flood&search_sort=video_recently_uploaded>

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Philippine+Ondoy&search_type=&aq=f>

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/173284/over-100-killed-and-almost-340000-affected-by-ondoy>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_VJ5VNqYBA

FILIPINO MASS ON OCTOBER 4

Filipino Mass
at
St. Joseph Church
767 Prospect St.
Maplewood, New Jersey
Sunday, October 4, 2009

2:00 pm -Recitation of the Holy Rosary

3:00 pm - Holy Mass

4:00 pm - Filipino Fiesta

Anniversary of the Our Lord of Pardon Prayer Group
Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
Respect Life Sunday

THE MAGIC 600 for the PARISH FAMILY PICNIC

The day is finally here!! We have been running about as hard as we can for some time now. This is because we want to thank you for all that you do for St. Joseph Church. You deserve the best.

It is time to enjoy this life with which God has so graciously blest us and not allow it to all be work. It is time to step back from our busyness and to spend quality time with our parish family and friends. This is what our parish picnic is all about.

We will have a Sunday afternoon in which we can all come together; the kids can jump and play. Adults can visit, eat and exchange pleasantries. Hangout and chat with old pals and meet new friends! We have a treat for everyone; the young and the mature, the young families and the “golden-age” couples.

There will be plenty of food to share. Get a freshly grilled hamburger or a hot dog, other favorite dishes and desserts; and something cool to drink. Tables and chairs will be provided for seniors and the infirmed. For those who are able, bring lawn chairs or picnic mats.

ADMISSION IS FREE. Please bring DESSERT for those whose last name begins with letters A to I; ENTREE for those whose last name begins with letters J to R; and SIDE DISH for those whose last name begins with letters S to Z. Donate TIME and TALENT by volunteering before, during and after the event.

If you failed to sign-up and want to join the MAGIC 600, JUST COME and join the fun!!!!!

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PARISH PICNIC VOLUNTEERS

First of all, we would like to thank all of you who all these years been very very active and supportive of all our parish programs and events. Likewise, thank you for coming forward to help run this year's Annual Pairsh Family Picnic.

For those who volunteered to help, please take note of the following:

PHYSICAL ARRANGEMENT COMMITTEE:
The Boy Scouts will help in transporting the Tables and Chairs frombernard Hall. Please be at the park to help set them up at arounf 11 AM. Please see Jim Lackey, this year's Physical Arangement Committee Chair regarding other tasks during the picnic. You help is also needed for the clean up and transporting tables and chairs back to Bernard Hall.

HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE:
Please be at the Welcome Tent at 12:45.

FOOD COMMITTEE:
For those who can, some help is needed during the set-up whichbegins at 11:AM.

As you arrive in the Picnic Area, please see Hank and Patti Costa, our Food Committee Chair for instructions and assignment.

Grilling of Burgers and Hotdogs begins at 12 Noon. Please be on hand to receive the Entree, the Side Dishes and Desserts that our beloved parishioners bring to share to everyone and set them up at the Buffet Table.

Burgers and Hotdogs grilling continues till supply lasts (we have thousands of them).

ENTERTAINMENT AND GAMES COMMITTEE:
Please see Fr. Manolo and Pong Publico for instructions. We have games for all ages.

FACE PAINTING:
Please see Mary Boehner. A certain area is designated for Face Painting.

50/50
Please see Tony Leitner as you arrive in the Picnic Area.

Please pick-up your T-shirts (if you ordered) before all Masses beginning this Saturday 5:30 PM (September 19) and Sunday, September 20 at 7:30, 9:00 and 11:30 AM.

For everyone, please please bring picnic mats and chairs.

THANK YOU...THANK YOU....THANK YOU... SEE YOU ALL AT THE PICNIC

THE PICNIC T-SHIRT - RED

4TH ANNUAL PARISH FAMILY PICNIC

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2009, 1-5pm
Maplecrest Park, Maplewood, NJ

Have fun and enjoy the day with our parish family; hang-out and chat with old pals and meet new friends! We have a treat for everyone: the young and the mature, the young families and the “golden-age” couples.

There will be plenty of food to share: We provide free burgers, hotdogs, soda and water. Cost of Admission is one dish to share for 6-8 people.
· If your last name begins with letters A to I, please bring a DESSERT.
· If your last name begins with letters J to R, please bring an ENTREE.
· If your last name begins with letters S to Z, please bring a SIDE DISH.
Tables and chairs will be provided for seniors and the infirmed. For those who are able, please bring lawn chairs or picnic mats.

Visit our interactive blog for more information and photos of previous PARISH FAMILY PICNICS

http://open-doors-at-st-joseph-maplewood.blogspot.com

OUR ETERNAL FLAME, OUR CORY

When the light of Cory Aquino’s life, flickering as it had been, in the final, painful, month of her hospital seclusion, was finally extinguished, the country had been, in a sense, expecting it. Yet the news was still received with shock; and grief has settled over the nation, uniting rich and poor, old and young, the partisan and the apathetic, men and women, soldiers and civilians.

Unity is a rare thing in our country; we have it now; and adding to the feelings of grief is the wistful realization that it took the passing of Cory to reunite a divided nation.

In 1948, with trembling voice, Jawaharlal Nehru informed his people of the passing of Mahatma Gandhi with these immortal words: “The light has gone out of our lives and there is darkness everywhere.” There was no single great national figure to inform the country of Cory’s passing; instead, a quiet announcement came from her grief-stricken son, and there began the passing on of the news, and the sharing of fond memories.

