IN THIS ISSUE
A Letter From Our Pastor
Team 2 Office
Important Part of Parish Life
Bledsoes: 3 The
Letting the Light of Christ Shine
Are Willing and 4 “We
Able to Help in Any Way We Can” Our Knights of Columbus Council #11448
Finding Deeper 6 Men
Fellowship Through Band of Brothers
JUNE 2016
Important Influences in How We
Understand Our Faith
Dear Parishioners,
I
recently read an article written by a young man spending a year
of college in France. He is remembering his grandfather. He
spent his summers at his grandparents’ home in Scranton. His
grandfather took him to St. Anne’s shrine there once a week to light
candles and pray. The elder gentleman would give the boy $15 to
put in the box by the candles. The boy then would go to the candle
rack and light three candles, one for each of three relatives who
had died. His grandfather remained in the first pew, hands folded,
head bowed in prayer, and the grandson would join him mimicking
his posture. This went on from early childhood until the year his grandfather died. Now, the
young man wrote, he visits churches and lights a candle remembering the conversations and
love of his grandfather, saying a prayer with his hands folded and head bowed.
It brought to mind my own grandmother. She was a “daily Mass, three rosaries a day”
and faithful and strong woman. She made First Communion dresses to send to missionaries
in Africa. And when we were young altar servers, our families had to purchase and maintain
our cassocks, surplices and special shoes so we wouldn’t scratch the marble floor of the
sanctuary. My grandmother paid for mine. She asked me to just say a prayer for her whenever
I served –most of the time, I forgot. But I remember her and her strong faith. And when our
bishop told us the day we’d be ordained, I returned to my calendar and discovered it was the
20th anniversary of her death, May 20. I’m a man who believes in signs.
All of this is to say that as we celebrate Mother’s Day in May and now, in June, Father’s
Day, we remember those beautiful people who have influenced our lives positively. Our faith
and how we live it impacts future generations long after we are living in heaven.
continued on back cover
QUEEN OF PEACE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
Office Team Important Part of Parish Life
O
ur parish office is a busy place. Just ask Angie Bernard,
our Office Manager. And she will be the first to tell you
that the Office Team helps keep things running smoothly.
There are 32 volunteers signed up for the ministry and 12
are regulars in the office.
“Some are always here, and the others come in depending
on the need, so I call when I have tasks to do,” Angie says. “We
do mailings, birthday cards, newsletters, among other things.
They help me when I need to be out of the office, they can
answer questions and can do their computer work. I have the
whole month scheduled so I know who will be here. Without
them, there’s no way I’d manage. I’m here at the front office
with the phones, schedules, and visitors. We do bulk mailings,
and there is no way I can do that without them. They’re not only
helping me, everyone here needs them.”
With many members of the Office Team being retirees,
they bring a wealth of experience to the parish office.
“I learn from them, and they know they are needed,”
Angie says.
The Office Team members volunteer for the ministry by
completing a covenant card. Angie is given the names of those
expressing an interest, and she calls them to determine what
schedule works for them.
As the Office Team members go about their tasks, they
experience a sense of belonging and purpose with the parish
community, Angie notes.
“As they are working, they are giving back to the community,
and are sharing God’s love,” she says. “They – and we all do
– draw closer to God and feel connected to His teachings. By
serving others, they – and all of us – serve God.”
Frances Smith joined the Office Team after she retired.
“After retiring from Buchholz High School, and not one
for sitting around, I knew I needed to find something that I
would enjoy,” she says. “At the time, I was not involved with
the church other than attending Mass. I saw that volunteering
would be the direction for me. I love being around people and
children, so I decided to check out volunteering at the church
and school.”
Elaine Zurek and Tim Wojciechowski are among the members of the
Queen of Peace Parish Office Team. The ministry members help with a
full range of tasks that help the parish run smoothly.
For Frances, working with the staff in the office “is
a real treat.”
“They are the best people to be around,” she says. “Seeing
this team bring so much joy and happiness to our congregation,
and watching the growth of our church and school brings a
smile to my face, along with a feeling of pride.”
Frances also mentors students at QOP Academy, and
still volunteers at Buchholz High School, where she is this
year’s Volunteer of the Year. So, between mentoring our
youth and serving in our parish office, she has “the best
of both worlds.”
