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Fr. Don's Weekly Letter ~ 23 May 2021

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

Happy Pentecost!  David Mathers has done a great piece on his weekly psalm reflection about today which I recommend on page 6.
  
This happy day has at the beginning of its trajectory creation, but in a particular way things really started moving when God's will to redeem us was revealed.  God became the clay which he first made and breathed life into.  He revealed his love.

We profess this every Sunday: "For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man."

Most of my colleagues in ecumenical dialogue are cringing at this point at what they hear as the insensitive use of gender-exclusive vocabulary.  But there is a real urgency for the need to understand what the Church is actually saying.  Some try to say "a man," and though that is true, it does not begin to capture the full truth of faith.  Some would say "mankind" instead, but that is a thing, not a person.  Same with "human."  And certainly nobody would ever just say he became "male."

I checked in with English experts online and was surprised to find there is some chat going on about this.  Mostly all seem to have dismissed the capital M used for Man as an old-fashioned convention used in formal writing that ended around 100 years ago.  You will find it in classic philosophical texts whose purpose is not to meet a grammatical rule, but to express a Tradition that is impossible to capture with words anyway.  I propose to you that the forgetfulness of the word's usage has stimulated a forgottenness about what the word signifies.  All of us.

When I was a kid it made perfect sense to me, because I remember: Sister taught us to spell this kind of Man with a capital M.  He became Man.  Immediately you know that it means all of humankind, but that this type of new being God-Man is One.  He is not a pluralism, he is a unity of diversity. Use this as your starting point and I believe you will begin to experience most things differently:  faith, family, church, society, world.

I think you have to understand this to understand Pentecost.  When Jesus touched humanity and became Man, Man (humanity-person) changed.  Just the same as our first parents' sin has touched all of us, we had to be brought back together.  The Fathers of the Church in the first centuries agreed about this oneness of humanity: the Good Shepherd went out, leaving 99 sheep behind (the angels) to rescue the one who was lost, Man.  All of us. Today he touches every person who ever existed.  We will know the effect when we consciously and lovingly receive the gift he is always giving.  We do this ritually by sacraments.

We cannot judge others without judging ourselves, we are so inter-connected.  When one of us sins, all of us suffer, in the same way that we are all strengthened by the good that one of us is able to do.  Look around us today:  we have forgotten who we are, and are becoming a collection of factions of people who are only motivated by I.

Today Jesus fills us with his Spirit, and the recreation can be complete.

The Lord be with you.




Streaming Masses and Announcements for the week of 16 May 2021

Click here to Reserve A Seat (Español)
In accordance with the Governor’s Phase 3 and Arlington Diocese Guidelines, we welcome you and your family back to Saint Bernadette. For specific instructions for attendance click the "New Guidelines for Attending Mass" video link below.

Click here for the video explaining our "New Guidelines for Attending Mass at Saint Bernadette" 


STREAMING SUNDAY AND WEEKDAY MASSES

Today's Live-Streamed Mass

Worship Aid for the Ascension 

Worship Aid for the Ascension of the Lord and 11am Blessing with Bishop Burbidge

fleur cross logo Please join Saint Bernadette School PTO to say goodbye to our principal, Mrs. Dalmut. We will create a pathway of lanterns to celebrate her next journey. Help create this beautiful event by purchasing lantern to light the path. Please visit our Saint Bernadette Online Store for more information stbernstore.com 

fleur cross logo Our Holy Spirit Novena Begins this Friday, 14 May. Please find the prayers located on our announcements page on the parish website.

fleur cross logo Please note with regard to the recent relaxation of some diocesan Covid guidelines pertaining to music:  We will gradually investigate ways to re-introduce music fully into the liturgy.  Because we do not want to place anyone at risk or cause uneasiness for those who have already made reservations for the upcoming celebrations, we will incorporate only the sung parts of the Mass and the Psalm at first.  For those who wish to sing we encourage you to sing quietly.  Congregational singing of hymns will be a later addition if current trends of infection are decreasing.  We don't want to ignore the dramatic spikes which are taking place in many places in the world today.  

fleur cross logo 
As always, please make reservations for Masses: It is working! As Mass attendance increases, we will seat those with reservations first and walk-ins will be accommodated after those with reservations are seated.  You can find how many seats are still available by visiting the website.


fleur cross logo All are asked to please exit the church and vestibule right at the end of Mass so that there is at least a full half-hour for sanitizing the church.  We reopen 30 minutes before the next Mass.

