St. Maximilian Kolbe
Volume I No. 5
Jubilee Herald
December 12, 2015
Pope’s Jubilee of Mercy
DECEMBER 8, 2015
Pope Francis set the dates
December 8, 2015 - November
20, 2016 as an Extraordinary
Jubilee of Mercy. He invites
people to strike out on a yearlong
spiritual journey.
Congratulations Father Symon
Ordained December 7, 1980
He opened the doors to St.
Peter’s in Rome, and Pope
Francis asked each diocese to
choose a cathedral or important
church, and open its own “Door
of Mercy.”
In the Diocese of Rochester, it
is Sacred Heart Cathedral:
Rite of the Opening of the Door of Mercy
in Local Churches (at Sacred Heart Cathedral)
December 13, 2015 – 2:00 PM followed by Mass
Closing Celebrations of the Extraordinary Jubilee
in Local Churches: November 13, 2016
These doors, analogous to the Holy Doors of the Papal
Basilicas in Rome, will permit even people who cannot travel
to Rome to make a Jubilee pilgrimage.*
Pope Francis has an extra message for young people: to
rediscover the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, and to
choose one to practice each month. Ω
Father Symon Peter Ntaiyia, pastor of St. Maximilian
Kolbe Parish, was ordained by Bishop Colin Davis 35 years
ago in Kenya. He was the first Maasai priest. His vestment, a
gift from the bishop, had been a gift from Pope John Paul II.
Ten years ago, to celebrate his 25th anniversary, Father
Symon established a school, Father Symon’s Jubilee School
for Nomads. It is flourishing and its first class has graduated.
We are blessed to have Father Symon with us, and we
wish him continued graces and blessings for him and for his
many congregations. Ω
Generations Mass St ory pa ge 3
*See also: http://www.im.va/content/gdm/en.html
NOTE: Read the Rite of Opening of the Door of Mercy in
Local Churches in the Reading Corner at St. Mary’s (Veronica
Yaw) or Reading Resources at Epiphany (Nancy Kohlmeier).
Parishioners and the Pope in September
DECEMBER EVENTS:
Dec 13 – Opening the Door of Mercy, Sacred Heart Cathedral
Dec 18 – PrayZ ‘n PrayR, Church of the Epiphany
Dec 19 – Las Posadas, Our Lady of Guadaloupe, Marion
Dec 25 – Nativity of Our Lord
Sue and Fran (shown) and Colleen were there. St ory pa ge 2.
Details: www.stmaxparish.com/t_jubilee.html
St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Parish
St. Mary’s of the Lake, Ontario – Church of the Epiphany, Sodus – St. Rose of Lima, Sodus Point, NY
Pope Francis: Sue Orbaker and Fran Fino’s Story
In late September, we joined a group of 45 pilgrims
traveling to Philadelphia to see Pope Francis. Our bus left
Rochester about 10 am on Friday, September 26th, and arrived
in Allentown much later than expected, due to bus trouble!
On our way to Philadelphia, one exit was barricaded, but the
Sister leading our trip spoke with the troopers. The barrier was
opened like the parting of the Red Sea! We were practically
the only vehicle on the highway all the way to the stadium
parking in Philly. Sister Bernarde Entress is either THE BEST
tour planner and director or the one who did the most
research of all the tour guides. We prefer to believe, in
addition to her excellent planning, that we had a Divine CoPilot!
Philadelphia (The City of Brotherly Love And Sisterly
Affection) has to be the friendliest city we have ever visited.
Every service person was amazingly welcoming and
enthusiastic in getting speedily on our way.
Security was challenging; the volume of the crowds was
intimidating. We found a spot opposite city hall, where Pope
Francis was scheduled to pass by about 4 PM. We arrived
about 10 or 11 AM. He arrived at 7 PM!
What a LONG wait it was – but – FINALLY HE WAS
THERE IN FRONT OF US!! It was surreal, and
happened SO QUICKLY!! The Popemobile came
along the street, lights
blinking and flashing on the
accompanying police cars.
The Popemobile slowed to go
around the curve where we
stood, and there was the
Holy Father, right there in
front of us, probably within
10 feet, for a few seconds!! Afterward, it was hard to
believe that we had actually seen him!
It was so amazing to have been there, sharing this
experience with so many other excited, faith filled people.
