st vincent de paul regional seminary - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T15:59:50Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/st+vincent+de+paul+regional+seminaryFinding Faith: How should people of faith deal with Halloween?https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/finding-faith-how-should-people-of-faith-deal-with-halloween2023-10-03T18:36:35.000Z2023-10-03T18:36:35.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12239045285,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12239045285,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="524" alt="12239045285?profile=RESIZE_584x" /></a><em>Fright Night films offer gruesome images as part of their appeal. ‘We have to be careful what we look upon, what we bring into our lives,’ Father Kevin McQuone says.</em><br /><strong><em>Photo provided</em> </strong></p>
<p><strong>By Janis Fontaine</strong></p>
<p>Some holidays are sacred (Christmas and Easter, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), some are patriotic (July Fourth and Memorial Day), and some are just for fun (St. Patrick’s Day, Valentine’s Day).</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12239046453,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12239046453,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="108" alt="12239046453?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>“Those are beer-and-Hallmark holidays,” says Father Kevin McQuone, assistant professor of pastoral theology at the Catholic St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. But Halloween stands alone with its dark and dangerous themes. </p>
<p>Most holidays feature indulgence. You might wake up with a pulsing headache or upset stomach the next day, but Halloween, the church says, has its own inherent dangers.</p>
<p>“Our celebrations should reflect our values,” McQuone said. “If someone came to my home, what would they see is valuable to me?” </p>
<p>Would they find tombstones and gargoyles? Witch silhouettes in the windows and skeletons on the lawn? </p>
<p>Some will argue the origin of Halloween has a religious connection, and it does. As Christianity spread and the church expanded its reach, local pagan holidays were often absorbed to make the people feel more comfortable. All Hallows’ Day — also called All Saints’ Day — is a Christian feast day celebrated on Nov. 1 in honor of the saints. The night before was All Hallows’ Eve, a more solemn night of fasting and prayer.</p>
<p>When Catholics assimilated the Celts, they enveloped the Celtic bonfire festival, called Samhain, which celebrated the end of harvest with huge fires and the slaughtering of animals. It was much like a harvest festival, except that it ushered in winter, the “dark half of the year.”</p>
<p>At this time of year, practitioners believed the veil between the living and the dead was thinner and spirits could cross over and take living souls back to hell with them. To appease the spirits (demons), the fearful folk left plates of food out to distract them and dressed in deathlike costumes to confuse them.</p>
<p>Somehow these customs have morphed into the current Halloween, with more dark debauchery seemingly added to the palette each year. </p>
<p>From a clearly practical sense, Halloween is one of the deadliest nights of the year for children. The reason? Motor vehicle vs. pedestrian accidents. A study by <em>JAMA Pediatrics</em> looked at almost 40 years’ worth of data and found: “The relative risk of a pedestrian fatality was 43% higher on Halloween compared with control evenings.” </p>
<p>Of course, the numbers dropped significantly over the last two years, but looking at traffic fatality numbers for the first half of 2023, they’ve soared back to pre-pandemic levels — and higher. </p>
<p>And it’s not just kids who are vulnerable: Adults are more likely to crash their cars in the wee hours of Nov. 1 compared with typical days, Traffic Safety Marketing reported, citing more episodes of drunk driving. </p>
<p>But what if you save your life but risk your soul? </p>
<p>McQuone likens your spiritual health to your physical body and what you consume.</p>
<p>“No doctor will say one French fry is going to kill you, but a steady diet of them will certainly have an effect,” he said.</p>
<p>What you consume spiritually can lower your defenses. A diet of grisly horror movies, virus-infested zombies and evil serial killers has an effect, even if you can’t see it. Showing your openness to darkness is the first step to inviting it in. </p>
<p>McQuone says to think of demons as germs and spirituality as the immune system. The stronger your system, the less likely you are to get sick. </p>
<p>McQuone says that although our intentions may be light and playful, no spirits are benign. This is one place where things are truly black and white, he says. No spirit is neutral, unaffiliated or independent.</p>
<p>“There is God’s team and not-God’s team,” he said. “And it’s not harmless just because you believe it’s harmless.” </p>
<p>The devil and the demons who tempt us were angels who defied their allegiance to God, McQuone says.</p>
<p>“They said, ‘Hell no,’ quite literally to God,” who cast them out. Lucifer (some say he was God’s choir director!) was the highest of them all, but he was not and is not a God, McQuone says.</p>
<p>“He’s a creature, evil personified,” and McQuone further cautions, “Don’t take your stance on the devil from the movies. They make the devil more interesting than he is.” </p>