Fr. Don's Weekly Letter ~ 16 May 2021

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

You have to wonder what that moment of Jesus' ascension into heaven actually looked like.  The painting on the cover of the bulletin is a really interesting take on one possibility.  The painter, Robert Shaw, lives just north of Dublin and has kindly given us permission to print this private commission.  Rather cosmic. On this page are a couple of other images, one woodcut print of Jesus' proximate, intimate departure with his friends; the others, typical medieval/late medieval representations of those who are "left behind" with only the feet of Jesus seen, sort of weirdly cropped out of the top of the picture as if it were a snapshot, though it would be many centuries before a camera is invented.

One of the primary passions of my life has been the Tradition of our church art and architecture throughout the ages.  You may have already guessed this because I am always talking about art and architecture.  After I was ordained I asked Bishop Keating if I might be allowed to take further studies toward developing a vernacular of uniquely Catholic Tradition and what that might look like today, how art and architecture speaks our identity in the modern age.  He was not interested.  I have always been frustrated by the current trend to always build revivals of gothic revival churches—pretty much all our new churches—as if we were still living in 1150.  Even then gothic was considered super modern.  And I'm pretty sure none of us would want to go back to living the life of 1150 with a life expectancy of 35.  What does ancient faith look like and still be relevant to today?  What are the new wineskins that will contain the reality of our new, ongoing, continual conversion?

Imagine what must have been going through the minds of the followers of Jesus—especially the Apostles—who had to take the next step as leaders, at this moment of his ascension to heaven.  Now what?
Momentary panic, perhaps—if you're in charge and everyone is looking at you to take the next step, what do you do?

I remember this feeling when I was first ordained.  Now what?  Maybe you were baptized as an adult or have experienced a very rich period of consolation, feeling very connected with God, and now not so much?  It can be bewildering, that moment when you are looking up and it seems like Jesus just left the building. Of course, we know he can't go there away from here, because he is everywhere.  I don't think he really went up in the air;  I think he expanded infinitely to total transparency.

First, you accept that it is not up to you.  All is in God's hands.  And then you discern.  The change required by constant conversion requires a willingness to constantly discern.  What is happening in daily circumstances?  What is God revealing through my relationships:  husband or wife, children, relatives, friends, colleagues at work?  The discipline of discernment is really just an attentiveness to the voice of God who speaks constantly though our ears may not be tuned to the right frequency.  The Holy Spirit always reveals the next step, usually the simplest, most logical and, ironically, the hardest to see in the moment.

Once found, it is this new context where the creative hand of God goes to work.  Our lives become a completely new work of art, our homes become amazing architecture fitting for this new expression of love.

God bless you.

Streaming Masses and Announcements for the week of 9 May 2021

Click here to Reserve A Seat (Español)
In accordance with the Governor’s Phase 3 and Arlington Diocese Guidelines, we welcome you and your family back to Saint Bernadette. For specific instructions for attendance click the "New Guidelines for Attending Mass" video link below.

Click here for the video explaining our "New Guidelines for Attending Mass at Saint Bernadette" 


STREAMING SUNDAY AND WEEKDAY MASSES

Today's Live-Streamed Mass

Worship Aid for the Sixth Sunday of Easter

fleur cross logo Please join Saint Bernadette School PTO to say goodbye to our principal, Mrs. Dalmut. We will create a pathway of lanterns to celebrate her next journey. Help create this beautiful event by purchasing lantern to light the path. Please visit our Saint Bernadette Online Store for more information stbernstore.com 

fleur cross logo Our second collection this weekend is for Parish Special Needs. The collection will be used toward purchasing new hardbound hymnals for the church

fleur cross logo Our Mothers’ Day Novena begins this Sunday continues with nine days of Masses for moms, grandmothers and anyone who has served in the role of mothers. It is still not too late to get your envelope in. Gift cards are available in the vestibule or download our Mother’s Day Novena Form from our parish website announcements page. Please name those you would like to remember with your donation on the envelope.

fleur cross logo The Knights of Columbus will be handing out Project Manger envelopes after all Masses today.  Project Manger purchases baby cribs for needy mothers who have chosen life for their babies rather than abortion. Please take an envelope and read the flyer for more information about the program and how to make a donation. Thank you in advance for your generosity and support for mothers in need

fleur cross logo Please note with regard to the recent relaxation of some diocesan Covid guidelines pertaining to music:  We will gradually investigate ways to re-introduce music fully into the liturgy.  Because we do not want to place anyone at risk or cause uneasiness for those who have already made reservations for the upcoming celebrations, we will incorporate only the sung parts of the Mass and the Psalm at first.  For those who wish to sing we encourage you to sing quietly.  Congregational singing of hymns will be a later addition if current trends of infection are decreasing.  We don't want to ignore the dramatic spikes which are taking place in many places in the world today.  

fleur cross logo 
As always, please make reservations for Masses: It is working! As Mass attendance increases, we will seat those with reservations first and walk-ins will be accommodated after those with reservations are seated.  You can find how many seats are still available by visiting the website.


fleur cross logo All are asked to please exit the church and vestibule right at the end of Mass so that there is at least a full half-hour for sanitizing the church.  We reopen 30 minutes before the next Mass.