“Now I am giving back to where it all started – serving the
Lord and His flock,” Frances says. “We are blessed to have
such a wonderful parish.”
Elaine Zurek says she and her husband, Tim Wojciechowski,
very much enjoy working with Angie on the Office Team.
“We want to help our parish and give back to God for
all our blessings,” Elaine says. “We enjoy helping the office
staff whenever they need our assistance. We are happy to
be needed!”
If you are interested in learning more, or in joining the Office Team,
call to action
please call Angie Bernard at 352-332-6279.
2
Walk in Love, Act in Mercy
W
The Bledsoes:
Letting the Light of Christ Shine
hen it comes down to it, the
Bledsoe family’s roots of
faith run fascinatingly deep.
“My Catholic name is Maisara
Margaret Bledsoe, but my birth
name was Maisara Mohammad
Danda,” Maisara Bledsoe says. “My
mother, Margaret, was a country
girl, born in Alachua, Fla. My father,
Mohammad, is an immigrant
from Beirut, Lebanon. My mother
considered herself Christian, but
was really non-practicing, and my
father is Muslim. Looking back on
my childhood, I think I’ve always
known what path to take. My
earliest memory was holding my
Grandmother’s wooden crucifix.
I also remember singing, ‘Jesus
loves me,’ while playing with my
toys in the living room when I was
4 years old. My Muslim aunt heard
me singing, stopped me and told
me that Jesus did not love me. I
remember being very confused and
hurt by what she said to me that day.
But I also remember speaking up,
saying, ‘Yes, He does!’ I was young
and stood up for what I believed in.”
To this day, Maisara continues
to “stand up” for what she believes
in – or rather, who she believes in –
Christ, as she lives a beautiful life of
stewardship along with her husband,
Jim, and their daughter Ainsley, 7.
“Stewardship is a way of life for us,”
she says. “As a family, we pray together,
attend church together and participate
in ministries together. Stewardship is
what we strive to do every day. We try
to be stewards of God and to use what
He has given us to show the world His
love through our actions.”
Currently, Jim is very active with the
Knights of Columbus, and serves as the
organization’s state-level P.R. person,
as well as a member of its Technology
Group. Jim and Maisara are also RCIA
sponsors and serve on the Stewardship
Council, and help with our parish Girl
Scout troop. They are also greeters
along with Ainsley. Maisara is active
with the Bereavement Ministry, the
Newcomers Welcome Ministry and the
Day of Reflection Retreat. Additionally,
she volunteers at our parish school,
where Ainsley is a first-grade student.
“She adores her classmates, and
all of her teachers too!” Maisara says.
“Whenever I am helping with an event,
my daughter is always willing to give a
helping hand, from preparing food, to
helping clean up afterward. Anything
continued on page 7
“I think a seed was planted many years ago and it was meant for
us to be here at Queen of Peace. Queen of Peace is not just a church
and a school that we attend, but it is our family!” – Maisara Bledsoe
3
QUEEN OF PEACE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
“We Are Willing and Able to
Our Knights of Columbus
W
For the past few years, the Knights have worked with Habitat for
Humanity. Knight John Thompson is one of those who volunteered.
At Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Knights work with Food for
Families to assist families in need.
The Knights provide many services to the parish. Here, they are serving
soup at a parish mission.
4
e are blessed in our Queen of Peace Catholic
Community to have Knights of Columbus
Council #11448. Our K of C Council is one of more
than 15,000 Councils with almost 2 million members
located throughout the world. Fraternity and charity
are the two key hallmarks of the Knights, who in the
past decade alone have donated $1.475 billion to
charity and given as good stewards almost 700 million
hours of volunteer service.
All the good works done by the Knights of Columbus
are based upon their four core principles: Charity,
Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. Our local council is
an excellent example of what it means to give and to
be good stewards.
“I feel like we Knights are sort of the ‘go-to-guys’ at
Queen of Peace,” says Grand Knight Kevin Shortelle.
“We are willing and able to help in any way we can with
whatever the parish or the ministries of the parish wish
to accomplish. We also do a lot in the community.”
