The Catholic Church of

St. Mary the Virgin

   According to World Christian Encyclopedia (Bar­rett, Kurian, and Johnson; Oxford University Press) World Christianity consists of over 33,000 distinct denominations (Vol. I, p. 16).
   Christian love, resulting in the unity of all Christian denominations, is the main theme of today’s Scripture lessons (the Sunday after the Ascension).
   The first reading, taken from Acts, tells us how the eleven Apostles (the first Bishops of the Catholic Church), as one unit, and relying on the power of God, elected Matthias to replace Judas Iscariot.  This incorporation was an action done by the whole assembly, under the chairmanship of Peter, the 1st Pope. They chose Matthias by lot — by prayer, thus submitting the process to the power of God, and in Faith, accepted the result as His will.
   We need to pray fervently that God may show us the right way to proceed in achieving true and lasting Christian unity, without sacrificing the basic Christian principles and teachings. 
   We should offer also our personal prayers that the unity for which Our Lord prayed may be brought nearer. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus prays in particular for those disciples who are sharing the meal with him.  The core of Jesus’ message is love, a love that is to be manifested not only in nice-sounding words but, more convincingly, in the genuine acts of love that bind his disciples together into one community. 
   The Ordinariate is, as Bishop Lopes has so succinctly phrased it, realized ecumenism”, and we are blessed to be tasked to be a bridge to the Catholic Faith, both for those outside of the Church, and for those within the Church whose faith has grown faint. As we prepare for the great celebration of Pentecost next week (when we recall the descent of the Holy Spirit to the Church Militant here on earth), do remember to pray for those whom you know who have not yet crossed that bridge, and/or those who need to renew their commitment to the Catholic Church. Let Saint John’s phrase “Ut Unum Sint” (“That they all may be One”)  be our phrase as well, as we continue the work that Christ has given us to do, both as members of the Ordinariate, and parishioners of the Catholic Church of St. Mary the Virgin.
Faithfully, Your Friend and Pastor,
Fr. Christopher C. Stainbrook

CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF THE ASCENSION ON ASCENSION AT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST. MARY THE VIRGIN.

We will keep the Feast of the Ascension on Ascension Thursday itself (May 13th) here at the


Catholic Church of St. Mary the Virgin.
12:00 Noon - Low Mass
7:00 p.m.- Solemn High Mass (Mass setting: Missa Secunda by Hans Leo Hassler)
All are welcome!

   One of the things that I appreciate most about St. Mary the Virgin is our commitment to keeping the Church open on weekdays. I have stopped by on my way into work many times, or even on my day off, to make a quick visit to our Church and sit for a few quiet minutes with our Lord. In the midst of the busyness and noise of our world, those few moments are a way to touch base with what is truly real. To quiet an anxious heart. To salve the wounds inflicted by daily living. And I know I’m not the only one!
   But this commitment comes with some risk. In the USCCB’s report prepared by its Committee for Religious Liberty, there have been at least 68 incidents of church vandalism since May, 2020. These incidents were spread over 25 states. You can read the full listing here https://www.usccb.org/resources/backgrounder-attacks-catholic-churches-us .  It is sobering reading indeed.
   It is no longer feasible for us to assume that “it can’t happen to us.” And yet, we want to remain committed to keeping our parish as open as is prudent. To do that, we need to become vigilant in our efforts to safeguard our facilities responsibly.
   Our first layer of safety is an old one: keying the property and keeping track of keys. We rekeyed the property several years ago and have kept a key log ever since. This is an imperfect system: people lose keys, move away and take them with them, etc. But it is still a fairly effective way to keep unwanted people out. We keep the buildings open Monday through Friday, 9-4, the hours when staff is present on campus. On Saturdays and Sundays, the buildings are open so long as staff or volunteers working are present. We will no longer leave any building unlocked when no one is present. That is just common sense. In a year or so, it will probably be time to rekey and reissue keys. Current safety standards recommend this on at least a 5 year basis. It’s getting close for us.
   As an additional layer of security, we have now installed alarms in all three parish buildings, monitored by Summit Security. These alarms give us extra protection when no one is physically present. This protection is most helpful at night, when darkness and less traffic make mischief easier. A plan has been drawn up and people are being trained on the use of the system. A great benefit to the systems we chose is that much of the arming and unarming can happen automatically and/or remotely. We have three people who have volunteered to be “on call” for the security company – to respond to anything that happens.
   It is my hope, and the hope of the priests and staff here at St. Mary the Virgin, that this will be sufficient and that we are taking appropriate care of our beautiful Church. It belongs to all of us, you know. We want it to always feel that way. Please help us. Keep your eyes open. Report anything that seems “off”. Lock up if you’re last to leave. And pray for those who would destroy beauty.
 Terry Southard
Business Manager

   Monday, May 3rd is the Feast of Saints Philip sand James. Though they were two of Christ’s chosen Apostles, many people are unfamiliar with their story. 
   Let’s take a look first at St. James, (Son of Alphaeus): We know nothing of this man except his name, and, of course, the fact that Jesus chose him to be one of the 12 pillars His Church. He is not the James of Acts, son of Clopas, later bishop of Jerusalem and the traditional author of the Letter of James. James, son of Alphaeus, is also known as James the “Lesser" to avoid confusing him with James the son of Zebedee, also an Apostle and known as James the “Greater".
   St. Philip: Philip came from the same town as Peter and Andrew, Bethsaida in Galilee. Jesus called him directly, whereupon he sought out Nathanael and told him of the “one about whom Moses wrote” (Jn 1:45). Like the other Apostles, Philip took a long time coming to realize who Jesus was. On one occasion, when Jesus saw the great multitude following him and wanted to give them food, He asked Philip where they should buy bread for the people to eat. Saint John comments, “[Jesus] said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do” (Jn 6:6). Philip answered, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little [bit]” (Jn 6:7). John’s story is not a put-down of Philip. It was simply necessary for these men, who were to be the foundation stones of the Church, to see the clear distinction between humanity’s total helplessness apart from God and the human ability to be a bearer of Divine Power by God’s gift.
   On another occasion, we can almost hear the exasperation in Jesus’s voice. After Thomas had complained that they did not know where Jesus was going, Jesus said, “I am the way. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him” (Jn 14:6a, 7). Then Philip said, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us” (Jn 14:8). “Enough?”, Our Lord must have thought! Jesus answered, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9a).
   Possibly because Philip bore a Greek name, or because he was thought to be close to Jesus, some Greek Gentile proselytes came to him and asked him to introduce them to Jesus. Philip went to Andrew, and Andrew went to Jesus. Jesus’s reply in John’s Gospel is indirect; Jesus says that now His “hour” has come, that in a short time He will give his life for Jew and Gentile alike.
   As in the case of the other Apostles, we see in James and Philip human men who became foundation stones of the Catholic Church, and we are reminded again that holiness and its consequent apostolate are entirely the gift of God, not something we can achieve ourselves. All power is God’s power, even the power of human freedom to accept His gifts. “You will be clothed with power from on high,” Jesus told Philip and the others. These lessor known Apostles can be for us important reminders to always trust in God.
Faithfully, Your friend and Pastor,
Fr. Christopher C. Stainbrook