Fr. Don's Weekly Letter ~ 9 May 2021

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,
 
Happy Mothers' Day!  It is our prayer that today is a particularly special day for you moms and those taking the active role of moms, especially as we have had a full year since last Mothers' Day and you have really kept it all together wearing many hats—not only moms but teachers and workers at home as well.  Blessings to you today.
 
This week I'm going to cover a lot of points of information.  It is nice to have things to talk about again!  
 
Congratulations to Eleanor Daly, resident at Greenspring and parishioner, who won the new van in our recent car raffle!  We are grateful to all who participated to help us with school tuition.First, I want to announce that Fr. Peter Okola will be leaving us the end of May.  His religious order has decided to reorganize communities and he has not been in community for some years.  His last day with us will be Sunday, May 30.  We thank him for his contribution to our parish community and wish him all the best.  It has been a strange year for everyone, indeed, but imagine beginning and ending an assignment in the middle of Covid.  Be sure and thank him if you can.
 
Bishop Burbidge will be joining us for the 11am Mass on next Sunday, May 16.  I know this isn't advance notice, but we still we can have only 250 people in the church for the Mass, and the Mass has been fully reserved or nearly full for several weeks now.  This special Mass will be live-streamed, and will mark the end of Pope Francis' Laudato Si' anniversary year, his landmark encyclical on the environment and care for our common home, and Bishop will bless the solar panels which are installed on the roofs of the church and gym which represent our commitment to reduce our carbon footprint.
 
The second collection this week is the annual Parish Special Needs collection.  This year I have determined that your contributions received will go toward the purchase of new hymnals for the church.  In the past we have paid a subscription for a quarterly disposable hymnal and missalette, and we would like to make the move to proper hardbound hymnals.  We will still renew our subscription for the bilingual seasonal missalettes.  The total for new hymnals sounds like a lot, but is actually less than the disposable books' subscription over the course of a hymn book's lifespan: about $30K.
 
We are just waiting on the county permit to begin construction of a platform and risers for the choir, piano and organ.  As soon as we receive it, workers will be coming into the church after the end of the 9am daily Mass.  For a time, we will need to ask the rosary group to gather before Mass for the rosary, at least until CDC guidelines allow more than 10 in the chapel at one time.
 
Last but not least, I am seeking the right volunteers to help us with scheduling Lectors, Ushers, and leading the RCIA program.  Nancy Allard has been so very gracious throughout this pandemic being the coordinator of all volunteers who lector, greet and seat at Masses, literally all who are active during this time.  It is a big job and she would like to share it.  Also, I would like to start forming a team of caring people who wish to accompany and mentor those considering the Catholic Church next fall, to form an intentional community around them and welcome them—much more than teaching!  Contact me if you are interested.
 

God bless you.



Congratulations to Eleanor Daly, resident at Greenspring and parishioner, who won the new van in our recent car raffle!  We are grateful to all who participated to help us with school tuition.

Streaming Masses and Announcements for the week of 2 May 2021

Click here to Reserve A Seat (Español)
In accordance with the Governor’s Phase 3 and Arlington Diocese Guidelines, we welcome you and your family back to Saint Bernadette. For specific instructions for attendance click the "New Guidelines for Attending Mass" video link below.

Click here for the video explaining our "New Guidelines for Attending Mass at Saint Bernadette" 


STREAMING SUNDAY AND WEEKDAY MASSES

Today's Live-Streamed Mass

Worship Aid for the Fifth Sunday of Easter

fleur cross logo Please join Saint Bernadette School PTO to say goodbye to our principal, Mrs. Dalmut. We will create a pathway of lanterns to celebrate her next journey. Help create this beautiful event by purchasing lantern to light the path. Please visit our Saint Bernadette Online Store for more information stbernstore.com 

fleur cross logo Our second collection next weekend is for Parish Special Needs. The collection will be used toward purchasing new hardbound hymnals for the church

fleur cross logo Our Mothers’ Day Novena begins this Sunday with nine days of Masses for moms, grandmothers and anyone who has served in the role of mothers. It is still not too late to get your envelope in. Gift cards are available in the vestibule or download our Mother’s Day Novena Form from our parish website announcements page. Please name those you would like to remember with your donation on the envelope.