<p>Still, ask psychologists and they’ll tell you Halloween is good for kids. Pretending, playing dress-up and using one’s imagination build bigger brains. These folks condone more benign costumes, like princesses and athletes.</p>
<p>Other psychologists say scary costumes are fine and Halloween is an opportunity to face our fears, especially our fear of death. </p>
<p>“Halloween rituals turn horror into play, death into levity, gore into laughter,” UC Berkeley psychologist Dacher Keltner says in an article for <em>Greater Good Magazine</em>, a publication of UC Berkeley (<a href="http://www.greatergood.berkeley.edu">www.greatergood.berkeley.edu</a>).</p>
<p>Safe, moderate levels of stress can be good for us. Still, are we talking about blood-drenched zombies and chainsaw-wielding killers jumping out at us like we find at Fright Nights? </p>
<p>McQuone’s best advice?</p>
<p>“We have to be careful what we look upon, and what we bring into our lives.” <br /> <br /><em>Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and community events. Contact her at fontaine423@outlook.com.</em></p></div>Religion Notes: Group cleans up Boca beach in Rosh Hashanah traditionhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/religion-notes-group-cleans-up-boca-beach-in-rosh-hashanah-tradit2023-10-03T18:29:15.000Z2023-10-03T18:29:15.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12239043094,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12239043094,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="12239043094?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a>Two of the participants in the beach cleanup in Boca Raton show a piece of their collection. The day was organized by the B’nai Torah Congregation and Gumbo Limbo Nature Center ahead of Rosh Hashanah. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
<p>Each year, some faithful Jewish volunteers perform a “reverse tashlich,” a novel way to follow Jewish tradition and as a testament to their faith, by cleaning up the waterfront.</p>
<p>On Sept. 10, 110 volunteers ranging in age from 6 months to 86 years old from B’nai Torah Congregation, worked in collaboration with Gumbo Limbo Nature Center to pick up trash from Red Reef Park in Boca Raton. </p>
<p>During Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, Jews symbolically cleanse themselves by casting their sins into a body of water. Since 2015, following the lead of some environmentally conscious students, Jews have been collecting “sins” in the form of trash, litter and pollution from the water and waterfront. About 220 communities in 12 countries around the world participate in this annual community cleanup, called “Repair the Sea.” </p>
<p>For more information about the project, visit <a href="http://www.repairthesea.org/reverse-tashlich">www.repairthesea.org/reverse-tashlich</a>. Visit B’nai Torah Congregation, the largest Conservative synagogue in Southeast Florida with more than 1,300 membership families, at <a href="">www.btcboca.org.&nbsp</a>;</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Put on your running shoes for 5K to fight hunger</span><br /> CROS Ministries’ annual Hustle to End Hunger 5K takes place at 7:30 a.m. Oct. 7 at John Prince Park, 2700 Sixth Ave. S. in Lake Worth Beach. All proceeds benefit CROS Ministries, which has served the hungry in Palm Beach and Martin counties for 45 years. Registration for the Hustle is $45. A run/walk option and a virtual option are also available. Register at <a href="http://www.adventuresignup.com/Race/FL/LakeWorth/Hustle2EndHunger5K">www.adventuresignup.com/Race/FL/LakeWorth/Hustle2EndHunger5K</a>.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Music in full swing at St. Paul’s Episcopal</span><br /> Some of the best music available can be found at local churches. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Delray Beach kicked off its 35th season Oct. 1. The performances continue with the Delray String Quartet at 3 p.m. Oct. 15. The program is “The Bullfighter.” Tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for age 18 and younger. To secure tickets in advance, email music@stpaulsdelray.org with “tickets” in the subject line, then pay at the door. Tickets at the door are by cash or check. St. Paul’s Episcopal is at 188 S. Swinton Ave. Call 561-278-6003.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">St. Vincent de Paul celebrates 60 years</span><br /> St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary celebrates 60 years serving the church at the Friends of the Seminary Gala on Oct. 20. The event begins with Mass at 5:30 p.m. followed by a reception, live auction and dinner. The principal celebrant and homilist for the Mass is the Most Rev. Thomas Wenski, archbishop of Miami and chancellor of the seminary. For more information, call 561-732-4424 or visit <a href="http://www.svdp.edu/friends2023">www.svdp.edu/friends2023</a>. </p>