On Sunday, our bus again used our secret highway. Only
10,000 people had tickets for Mass, and we did not. But we
set up our chairs on a less crowded street in front of a not-sojumbo-tron. We arrived at our spot about 10 AM. At 3 PM, a
young priest stood up in front of the Jumbotron, and began
to recite the rosary. The crowd joined in. Then, he went on to
pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. It was beautiful to see most
people joining in. Four o’clock drew near. The volume on the
Jumbotron became louder, and, suddenly, there was the Holy
Father on the screen, beginning Mass.
The crowd went silent, and almost everyone on the streets
of Philadelphia began to join in, praying and singing the parts
of the Mass. It gave you chills to see this mass of humanity so
reverently participating in the Mass on the sidewalks of a city.
People sat, stood and knelt, right on the concrete, as they
sang. We were unable to receive communion because we
were too far away. Experiencing Sunday Mass with the Holy
Father, and the reverent people, was such an amazingly
moving experience for all of us. Then, it was time for the
Holy Father, and all of us, to head home.
It took quite some time for our group to make our way
into the subway, and back to our bus. We were exhausted,
but arrived home in the dark early hours of Monday morning
with absolutely wonderful memories of our Holy Father, the
people we met, and the unforgettable experiences. .Ω
Pope Francis: Colleen Miller’s Story
I am in my senior year at Nazareth College. I won the
opportunity to see Pope Francis in New York City after being
randomly selected with two other students from the Catholic
Community at Nazareth.
The three of us along with our youth minister traveled by
bus with other Rochester residents to New York City. We left
Rochester at 5 AM arriving at Madison Square Garden at 1
PM. The line into the Garden was extensive. All were in good
moods anticipating the Pope’s arrival. After three hours, the
line advanced until we were inside the Garden and directed
to our seats. There again we waited for the Pope to enter.
At 6 PM the Pope arrived by a golf cart. The entire assembly
broke out in a spontaneous outburst,” PaPa, PaPa,” as the
Pope’s cart advanced into the Garden.
The Mass was uplifting. The Jumbotron allowed us to
view the Pope as he said the Mass. The feeling of being
there, listening to the Pope during his Homily, was beyond
words. At the end of the Mass the Jumbotron cameras were
directly on the Pope’s face as he asked in English for the
people to pray for him. His small smile and bright eyes
ignited the crowd in another spontaneous outburst of “PaPa,
PaPa” The sound was deafening, yet joyful. No one wanted
to leave. Although we weren’t really close to the Pope, we
were in his presence. It was worth the lack of sleep, the
juggling of schedules and the time away from the college to
see him as he interacted with the crowd. Ω
Watch our Garden G row!
Yes, there really is a Maximilian Sunflower
(Helianthus Maximiliani). And we’d like you
to help plant them throughout the St. Max
parish community next year.
Seed packets (right) were handed out
after the Generations Mass. The rest
will be handed-out in the Spring.
If we time it right, flowers will bloom
for Jubilee events in the late summer
and fall of 2016!
Start planning where you will plant
yours! We’ll be asking you to
share photos of them as they grow.
Meanwhile, store the seeds in a cool place, or a
covered can in the garage. Stay tuned! Ω
2 St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Parish
St. Mary’s of the Lake, Ontario – Church of the Epiphany, Sodus – St. Rose of Lima, Sodus Point, NY
“Generations Mass” celebrated the passing of our
Catholic faith from one generation to the next
Many of us remember how a parent or grandparent
shared, taught, or encouraged us in our faith. Some have
stories about a child who sparked or rekindled their faith. All
around us there are people who teach us and show us how to
live our faith.
th
On November 28 , the St. Maximilian Kolbe parish
“Generations Mass” brought together multiple generations of
St. Max parishioners to celebrate the sharing and passing of
our Catholic faith from one generation to the next.
Families attended with two, three, and four generations.
Some invited godchildren and friends who don’t usually
attend a St. Max church. Some came alone or attended with
the memory of family members. It was a wonderful mix of
generations, parishioners, and friends.
“We must pay special attention to this:
the children and the grandparents.
“Children and young people are the future,
they are the strength, those who take us
forward. They are the ones in which we place
our hope.
“Grandparents are the memory of a family, they
are the ones who gave us the faith.”