fleur cross logo Please note with regard to the recent relaxation of some diocesan Covid guidelines pertaining to music:  We will gradually investigate ways to re-introduce music fully into the liturgy.  Because we do not want to place anyone at risk or cause uneasiness for those who have already made reservations for the upcoming celebrations, we will incorporate only the sung parts of the Mass and the Psalm at first.  For those who wish to sing we encourage you to sing quietly.  Congregational singing of hymns will be a later addition if current trends of infection are decreasing.  We don't want to ignore the dramatic spikes which are taking place in many places in the world today.  

fleur cross logo 
As always, please make reservations for Masses: It is working! As Mass attendance increases, we will seat those with reservations first and walk-ins will be accommodated after those with reservations are seated.  You can find how many seats are still available by visiting the website.


fleur cross logo All are asked to please exit the church and vestibule right at the end of Mass so that there is at least a full half-hour for sanitizing the church.  We reopen 30 minutes before the next Mass.

Fr. Don's Weekly Letter ~ 2 May 2021

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

With the observance of the 51st Earth Day and the five-year anniversary of Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato si', I thought it might be well for us to renew the appeal that the Holy Father made to the world.

10. "I do not want to write this Encyclical without turning to that attractive and compelling figure, whose name I took as my guide and inspiration when I was elected Bishop of Rome. I believe that Saint Francis is the example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically. He is the patron saint of all who study and work in the area of ecology, and he is also much loved by non-Christians. He was particularly concerned for God’s creation and for the poor and outcast. He loved, and was deeply loved for his joy, his generous self-giving, his openheartedness. He was a mystic and a pilgrim who lived in simplicity and in wonderful harmony with God, with others, with nature and with himself. He shows us just how inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society, and interior peace. 

13. "The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change. The Creator does not abandon us; he never forsakes his loving plan or repents of having created us. Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home. Here I want to recognize, encourage and thank all those striving in countless ways to guarantee the protection of the home which we share. Particular appreciation is owed to those who tirelessly seek to resolve the tragic effects of environmental degradation on the lives of the world’s poorest. Young people demand change. They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a better future without thinking of the environmental crisis and the sufferings of the excluded.

14. "I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all. The worldwide ecological movement has already made considerable progress and led to the establishment of numerous organizations committed to raising awareness of these challenges. Regrettably, many efforts to seek concrete solutions to the environmental crisis have proved ineffective, not only because of powerful opposition but also because of a more general lack of interest. Obstructionist attitudes, even on the part of believers, can range from denial of the problem to indifference, nonchalant resignation or blind confidence in technical solutions. We require a new and universal solidarity. As the bishops of Southern Africa have stated: “Everyone’s talents and involvement are needed to redress the damage caused by human abuse of God’s creation.” All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents."

God bless you.

 

Streaming Masses and Announcements for the week of 25 April 2021

Click here to Reserve A Seat (Español)
In accordance with the Governor’s Phase 3 and Arlington Diocese Guidelines, we welcome you and your family back to Saint Bernadette. For specific instructions for attendance click the "New Guidelines for Attending Mass" video link below.

Click here for the video explaining our "New Guidelines for Attending Mass at Saint Bernadette" 


STREAMING SUNDAY AND WEEKDAY MASSES

Today's Live-Streamed Mass

Worship Aid for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

fleur cross logo Please join Saint Bernadette School PTO to say goodbye to our principal, Mrs. Dalmut. We will create a pathway of lanterns to celebrate her next journey. Help create this beautiful event by purchasing lantern to light the path. Please visit our Saint Bernadette Online Store for more information stbernstore.com 

fleur cross logo This weekend's second collection is for Catholic Home Missions, your support is greatly appreciated. 

fleur cross logo Our Mothers’ Day Novena begins next Sunday with nine days of Masses for moms, grandmothers and anyone who has served in the role of mothers. It is still not too late to get your envelope in. Gift cards are available in the vestibule or download our Mother’s Day Novena Form from our parish website announcements page. Please name those you would like to remember with your donation on the envelope.

fleur cross logo Please note with regard to the recent relaxation of some diocesan Covid guidelines pertaining to music:  We will gradually investigate ways to re-introduce music fully into the liturgy.  Because we do not want to place anyone at risk or cause uneasiness for those who have already made reservations for the upcoming celebrations, we will incorporate only the sung parts of the Mass and the Psalm at first.  For those who wish to sing we encourage you to sing quietly.  Congregational singing of hymns will be a later addition if current trends of infection are decreasing.  We don't want to ignore the dramatic spikes which are taking place in many places in the world today.  

fleur cross logo 
As always, please make reservations for Masses: It is working! As Mass attendance increases, we will seat those with reservations first and walk-ins will be accommodated after those with reservations are seated.  You can find how many seats are still available by visiting the website.


fleur cross logo All are asked to please exit the church and vestibule right at the end of Mass so that there is at least a full half-hour for sanitizing the church.  We reopen 30 minutes before the next Mass.