<p>Community Mass has resumed at 12:15 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month at the seminary. The next Mass is Oct. 18. St. Vincent de Paul Seminary is at 10701 S. Military Trail, Boynton Beach. Info: <a href="http://www.svdp.edu">www.svdp.edu</a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Florida author to address theological questions</span><br /> “Select Florida Voices” presentations at the Society of the Four Arts cover a wide variety of subjects but all feature South Florida writers who show up to talk about their work. </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12239043897,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12239043897,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="104" alt="12239043897?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>On Oct. 25, Hollywood author Ira Mark Egdall speaks about his most recent book, <em>Cosmic Roots: The Conflict Between Science and Religion and How It Led to the Secular Age</em>.</p>
<p>The book traces the 5,000-year conflict (that’s 150 generations!) between science and religion and how it has affected both. Disagreements about cosmology and astronomy led to the widening conflict between science and religion.</p>
<p>Egdall, a retired aerospace program manager with 35 years in the business, is also the author of the award-winning book <em>Einstein Relatively Simple: Our Universe Explained in </em></p>
<p><em>Everyday Language</em>, which uncomplicates the complicated for people who are not science nerds. </p>
<p>The event starts at 1:30 p.m. in the King Library at the Society of the Four Arts, 101 Four Arts Plaza, Palm Beach. It’s free, but reservations are required at 561-655-2766 or by email at kinglibrary@fourarts.org.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Holiday Bazaar returns at First Presbyterian</span><br /> The annual Holiday Bazaar at First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach returns for your shopping pleasure from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 26-28. The clever crafters at Holly House, located on the campus of the church, reveal new and familiar offerings each fall. Jewelry, hand-sewn holiday items, floral arrangements, shell creations, and those unique treasures you only find at church bazaars can be snatched up for your holiday table, tree or gift-giving. </p>
<p>Shopping hours continue from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning Oct. 31. After Thanksgiving, Saturday shopping hours are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shopping continues Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday until Dec. 21.</p>
<p>Need to shop by appointment? Contact Linda Prior at Linda.Prior42@gmail.com or call 561-702-0245. </p>
<p>First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach is at 33 Gleason St. Check the Facebook page for more information at CleverCrafter Holly House.</p>
<p><em>— Janis Fontaine</em></p></div>Finding Faith: Seminary’s new spiritual director offers counsel of experiencehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/finding-faith-seminary-s-new-spiritual-director-offers-counsel-of2023-01-03T18:29:26.000Z2023-01-03T18:29:26.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10924312478,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10924312478,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="10924312478?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>Father Kevin McQuone, formerly a parish priest in the Panhandle, has returned to his alma mater at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. Here he looks at a statue of St. Vincent on campus. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>By Janis Fontaine</strong></p>
<p>How do we give purpose to our lives? <br />For Father Kevin McQuone, the answer is serving God and the church.<br /> This year, the 40-year-old priest will serve the church in a new way. Formerly a parish priest in Florida’s Panhandle, McQuone has returned to his alma mater, St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, to educate and prepare seminarians to take on the demands of a parish in these volatile, changing times. <br /> Located on 43 acres along Military Trail just north of Woolbright Road, St. Vincent de Paul’s is owned by the seven Florida dioceses. The seminary was established in 1963, became an archdiocesan seminary in 1971 and has been a regional seminary since 1981. <br /> Named for St. Vincent de Paul, a pioneer in seminary education, it has graduated more than 650 priests and is the only fully bilingual theological seminary in the United States. For the 2022-2023 academic year, more than 120 seminarians are preparing to serve a parish. <br /> The parish priest is where the rubber meets the road in the church. These men deal directly with the messiness of life and death among their congregants. <br /> For McQuone, those challenges came in the form of Hurricane Michael, which devastated Florida’s Panhandle in 2018, and a worldwide pandemic in 2020. His work was even more difficult as the sole priest in a parish that usually had a second priest to help shoulder the load. <br /> Only about 5% of the Panhandle’s population is Catholic, but much of the support after Michael came from Catholic Charities, which brought supplies and volunteer medical professionals. Most of the people McQuone helped were strangers to him, but not to his heart. <br /> “We should see others as another self,” McQuone said. <br />True charity happens without judgment or criticism. The golden rule shouldn’t be exercised only when it’s convenient or you’re in the mood, and you shouldn’t love your neighbor only if he looks and believes exactly as you do, he said.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><em>‘The moment I realized that God existed, I knew that I could not do otherwise than to live for him alone.’</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:right;">— St. Charles de Foucald<br />(Father McQuone’s favorite quote)</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">***</p>