~ Pope Francis at the World Meeting of Families
September 2015
With planning led by Mary Capone, several families
participated in the special Mass held at St. Mary’s Church and
the shared meal that followed in the parish center.
Four generations of the Bobowski Family gathered around
the advent wreath, and Barb and Richard’s son Aaron lit the
first candle. Communion gifts were brought to the altar by the
three generations of the Costello Family. The evening’s cantor
and pianist were Nancy and John Bryan. Ann and Don Barnes
had three generations: daughter Mary and son-in-law Orrie
Capone and grandchildren John, who had lectured, and Gina,
who sang at Mass. The Barnes’ daughter Lisa Gross worked
in the kitchen with her son Tyler and his other grandmother,
Diana Gross. Orrie’s mother Angie Capone made it a truly
intergenerational evening.
There were about 70 people at the shared dinner after
Mass, and they brought delicious dishes and desserts.
The evening was a celebration of shared faith through
families who had worshiped at St. Mary’s and Church of the
Epiphany for generations, and also through
remembrance of individuals, friends and family
whose faith had roots in other places and found
a home here.
Many thanks to all families and generations
who attended and contributed to the evening. Ω
Four Generations of One Family!
Richard and Barbara Bobowski and
Barb’s mother Harriet Lorraine
Becker, age 96.
Bobowski sons Matthew, left, and
Daniel, right. Dan’s son David is in
the middle. Bobowski grandsons Easton, Emerson,
Nathan and Charlie.
3 St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Parish
St. Mary’s of the Lake, Ontario – Church of the Epiphany, Sodus – St. Rose of Lima, Sodus Point, NY
Faces of Jubilee
Anne Marie Champagne and parents
The Bachers
Leschhorn family
Gagliano family
Anne Marie Champagne and daughters
Friends
Generations Mass and Dinner Nov 28, 2015
St. Maximilian Kolbe
Jubilee Herald Team
The Jubilee Herald announces events and shares the good
word of Jubilee 2016 with parishioners of St. Max Parish.
Editorial Coordinator
Jean Bell
Communications Team
Linda Bell, Chair. Katrina Blaszyk, Dan Doyle, Kathy
Plantz, Harold St. John, Nina St. John, George Bell
Scribes & Heralds
Guest writers from Pastoral Council, Parish Staff, ministries,
event chairs, and people in the pews.
History Gleaners
Kate Miller, Liz Tyner
Proofreaders
Kate Miller, Liz Tyner, Linda VanderBrook
Production
Kathy Pritchett, Linda Sheehan
Photographers
Dave Aman, Greg Behringer, Ed Doyle, Fran Fino, Kevin
Ghyzel, Denny O’Keefe, Anne Prevost
QUESTIONS ABOUT CHURCH OR JUBILEE?
Send it to us and we will try to find the answer.
Contact us: [email protected]
Visit us at: www.stmaxparish.com and Facebook
HARK! The Herald Angel is missing!
Find her somewhere in this newsletter.
George Bell and godchild Abigail Nikolevski,
standing center, and her husband Pat. Seated
Nick Capone, Linda Bell and her mother Jean.
More Generations Mass photos available online via
www.stmaxparish.com
Sign up to have your picture taken for the
Jubilee Parish Directory
January 7, 2016 – Epiphany 2-9 PM
January 8, 2016 – St. Mary’s 2-9 PM
January 9, 2016 – St. Mary’s 10 AM-5 PM
(That’s the time to catch your college kids during break.)
Also: April 7, 8, 9 and 21, 2016
(That’s the one to catch the snowbirds when they return.)
W ha t t o do:
•
Sign up after masses starting December 12.
•
Sign up online, weekdays. Click on the address on
St. Max page on Facebook.
Or type it in: https://www.securedatatrans14.com/ap/stmaximiliankolbecatholicchurch/inde
x.php?page=10
November 22 Solution: The Herald Angel was hidden on page 4, in white, on the PrayZ ‘n PrayR photograph.
4 See
t he r ea l Her al d Angel at C hurch of t he Epi phany during t he C hr ist mas sea son. Loo k up t o hea ven!
St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Parish
St. Mary’s of the Lake, Ontario – Church of the Epiphany, Sodus – St. Rose of Lima, Sodus Point, NY