Fr. Don's Weekly Letter ~ 25 April 2021

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

The Principal Search Committee is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs. Darcie Girmus as the next Principal of Saint Bernadette Catholic School. The Search Committee was comprised of representatives from the Diocese, the school and the parish. This dedicated group met numerous times to determine the qualifications needed in the individual responsible for carrying our school to the next level. The Committee reviewed numerous applications and interviewed several highly qualified candidates to ensure the right person was chosen to lead our school and build on our strong foundation. 

Mrs. Girmus currently serves as the Principal of Holy Family Catholic School in South Pasadena, California. Like St. Bernadette, Holy Family School had a highly successful and seamless switch to virtual learning last spring. Mrs. Girmus brings extensive knowledge of what it takes to successfully operate a school. She will begin her role here at Saint Bernadette on July 1, 2021. In the coming months, she will have opportunities to meet with Mrs. Dalmut, teachers, staff and parents in order to facilitate a seamless transition to the new school year.  

Mrs. Girmus comes to us with 35 years of experience in both public and Catholic school education. She began her teaching career in Nebraska in 1986, where she taught at the elementary and middle school levels for 17 years. In 2003, Mrs. Girmus and her family moved to Vienna, Virginia from Nebraska where they literally “sold the farm” to fulfill her lifelong dream of teaching in a Catholic School and obtaining a better education for her children. Mrs. Girmus was a founding faculty member at Saint Mark Catholic School. She taught across all  grade levels and subject areas while at Saint Mark. In 2010, Mrs. Girmus was asked to serve as Assistant Principal and in 2013 she rose to the position of Principal where she served for six years. While at Saint Mark, she led the school to a Blue Ribbon Award in 2015.
 
She holds both a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (1986) and a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction (1989) from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  Additionally, Mrs. Girmus earned a Master of Arts in 2011 from Marymount University in Catholic School Leadership and received certification from the State of Virginia in Elementary Education and Administration. 

Mrs. Girmus and her husband, Greg, are looking forward to joining our St. Bernadette community as parishioners. They have two grown sons, one in Germany and the other in Detroit. She has a sister who resides in Falls Church. In her spare time, Mrs. Girmus enjoys gardening, singing, all things science, woodworking and shoemaking.

Mrs. Girmus has worked diligently in her career to cultivate unity between school and parish communities. I look forward to working alongside her to carry on the great work started by Mrs. Dalmut, whom we will miss very much. Together, we will all work to form hearts and minds in Christ as we continue to build on the foundation that St. Bernadette established over the past 60 years.

God bless you.




Streaming Masses and Announcements for the week of 18 April 2021

Click here to Reserve A Seat (Español)
In accordance with the Governor’s Phase 3 and Arlington Diocese Guidelines, we welcome you and your family back to Saint Bernadette. For specific instructions for attendance click the "New Guidelines for Attending Mass" video link below.

Click here for the video explaining our "New Guidelines for Attending Mass at Saint Bernadette" 


STREAMING SUNDAY AND WEEKDAY MASSES

Today's Live-Streamed Mass

Worship Aid for the Third Sunday of Easter

fleur cross logo Please note with regard to the recent relaxation of some diocesan Covid guidelines pertaining to music:  We will gradually investigate ways to re-introduce music fully into the liturgy.  Because we do not want to place anyone at risk or cause uneasiness for those who have already made reservations for the upcoming celebrations, we will incorporate only the sung parts of the Mass and the Psalm at first.  For those who wish to sing we encourage you to sing quietly.  Congregational singing of hymns will be a later addition if current trends of infection are decreasing.  We don't want to ignore the dramatic spikes which are taking place in many places in the world today.  

fleur cross logo 
As always, please make reservations for Masses: It is working! As Mass attendance increases, we will seat those with reservations first and walk-ins will be accommodated after those with reservations are seated.  You can find how many seats are still available by visiting the website.


fleur cross logo All are asked to please exit the church and vestibule right at the end of Mass so that there is at least a full half-hour for sanitizing the church.  We reopen 30 minutes before the next Mass.