Line of Duty Death

Posted on by Fr. Peter
I have blogged before about being a Fire Chaplain and the joy that that aspect of ministry brings. The down side to that ministry is being on a team that has to inform a family of a death in the line of duty. I can say that so far I have been spared that particular part of ministry.
Yesterday at our chaplains conference this topic came up. A very sensitive area and one that has to be handled just right. I always find it interesting that people think it is easier for one in ministry to bring the bad news. Why is that? Why am I, just because I happen to wear a collar, any more prepared to bring the news than anyone else? The answer for me anyway is because someone has to do it. Usually the chaplain and the chief go to bring the news, and it is not easy for the chief as he has just lost someone in the line.
I am working now on the protocol for the Line of Duty Death Notification for our department and it is amazing how detailed this document is. It leaves nothing out and allows for no mistakes. After all, we owe it to the bravest to handle things in the right way.
This brings up another topic. Does everyone have a will? Recently a parishioner died in the parish and he had no family. This set off all sorts of questions about what to do and even who will make the arrangements. I was so surprised by this, but I come from a large family so the chances of me being that last are pretty slim. But, have we made arrangements for us or told someone what we want done? In other words are we ready to go? We need to make sure that our death will not be any harder on the people we leave behind. Even if we think we have nothing, we should have a simple will. Oh and let me make this pitch. Do not forget your church, whatever church that might be, in your will. Okay shameless commercial over.

St. Fechin

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Fechin was probably born at Luighne (Leyney), Ireland. He was trained by St. Nathy, was founding Abbot of Fobhar, or Fore, in Westmeath, and died of the plague that devastated Ireland in the year 665. His feast day is January 20th.

Spiritual Warfare

Posted on by Fr. Peter
I have always been a believer in the other side of the spiritual world. I don’t mean like the dark side from Star Wars but the demonic side of things. As a minister I believe that we face temptation and also face the dark side on a daily basis and how we deal with it is what makes us who we are. As ministers we do not take the best care of ourselves as we should. We care for everyone, and never look after ourselves. We pray for other but not for ourselves. It is important for people in ministry to find someone that they can unload on and share the ups and downs of ministry we cannot keep it all inside because that opens us to the temptations of the evil one. Ministry is hard and we need support from our families and from our friends.
Have a blessed Sunday.

Go Pat’s!

Barrow, Alaska

Posted on by Fr. Peter

Yesterday I was surfing around some orthodox websites and I stumbled across a page at the Orthodox Christian Mission Center’s site about missionary needs. The ad reads as follows:

Priest needed for Barrow, Alaska – the northernmost community in the US. Inquire about this unique opportunity today!

So I began to look around for information on Barrow, Alaska. I found this entry in wikipedia about Barrow. Although not the northern most settlement but close. The northernmost settlement in the US is Point Barrow a little further up. Barrow is a city in the North Slope Borough and has a population of 4,218. According to the weather channel the temp today is a low of -20 and a high of -8 degrees F. The sun sets on November 18th and is rarely seen again until the end of January when it begins to rise. Then by the middle of may the sun stays up for 24 hours a day. The average temp only goes above the freezing point for 109 days each year. This sounds like my kind of place. So anyone wanna go?

St. Fillan

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Fillan, son of Feriach and St. Kentigerna, was also known as Foelan. He became a monk in his youth and accompanied his mother from Ireland to Scotland where he lived as a hermit near St. Andrew’s monastery for many years, and then was elected abbot. He later resigned and resumed his eremitical life at Glendochart, Pertchire, where he built a church and was reknowned for his miracles. Various legends attribute the most extravagant miracles to him, such as the one in which his prayers caused a wolf that had killed the ox he was using to drag materials to the church he was building, to take the ox’s place. Fillan died on January 19. His feast day is January 19.

300 Years of Union

Posted on by Fr. Peter
On Thursday January 16, 1707 the Scottish Parliament voted in favour of the Act of Union. According to tradition, the Act was touched by the Scepter and Scotland set herself on the path to membership of Britain.
The Act came into effect on May 1 1707 after being approved by the English Parliament at Westminster and receiving the Royal Assent of Queen Anne.
Much is in the news today about the vote for Scottish Independence. Tempers are running high on both sides and people really need to think about the long term for Scotland and her people. Will the Scottish people be better off being independent of England or will they benefit by keeping things the way they are. This will be the most important vote in the history of Scotland. I wonder what Robert the Bruce would say?

Collaboration

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Much has been in the religious news this past week about the resignation of the Archbishop of Warsaw over his alleged collaboration with the former communist government of Poland. I have been thinking about this topic this week and have come up with a question. Is collaboration always bad?
If church leaders collaborate with the government of their country to keep the church alive and safe is that a bad thing? Should the church stand up against all forms of oppression and take their licks as the come down the pike? With same sex marriage here in Massachusetts the day could come when the state tells us clergy that we have to perform the marriages. Now I agree that this is truly fantasy, but it could happen. So what do we do?
I don’t have any answers, only questions to ponder and I also pray that I will never be put into this situation.

29th Sunday After Pentecost

Posted on by Fr. Peter

Colossians 3:4-11
Luke 17:12-19

This Sunday is also known as the Sunday of the 10 Lepers.

In the Gospel passage today we see Jesus encountering 10 lepers who have come to see him. They see him and they say, “Have mercy on us.” Now, unlike other healing passages in the Gospel the healing does not take place right away. He tells them to go and show themselves to the priest. Lepers were unclean and therefore set apart from the community so the illness would not spread to others. If they were healed of this illness, they were to go to the priest who would certify that they were in fact clean and could return to the community in which they lived, or another one. As they went on their way they were healed, or as the Scriptures say, “they were cleansed.”
One of the guys realized that he was now clean, and turned around and started to praise God. He returned to Jesus and fell on the ground. Jesus says, “were not 10 cleansed? Where are the other nine?” To make matters worse this man was a Samaritan, the scourge of the day. So only the unclean to begin with returned giving praise to God. He tells the mean to go that his faith has made him whole. But what of the others? Did they get their illness back? We do not know, but I would hazard to guess that they did not.
God gives us gifts each day, and some times we thank him for them and sometimes we do not. Does he take them away from us? Of course not. However we need to thank God for all that he has given us and will give us each and every day. Let us be the one that comes back and says thank you and not one the nine who could not even bother to give thanks to God.

Wright’s Chicken Farm

Posted on by Fr. Peter
If you happen to find yourself in Harrisville Rhode Island then you have to take a trip to Wright’s Chicken Farm. I had the opportunity to go there last night with some of the guys from the firehouse where I am the chaplain. First I have to say that it was great to be able to spend time with these guys and their families on a much different level than I usually do. Second, strap on the feed bag because gluttony is the name of the game at this place.
The place is the largest restaurant I have even been too it seats about 2000. You sit down, order drinks, and the food starts coming out. All served family style you get salad, pasta, french fried potatoes, and of course chicken that just falls off the bone. And it just keeps coming. You sit a long tables with paper on them and as soon as one group leaves the army of serves comes from the back to clear and reset the table for the next bunch of hungry people.
I wish to thank all of the chickens that gave their life so I could feast yesterday. I am still full and it is 7:30am the next day. I have a feeling I will be back to this place. The best part of the whole deal is that it is only 10 bucks a head for all of this in this economy that is a great deal!
Thanks Wright’s!
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