It is only fitting that the Filipina who tried to institutionalize active non-violence in our bloodstained political culture inspired a similar sense of loss among Filipinos as that expressed by Nehru. Gandhi inspired Cory’s husband; and what Ninoy set out to do, she continued after his cruel murder. Non-violence has been, ever since, the dominant means to accomplish change in our country—a revolution in thought, accomplished by prayers, marches, candlelight vigils.

“The light that has illumined this country for these many years will illumine this country for many more years,” Nehru went on to say, “and a thousand years later, that light will be seen in this country and the world will see it and it will give solace to innumerable hearts.”

What was that light? It was the small but steady flame of personal conviction and conscience that never flickered even when the country and those she considered her nearest and dearest shunned her—ignoring her, even castigating her, because her husband chose to endure imprisonment rather than submit to the dictator.

It was a light that comes from a faith that led her to kneel, not in submission or surrender to the brutality and blandishments of the dictatorship, but to scrub the cell of her imprisoned husband on the rare occasions she was able to visit him; and which continued to bring her to her knees, in quiet contemplation and prayer, as she and her husband went into exile and then, in the years after his death, when his cause became hers to take up.

It was the light of liberty, the unquenchable flame of democracy, the light of optimism and faith in the Filipino, snuffed out in her husband’s case by an assassin’s bullets, but which lit so many more little flames, so that it dispelled the darkness that had engulfed the country since 1972. It was a light that could not be extinguished by coups and natural disasters, by the mocking of those who saw in her merely a woman, merely a widow, merely a person trying to return power where it belonged—in the people’s hands, to do with as they chose.

Cory Aquino’s inner light came to the fore once more, after she relinquished power—the only president in our history who never actively sought power but actively sought to relinquish it, fully and on time, once she had that power. It made her stand up whenever democracy was imperiled; she was applauded for it, and jeered for it; others still could not understand what was so clear to her. That incomprehension was born of such critics never having fully understood that inner light, which never required the active quest for popularity that marks the mere politician.

This was the light we took from Ninoy and Cory, which we passed from candle to candle, as we all proclaimed it would be better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. This was the light that was celebrated in our supreme moment of national redemption and vindication.
But for now, hearts are heavy; and there will take place the final series of farewells, from the humble to the great panoply of the honors of State; but throughout, we shall be—as she was—bringers and nurturers of the light, a light that shall never go out so long as the love of liberty burns brightly in our hearts—as it now, eternally, does in Cory’s and Ninoy’s.

As for the rest—the pomp and circumstance that surround the passing of a former head of state—her final wishes as expressed by her family are instructive. The cannons of the military boomed their hourly salute; the flags will be lowered to half staff; a simple guard of honor will keep vigil. But as for everything else, the pomp Ferdinand Marcos craved from embittered exile, Cory with utter simplicity declined. Her sole accompaniment as she goes to her final resting place beside her beloved Ninoy will be those for whom Ninoy died and for whom she lived: we, the people, without distinction as to protocol, or station in life. As in 1983, so it is in 2009: Cory, the people, together to demonstrate that the real power, glory and honors are not for officialdom to bestow, but instead, the Filipino people’s to freely give. And as it was in 1986 so it is now: united, in the streets, in remembrance and democratic dedication to our eternal flame, our Cory. So let these days of mourning be days of commemoration, of savoring, however briefly, that long-elusive sense of national unity we must aspire to always. And let us march, as we had marched,—not merely to bid farewell, but to continue along the path from which too many have strayed: the path of an uncompromising, stubborn dedication to the fight for liberty.

Editorial, Phil. Daily Inquirer (August 2, 2009)

ST. JOSEPH PARISH FREE CONCERT ON SUNDAY

Please join us for both the music
and for the coffee and dessert social, which will follow.
This is one way to thank all of you
for your gifts of Stewardship to St. Joseph Parish.
There is no cost to attend the event.

This is a final gift to the community of St. Joseph Church by our parishioners Tricia and Thomas Jöstlein. Tricia is an active freelancer in the area, and Thomas is wrapping up his time with the New York Philharmonic to assume the duties of assistant Professor of Horn at the University of Illinois in the Fall. The evening will also feature a special appearance by Barbara Currie, Fourth Horn with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Director of Music Dugan McGinley will accompany on piano. The hour-long program will be without intermission, and begins at 6:30 pm in the Sanctuary. All artists are donating their time and talents to this concert.

ST. JOSEPH PARISH SPRING RAFFLE

ST. JOSEPH PARISH RUMMAGE SALE

We will be collecting your donations in the School Gym entrance through the parking lot at the following times: June 17th, 18th, 19th: 9 a.m.-12 noon and 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.Saturday, June 20th 9 a.m.-12 noonJune 22nd to 26th from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon and 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

We can accept: Gently Used Clothing & Shoes, Toys, Strollers, Children's Books, Sporting Equipment, Tools, Bicycles, Holiday Ornaments, Small Furniture, Appliances, Housewares, Knick-knacks and Jewelry. Sorry, we are unable to accept: Computers, Electronics, Child Car Seats, Stuffed Animals, Christmas Trees, Reader's Digest Books, Textbooks, Magazines, Large Furniture, Older TVs and VCRs.

Volunteers are still needed to help with various aspects of the project in order to hold a successful sale. Any time that you can give will be much appreciated! If you have any questions, please call John Otchy at 973-762-4185 or Ernie D’Amato at 973-763-2002.

THE EVENTS OF MAY 3, SUNDAY beginning at 2:30 PM

See photos of past SANTACRUZAN and MAY CROWNING
http://picasaweb.google.com/stjosephinformationservice