Our Resurrected and Ascended Savior

Dear Friends in Christ,

     This week we celebrate Ascension Thursday ‒ a Holy Day of Obligation and a crucial event in salvation history. In Philippians 2:7, St. Paul writes about the Incarnation, the remarkable moment Jesus came from heaven to earth, “Rather he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness.” Jesus, second person of the Blessed Trinity, becomes one of us in all things but sin. Jesus does this so he can fulfill the Father’s plan, and lift earth to heaven.

    On Good Friday, Jesus, the Lamb of God, offered himself on the Cross as the one perfect sacrifice. In this singular act of love, Jesus fulfilled all the Temple sacrifices that had been going on for centuries. No longer would the blood of oxen, sheep, doves, etc., be offered. Even the Temple itself, center of Jewish life and worship, and the only place sacrifice could be offered, would be destroyed by the Romans in the year 70. 

     Easter Sunday is the great day of victory. By his resurrection, Jesus broke the bonds of death, opened the gates of heaven, and truly showed he is the Resurrection and the Life. The Ascension is the climax and fulfillment of these remarkable events. 

     St. Luke describes the Ascension in the Acts of the Apostles, ”When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.” (1:9) When we come together for Mass on Sunday or another Solemnity, we pray the Nicene Creed, which states, “He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.”

     We can imagine the Apostles feeling a sense of loss as they watched Jesus being taken from their sight. Yet, they understood, as we understand, the Ascension is an important part of God’s plan. While Jesus walked the earth he was limited by his humanity. He certainly had the power to work miracles, but Jesus lived his life in one very small part of the world. At the time of the Ascension, a tiny fraction of people knew Jesus even existed. Yet, Jesus is a universal Savior, with all people being invited to share in his Kingdom. 

     After the Ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, history would change. Jesus taking his seat at the right hand of the Father represents power and authority. From his place in heaven, Jesus would direct the Church to bring his good news to all people of all places. Jesus is not a distant figure disconnected from history, but an active participant. Jesus is the head of the Church, which is the Body of Christ, and the Church would fulfill the Great Commission: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations … and know I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.

     Similarly, the age of Temple sacrifice would come to an end, but the age of representing and remembering the perfect sacrifice of Jesus was just beginning. Because Jesus is in heaven, he is not bound by time or space. This allows Jesus to be present on every altar all over the world. At the Last Supper Jesus told the Apostles to “do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19. This is the beauty of the Mass! Because of the Ascension, Jesus comes to us in the Eucharist ‒ Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. 

     Let us celebrate our Resurrected and Ascended Savior who has been taken from our sight, but is closer to us than we can imagine.

     Thanks be to God! 

     It’s that time of year again when the birds start chirping and we begin to think of warmer weather and summer fun. Vacations can be great but I don’t think they are as fulfilling as time spent “giving back” and I know a lot of people who agree with me!

     This year we are gearing up for our Mission Trip with Catholic Heart Workcamp, which offers youth-friendly, Catholic short-term mission trips. The workcamp is equipped with a summer staff, director, manager, musician, nurse and priests.

     Teams that run the camps have been traveling the country for decades to give teens a chance to “give back” and bless many communities, meet others from all over and, most importantly, encounter Christ. 

     This year’s camp is in Cumberland, MD, right smack on the Pittsburgh-to-DC bike trails.  It’ll run from June 19-24 and I get to be the chaplain for the whole camp!  

     Each day we’ll have breakfast, a morning program and Mass, and then we will be sent out with a team of adults and campers to serve in the community. We could be doing construction, painting or repairing buildings, social work, assisting at daycare or preparing meals for those in need.  Each day we’ll work hard from 9am to 3pm and then clean up for dinner and the evening program.  

     There will be a lot of fun, games, dancing and laughs as well as teaching about the faith and Christ.  

     Certain nights are special.  One night we have an amazing Eucharistic Adoration experience. Another evening is called Four Corners and we will have confession as well as options for the teens to speak with an adult, write a letter to his or her future self, and other interactive prayer activities. I remember that in my first year of Catholic Heart, we got to write our sins on a piece of paper and nail it to a cross.  

     On the last night of the camp, we invite local residents to join us for a meal as we celebrate our time together, say goodbye and give them an opportunity to see the camp. All this is followed by an epic light show and dance party.

     We also get a “free day” to do anything from Kennywood to biking, to whitewater rafting. We are still deciding, but we know that it will be a good time.  Last year we went to King’s Island amusement park near Cincinnati and had a blast!  

     Then all too soon, we’ll return home to share that love of Christ with others. Last year a teen told me he didn’t know what he’d do for the next 51 weeks! It truly left an impact on us.

     Thank you for all of your prayers and support. We hoped to have 30 teens sign up and currently we have commitments from 35. We could get closer to 40 when all is said and done!

     We are looking forward to an amazing time and can’t wait to share all our wonderful experiences with you!
 

     A blessed and joyful Easter season to you! As we enter into the spring and summer months, the Music Ministry at All Saints Parish is vibrant, bringing joyful music to our community each week. It is my goal to unite our parish and deepen our faith through the common language of music.

     Whether you’re a studied professional or a “singer-in-the-shower,” you’re welcome (and encouraged!) to join us in any of the Music Ministry groups at All Saints. 

     After the incredibly successful holiday concert this past Christmas, the All Saints Parish Music Ministry is excited to announce that the All Saints Parish Choir, along with the All Saints Kids’ Chorus and instrumental guests will present a free Spring Music Concert at 3pm on Sunday, June 5, at St. Paul Church. 