With more than 160 members, the local council
is able to produce numerous volunteers for untold
numbers of projects. In terms of the parish, they are
involved in more ways than most people are probably
aware. They are available to help the parish community
and its many entities in setting up and taking down
numerous events and productions.
Our Knights head up helping the Food for Families
efforts at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Working with
the parish and Catholic Charities, they assist with
the monthly food drives on the first weekend of each
month. At Christmas, our council members get the
trees and decorate the altar for the holy season. They
are the moving force behind the weekly Lenten Fish
Fry Dinners. They are involved with the Mothers’ and
Fathers’ Day breakfasts in May and June. They provide
youth programs, including the Soccer Challenge and
the Free Throw Championship. Just this past summer,
it was the Knights who refurbished and renovated the
playground at Queen of Peace Academy.
Walk in Love, Act in Mercy
Help in Any Way We Can”
Council #11448
“We are almost just as involved in various community
activities,” Kevin says. “For the past few years, we have
worked with Habitat for Humanity in building houses for
local families. Each year, we supply volunteers to assist
with the Special Olympics program. Within the Church, we
also support seminarians, especially the two young men
in seminary from Queen of Peace.”
Kevin is completing his second year as Grand
Knight, and will turn over the leadership to a new
Grand Knight on July 1. However, he has strong feelings
about being a Knight and his leadership experience.
“I have truly enjoyed being the Grand Knight,” he
says. “We have a great group of men who always seem
ready to step in and help wherever and whenever
needed. Our role is to provide an opportunity for men to
serve God, the Church and our community. I feel like I
personally make a difference. That is what I want for all
of our members, to feel the same way.”
The Knights meet on the first Wednesday of every
month in Room 4 in Walsh Hall.
“Because of all we do and all we try to do, we always
need more members,” Kevin says. “I would encourage
younger men in particular to become part of our Council.”
“We have a great group of men who always seem ready to step in and help wherever
and whenever needed. Our role is to provide an opportunity for men to serve God, the
Church and our community. I feel like I personally make a difference. That is what I
want for all of our members, to feel the same way.” – Kevin Shortelle, Grand Knight
The Knights renovating and updating the Queen of Peace Academy
playground.
Last summer, the Knights renovated and updated the playground at
Queen of Peace Academy.
Anyone interested in more information on the Knights of Columbus may contact
Kevin Shortelle at 352-682-3560 or [email protected],
or they may contact Parish
call to action
Administrator Glen Vassou at 352-448-4555.
5
QUEEN OF PEACE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
Men Finding Deeper Fellowship
I
n so many places in our society, men are
expected to be strong and in control at all times,
so often expressed in the phrase “be a man.” But
here, in our Queen of Peace community, we are
blessed to have a ministry that is redefining what it
means to be a man.
As one member put it, Band of Brothers is
“a place men of common faith, struggles, and
stories can go for honest, constructive, and
supportive fellowship. We relate on the deepest
levels of spirituality, bringing us closer to God and
through this, so too are our families, friends, and
communities enriched and blessed.”
The Band of Brothers Ministry meets twice a
week to chat, pray, and enjoy video or book series
that help lead them deeper in the faith. Their
Tuesday morning meetings are organized with a
specific topic and regularly attended by 35 men or
more. Thursday night meetings are more informal
and intimate with a small group of men meeting to
talk and pray.
“Men don’t usually have the special support
networks that women do, and these windows of
opportunity give us the chance to share as men
our own joys and challenges and struggles,” says
Mike Sanders, a group founder and leader of the
Thursday night meetings. “Oftentimes in regular
society when we admit our faults, that’s seen as a
weakness. Scripture says ‘iron sharpens iron,’ so
men can sharpen other men.”
Mike and fellow ministry coordinator Jim Stockman
both describe the group as diverse, with gentlemen
from their 20’s to their 70’s all in regular attendance.
“Some of us are married, some are divorced,
some never married,” Mike says. “There’s a
diversity there that we benefit from. The young guys
can learn from our wisdom because we’ve lived so
many years and we get a perspective from them
that’s fresh because some of us can’t remember
what it’s like to be 20 years old.”
Jim says the group grew into what it is now
after he attended the Wild at Heart Boot Camp in
“The underlying foundation is that this is where
guys can talk about something more substantial
when they realize they need something more
in their lives beyond casual friends. It’s a place
where guys can be real and know that other guys
care about them and are legitimately helping
each other get closer to Christ. It’s not something
you can box up – it’s at the core of who we are.”
