Author: Kevin Wondrash

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Kevin Wondrash

Election reveals possibilities for great-grandson

Grand Mom by Audrey Mettel Fixmer

Did you weep that night? November 4, 2008, was one of those times when every senior citizen in this country had to whisper, “Thank you, Lord, for letting me live to see this day when an African American has been elected president of the United States, the leader of the free world.”

Regardless of how one may have voted in this election, no one who had lived through witnessing President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 sign an order that would allow people of any color, race, or creed the right to vote, or who could recall the race riots and the separate drinking fountains and bus seats of the ’50s could possibly be unmoved by this drama.

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Kevin Wondrash

Fighting Freedom of Choice Act

Dear Friends,

under the gospel book

By the time you are able to read this column, I will have begun my vacation in warmer climes. Bishop Bullock has taught me well how advisable it is to take vacation at this time of year, and, along with so many other good things, I am grateful to him for this particular important bit of wisdom. I beg your prayers that I will have health and safety during this time of vacation and, most importantly, grow in faith. This is the very same prayer that rises up from my heart for each one of you, each day.

You will find, below, a letter which I have sent to my brother priests with regard to a national effort which is being made in every diocese in the United States, spearheaded by Cardinal Rigali of Philadelphia, chair of the Pro-Life Committee of our national bishops’ conference.

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Kevin Wondrash

Placing our hands in God’s

Living and Learning column by Msgr. Daniel T. Ganshert

Kings and presidents. We just celebrated one and soon will inaugurate another. Epiphany manifests the long awaited Messiah and King. January 20th points to a new political administration for our country. Time for a little history.

Years ago, a king’s servant would fold his hands and place them in the hands of the king. The king would pledge his protection of the servant if the servant would pledge to protect the king.

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Kevin Wondrash

Joyful Christmas, new year’s blessings

Praised be Jesus Christ!

It’s my joy to wish you and your loved ones every blessing of Christmas and of this holiday season — blessings which will extend throughout the new year.

It’s a joyful time for all of us, even those of us who might be, for one or another reason, hurting. We are not dispensed from the call to be joyful at Christmas, because Christ our Savior is born, and He is the only true source of our hope and of light for our life.

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Kevin Wondrash

Looking at the Code of Canon Law

under the gospel bookMany of you know that my current priority focus is on our Diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, of which I’ve now taken on personally the role of Director.

There has been little doubt for me, since even before I was ordained a priest, that we have, as a Catholic Church, been seriously lacking in our understanding of and teaching about the faith, for some time. With a string of recent events, it has been made even more clear than before that many of our truly faithful people are overdue for receiving a continually better catechesis than has been previously offered them. There is much work to be done in this area as a whole, and we priests and religious have a good many lay men and women ready and willing to collaborate in this area — though we need more!

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Kevin Wondrash

Rejoice always — even in the desert

This column is adapted from Bishop Robert C. Morlino’s homily at St. Patrick Church, Sunday, Dec. 14.

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On the Second Sunday of Advent, we heard about John the Baptist as “a voice crying out in the desert” and we hear it again in this past Sunday’s readings. And we heard, during that second week of Advent, about our Blessed Mother. We heard how this woman who was clothed with the sun, the model of the Church, was sent into the desert, where a place had been prepared for her; the desert meaning, briefly, tough times.

A poll of Americans came out this past Sunday morning saying that 2008, largely for reasons of the economy, has been the worst year within their memory. The poll, in our terms, says that, largely because of the economy, 2008 has been, for most Americans, a desert. Those poll results surprise no one.

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Kevin Wondrash

Giving self away

Living and Learning column by Msgr. Daniel T. Ganshert

Christmas stories. I have one for you. It’s about Mary. Wearing a baggy dress and a saggy sweater, she would enjoy an ice cream sandwich at the summer county fair just like the rest of us.

That’s where I would see her each year when I was growing up. She looked old and lonely, but obviously had not lost her taste for the sweet treats in life. Other than that, Mary was a mystery to me until one Christmas many years ago.

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Kevin Wondrash

Scary Christmas or Merry Christmas?

Grand Mom by Audrey Mettel Fixmer I think I may have become a news junkie. Maybe it is an act of rebellion because I see so many people my age getting out of touch with things. It’s almost as if they are saying, “Stop the world; I want to get off!”

I saw it 30 years ago with my mother-in-law, an intelligent, well-read woman, and now I see it in some members of the senior residence where I visit daily. It makes me want all the more to stay tuned in and in touch.

So I read two daily newspapers, two weekly Catholic diocesan papers, a weekly news magazine from cover to cover, and two monthly Catholic magazines. The reading helps bring focus and detail to the dozens of newscasts I see on TV.

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Kevin Wondrash

Our job is to ‘have time for God’

Editor’s note: The following column is taken from bishop’s homily of the first Sunday of Advent, Nov. 30, 2008.

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We say to the Lord, at the beginning of this Advent, “Come Lord Jesus; do not delay! Stir up your power Lord and come to save us. Do not delay!” And when we pray that powerful prayer, we believe that it will be answered. And yet, we know that the coming of Jesus at the end of history, at the end of this world as we know it, may not be next week or next month. That return of the Lord is probably going to be delayed . . . at least we think so . . .

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