     Music is one of the gifts God has given to us that we can give back to Him! With gratefulness and joy, we lift our songs and voices to our Lord Jesus Christ. For many, music lifts their spirits and souls to express their love and commitment to serving our God and the community. It allows us to express our emotions, whether it is jubilant rejoicing or mournful sadness. The listener and performer are drawn closer to God’s presence. To that end, the music program at All Saints encourages everyone to utilize their gifts in music to honor and serve the Lord.

     If you’re interested in sharing your musical talents, meeting new people, or just need a new activity to bring joy to your life, check out any of the following ministries:

• “Grateful” Contemporary Worship Band
• “Spiritan” Acoustic Folk Group
• All Saints Parish Adult Choir
• All Saints Parish Kids’ Chorus:  After great success this past Christmas, the All Saints Parish Kids’ Chorus (grades K-8) will be back this spring for another exciting musical performance. Rehearsals will be on Tuesday, May 31, and Thursday, June 2, from 5 to 6pm in the St. Conrad double classroom (enter through Parish Social Center front doors). Rehearsals at Butler Catholic School will be on the same dates from 2 to 2:25pm.  Questions? Contact Catie Brown at cbrown@allsaintsbutler.org or 724-991-9868.
• Cantors who lead the congregation during each Mass are ALWAYS needed. Scheduling is flexible, and practice materials are provided in advance. Please help us to continue to provide music to our parish family! Contact Catie if you’re interested.
• Instrumentalists: All Saints Parish is looking for musicians to provide music for, and supplement ensembles, at our Masses . The following instrumentalists are always needed: Organists & pianists to play weekday and weekend Masses; woodwind/ brass/ string players for weekday and weekend Masses and weddings; guitarists for both the Grateful Contemporary Worship Band and Spiritan Folk Group; drummers/ bass/ guitar /keys players for the Contemporary Group.

 As the director of business and property management for All Saints Parish, it is my responsibility to ensure our five campuses are maintained to give our parishioners a safe environment.

     We do this as efficiently as possible with safety as our top priority. 

     Our maintenance staffers Rick Black and Dave Plaufcan are constantly working on projects and sometimes we call in local contractors. This summer we plan to hire two high school grads to help.

     I want to stress that it is because of the generosity of our parishioners that we are able to do this work. Even though the pandemic has affected each of us in different ways, the generosity of our parishioners has remained steady.

     We are extremely blessed. 

     Here are some of the projects we have undertaken:

     St. Andrew: Resolved water problems in the back parking lot and basement of the hall by digging a drain from the back entrance door of the church to an area past the pavilion. Previously, water would pool and freeze in the parking lot, causing a hazard.

     We also removed overgrown trees from the front of the church and improved lighting in the church sanctuary.

     St. Conrad: Installed two new air conditioning units after one failed. 

     Did drainage work to parking lot to remove water that pooled in front of parish office, then turned to ice, which created a hazard

     Leveled uneven sidewalks that were tripping hazards. 

     Diverted water that was pooling in the Religious Education Center basement to a trench that leads to the parking lot drainage system. 

     Bought three-door commercial refrigerator for social center kitchen to replace an unreliable two-door refrigerator. 

     Added exterior signage to note the new All Saints Parish name. Updated the granite sign near the church entrance to note the St. Conrad Church name.

     St. Michael the Archangel: Repaired and power washed grottoes on campus. 

     Updated St. Michael Hall heating system so each room has its own thermostat. Previously, the heating system was turned on and off via circuit breaker, which was not safe.

     Updated the hall’s electrical system and its exterior dust-to-dawn lighting.

     Leveled uneven sidewalks that were tripping hazards. Replaced unsafe steps and sidewalks with new concrete.

    St. Paul: Landscaped exterior to be nearly maintenance free by using river rock and rubber mulch. 

     Replaced some sidewalks and ramp going into Glenn Hall with new concrete. 

     St. Peter: Upgraded outside lighting with LED bulbs and more lights to make the campus safer.

     Installed a walkway above the hall to allow safe access to the attic area where lights, electrical wiring and ductwork are located.

     Replaced two-door commercial refrigerator in hall. 

     Changed signage to note we are All Saints Parish - St. Peter Church.

     Shored up ceilings that had fallen down in parish offices.
 

     All Five Churches: We reviewed and updated our first-aid kits and AEDs (automated external defibrillators that are used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest).

     Replaced a ton of light bulbs — over 100 in St. Peter Hall alone.

     Reviewed, replaced and updated emergency and exit lighting. 

     Four Churches: Installed smoke detectors in all churches except St. Paul, which already had them.

     St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Lyndora — We are close to finalizing the sale of the church and rectory property. We will have more information in a future bulletin.

More Upgrades 

     While we continue to work on all of our campuses, we will focus efforts on the St. Conrad campus for the remainder of 2022 and perhaps beyond for these reasons:

• it historically has been a very active campus and we anticipate that it will remain so for years to come; 
• we are moving all of our faith formation classes from St. Michael to St. Conrad in preparation for the fall of 2022;
• and, several years ago, the former St. Fidelis Parish earmarked almost $150,000 for campus upgrades from its fish fry proceeds. (This $150K does not include proceeds from this year’s All Saints Parish Fish Fry.)

     We are in the process of getting bids to give the campus a landscaping facelift around the church, Religious Education Center, Social Center, parish office, and the entrances and exits. This will include removal of trees and shrubbery.  Once that is completed, we will address landscaping around the rectory.

     We will address leaking around the church’s downspouts and repair the concrete walkway between the church and the rectory. Part of the parking lot will be repaved also.  

     We plan to raze the three dilapidated sheds behind the church building and construct a new, larger shed for storage in that area.  We may also get bids to construct another smaller shed behind the social hall for storage of tables and chairs, thereby freeing up more interior space.

     The church interior also needs work that includes the ceiling fans.

     We have quite a list to attack, and we are prioritizing by addressing safety items first. 

     Thank you for your continued generosity that enables us to do this work!