Religion – Page 18 – Pie and Coffee

Worcester County Ecumenical Council dissolving

Tanya Connor, in the Catholic Free Press:

The Worcester County Ecumenical Council is closing on June 30, due to waning support and changes in ecumenical endeavors.

The Rev. Allyson D. Platt, executive director, made that announcement in a March 1 letter and explained reasons to The Catholic Free Press Tuesday.

â€œThe General Board, with both current and past members, reached this unanimous decision in the fall of 2006,â€ said the letter. Rev. Platt said they worked out details before making the announcement.

(read more)

I have mixed feelings about this. Part of me thinks that somebody should be doing full-time ecumenical work around here. (According to the article, running the Council is a 17-hour-a-week endeavor.) Another part of me is glad to know that Worcester is a city of religious cooperation, and that the people behind the WCEC are willing to say “mission accomplished” rather than keep the WCEC together just for the sake of keeping it together.

Nine Days in April: A Free Conference Guided By Catholic Social Teaching

Seeking and Working for Social Justice and Peace as Guided by the Nine Themes of Catholic Social Teaching: An Easter Novena and Conference at Anna Maria College, 50 Sunset Lane, Paxton, Massachusetts.

April 10th through 21st, 2007

The Theology and Religious Studies Community at Anna Maria College, Paxton, MA invites you to a multi-day conference on the nine themes of Catholic Social Teaching. Each day of the conference is devoted to one of the nine themes. This spring conference purposely coincides with Anna Mariaâ€™s student musical, â€œCotton Patch Gospelâ€ by Harry Chapin which will be presented on the evenings of Thursday, April 12 and Friday, April 13 at 7 PM.

The Novena/Conference aims to increase understanding of and enthusiasm for the faithful pursuit of social justice and peace called for by Scriptural inspiration and admonition, Christian tradition, and the century-plus old promulgation of social encyclicals issued by recent Popes. The Conference will also attend to the documents of the Ecumenical Councils and select pastoral letters issued by Bishopsâ€™ conferences.

Ash Wednesday, 2007

Last year’s Pie and Coffee “Lent” articles were an eclectic bunch.

Most Catholics either give up something, or take on a new responsibility, for Lent. They also stop eating meat on Fridays (except fish). Since becoming a vegan, I’ve been wondering what I should do. Last year, I gave up soy on Fridays, which was a pain in the neck and not very productive. This year, I think I’ll just observe a juice fast on Ash Wednesday and Fridays, since the combination of prayer and fasting always does me good, and I should try it more often.

Chinese New Year: Indymedia has an article and movie about the celebration in Worcester, courtesy Matt Feinstein. Are there Chinese Christians who feel a conflict between celebrating these first weeks of their New Year, and observing Lent?

Television: You can submit your questions about prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and other topics to Worcester’s Mayor and City Manager via Soapbox.

Catholic Worker: Houston Indymedia reports that the Houston CW is being harrassed by the Klan.

Nina Polcyn Moore, 1914–2007

â€œThere’s a saying that Theresa had this â€˜Tâ€™ written in heaven. Well, I saw this â€˜CWâ€™ written in heaven!â€ (Nina Polcyn Moore, 1986)

Nina Polcyn Moore, one of the last of the Catholic Worker pioneers, has gone to her God. She died on Saturday, February 10, surrounded by family, former Catholic Worker Barbara Blaine (Chicago St. Elizabeth’s), and Dr. Peter Mayock. Fr. Bob Pawell had prayed with her in the afternoon, and she died peacefully and sublimely ready to join our great cloud of witnesses. On my last visit with her, she told me that her current mantra was “Wrap it up!” Thatâ€™s just one of many samples of her unfailing good humor even as her body went the way of all bodies.
Continue reading “Nina Polcyn Moore, 1914–2007”

R.I.P., Rep. Robert F. Drinan, S.J. (D-Mass.)

You can learn a lot reading the news obituaries in the paper. This morning, I found out about Robert F. Drinan, a Jesuit who became the first Catholic priest elected to Congress. The prospect of a priest in office is an interesting one, but apparently the Vatican didn’t think it was such a good idea and asked him (and other priests) to step down by 1980. It sounds like he was a strong voice against war, but the paper notes cryptically that he was a “moderate” on abortion. Of course, a great number of Protestant ministers hold elected office in the U.S., but as a priest is supposed to take orders from the Vatican, that could create personal or church/state conflicts. Do any of you in Massachusetts know more about Father Drinan?

Joseph-with-a-lantern crÃ¨che

In this nativity scene, a very old Joseph holds a lantern.

My grandparents bought this olive wood nativity scene in the Holy Land, back in the day. Joseph has a walking stick. There’s one shepherd, in the background, holding a sheep. No shepherd’s crooks.

Crazy crÃ¨che sheep

The sheep on the left side of this beautiful nativity scene seems to be standing on its front legs, trying to kick Joseph in the knee.

The dove on Joseph’s crook is a nice touch. It’s only in the last three days that I’ve realized that Joseph is often depicted in nativity scenes holding a shepherd’s crook. Is this supposed to be some piece of gear he found lying around the barn?

M Iafrate has a nice version of the Christmas carol “Hardrock, Coco, and Joe” (mp3).

8i. Councilor Paul P. Clancy, Jr. and Mayor Timothy P. Murray request that Central St. to Main St. be renamed MLK, Jr. Boulevard, and, that Front St. from Main St. to Washington Sq. be renamed JFK Boulevard.

Also:

9.17
PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS
Police Department

A. Informational Communication Relative to the Number of Ambulance, Fire First Responder, and/or Police calls to 72-80 Cambridge Street for 2004, 2005, 2006 Related to Drug Overdoses, Weapons, and/or Physical Violence.

I’m told this is a Salvation Army building. Happy holidays.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for submitting these.

Category: Religion