– Jim Stockman
6
Walk in Love, Act in Mercy
Through Band of Brothers
Colorado. Organized by Ransomed Heart Ministries
and based on the book Wild at Heart, by John Eldredge,
these yearly camps give men a chance to relax and
discover the heart of God.
“That retreat was very significant in my life,” Jim
says. “It made a real impact on me. Many of the guys out
there were non-Catholic Christians and they were talking
about men’s groups that they were a part of at home,
and I thought, ‘I’d like to have that.’ I came back with a
passion from that to want to get a bunch of guys together
and offer them the fellowship that had touched me.”
As leader of the Tuesday morning meetings, Jim
says the confidential small group sessions are often
the most important element for many men who attend
Band of Brothers.
“The underlying foundation is that this is where
guys can talk about something more substantial when
they realize they need something more in their lives
beyond casual friends,” he says. “It’s a place where
guys can be real and know that other guys care about
them and are legitimately helping each other get
closer to Christ. It’s not something you can box up –
it’s at the core of who we are.
“Bottom line – it’s just a great bunch of guys that
care about each other,” Jim continues. “If you let
people recognize that you don’t have it all together,
bring it here and we’re not going to use it against you
because we care. You develop a deeper relationship
because you’ve shared with each other and you find a
bond that’s beyond a casual friendship.”
Tuesday morning meetings are held weekly at 6 a.m. in the church hospitality area – don’t worry, coffee and a light
breakfast are provided! The smaller Thursday night
group
in the St. Therese room at 7 p.m. Men who would like
call
tomeets
action
more information are encouraged to reach out to Jim Stockman and Mike Sanders at [email protected].
Letting the Light of Christ Shine
continued from page 3
that she can do, she does. Whenever Ainsley shows interest in helping or participating
in the church, we always try to support her.”
Although the Bledsoes have clearly given their hearts to our parish community,
their initial involvement wasn’t just a “given.”
“I took a religion course when I was 19 years old and decided to attend Mass
at Queen of Peace just so I could write a paper on my experience,” Maisara says.
“At the time, Jim and I were dating and he joined me. I never thought I would
return, but God had other plans and brought me back here many years later! I was
baptized here four years ago at the Easter Vigil, on the same day that Ainsley was
baptized. Jim was baptized a year later. Why? I think a seed was planted many
years ago and it was meant for us to be here at Queen of Peace. Queen of Peace
is not just a church and a school that we attend, but it is our family!”
Looking forward, the Bledsoes have dreams of bringing the love of Christ to others.
“I would like to go on a Haiti mission one day, and Ainsley would like to help out
in hospitality after Mass,” Maisara says. “God gave us the talents we have. It’s up to
us to use them to make the world a better place. And through our talents, we let the
light of Christ shine.”
7
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352-332-6279 :: [email protected]
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Important Influences continued from front cover
Schools can teach the various subjects we need to succeed, coaches of
various kinds can help us develop our skills, and our peers can influence us. But
our families form our selves. And it is the “our self” that empowers our lives now
and our lives through eternity. So, we want to honor our parents and grandparents
who have not only loved us well and taught the un-teachable, but were also most
essential influences in our lives by their example. I’d suggest, it’s strong faith
that will carry us through the most important and sometimes difficult challenges
throughout our lives. By this I mean, the power of prayer to provide confidence,
hope, reassurance, resilience, and motivation and, certainly, attitude. I don’t
believe definitions and rules we learn in sacramental preparation – as important
as they are – make the difference. I believe we find life more reasonable when we
have faith in the mystery of our God’s absolute love for us individually.
Please enjoy this summer, and if you have the opportunity, please light a
candle and pray – this world can use even the smallest glow of light. God bless
you!
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Jeff McGowan,
Pastor
Upcoming
Events
June 8:
Married & Engaged
Ministry Meeting, 6 p.m.
June 19:
Father’s Day Breakfast after
8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Masses
in Walsh Hall, sponsored by
the Knights of Columbus
June 24:
Newcomer Dinner, 6:15 p.m.
in the Hospitality Area of
the Church