<p>In these socially charged times, it’s hard to know when and where the rules should be strictly applied and when they should be changed. The church often seems weighted down, even hobbled by its own rules. <br /> Today’s climate runs contrary to some of what the church teaches. Consider its views on birth control, homosexuality and women priests. <br /> “As priests, we wrestle with the gray areas and the messiness of life,” McQuone said. “Balancing truth and mercy should be our goal.”<br /> When dealing with important personal relationships (the devout mother who loves her gay son or the father whose beloved teenage daughter gets pregnant), compassion is the best tool, he said. McQuone wants to mend and not sever, bind and not break, and answer yes as often as he can.<br /> “I believe in meeting the person where they are,” he said. <br /> No one is a perfect Catholic; a priest’s opus is to find common ground and light the way. Consider the intent and the circumstances, he said. <br /> McQuone said he didn’t hear the call to the priesthood until he was in college. Born in Ohio but raised in Tallahassee, he got his undergrad degree in Spanish literature and international relations from Florida State in 2004. <br /> While he was there, he became active in the on-campus ministry. The more active he became, the more he wondered about a life devoted to serving God. Finally, he asked himself: “What does it look like if Jesus is the center of my life?” <br /> His parents and four sisters were surprised. Although the family faithfully attended Mass, the priesthood wasn’t a goal his parents ever suggested. He had always seen himself as a husband and father, a role he anticipated with joy and love. <br /> His decision to forgo fatherhood hurt his sisters, who had always imagined family gatherings with his kids playing with their children. And he had doubts about living a life of celibacy and never being called Dad.<br /> But the seminary’s goal is to graduate quality and not quantity in priests. It doesn’t mind doubts. Priests-in-training go through weekly therapy to be sure they’re suited for the job. Even though a seminarian’s tuition and room and board (nearly $50,000) are paid for by the diocese, it would rather lose the investment than graduate a priest whose heart isn’t pure. <br /> McQuone estimates two or three out of 10 don’t finish. <br /> St. Vincent de Paul graduated 187 priests in the past decade. That’s not enough to sustain the church. But it’s hard to attract candidates when the sacrifices are tremendous and the pool is small to begin with. <br /> In addition to his classroom teaching, McQuone serves as St Vincent de Paul’s spiritual director. <br /> He meets one-on-one with seminarians to discuss their prayer lives, given that a significant part of a priest’s time is spent in prayer and reflection, listening for God’s voice, McQuone said.<br /> They discuss the seminarians’ joys and desires, fears and doubts, mental health and motivation.<br /> Often these questions of faith are answered with more questions designed to access the very core of the person.<br /> “We use all the tools we have to help sort out his experiences,” McQuone said.<br /> These pastoral tools — skills like active listening, gentle corrections, mirroring and rephrasing, and asking delicately probing questions — are also the methods the seminarians will learn to help their own congregants some day.<br /> “These are the practical skills of the ministry. They help us see around the blind spots,” McQuone said. <br /> “Faith is like a muscle you have to exercise,” McQuone said. Like anything else we give our time and attention to, it grows, and moments spent in prayer, gratitude or reflection grow our faith.<br />McQuone has part of a verse he recalls when he is stressed, or afraid, or alone. “It helps me stay rooted on the path,” he said. It’s just five words from the Gospel of Matthew, 28:20: “I am with you always.”</p>
<p><em>Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and community events. Contact her at fontaine423@outlook.com.</em></p></div>Finding Faith: The best gifts come with treasured memorieshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/finding-faith-the-best-gifts-come-with-treasured-memories2022-11-29T21:05:57.000Z2022-11-29T21:05:57.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Janis Fontaine</strong></p>
<p>We asked some of our friends in the religious community to tell us about their most memorable Christmas or Hanukkah gifts. Here are their touching, thoughtful reflections.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">A grateful recipient</span><br /> The Christmas season brings with it the spirit of reflection and joyful anticipation for the year to come. For me, the season is a reminder of the art of being a grateful receiver. <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10894813867,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10894813867,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="107" alt="10894813867?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>In 2020, in the middle of COVID, my family got the news that my dad had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. One of the silver linings of COVID and the normalization of virtual learning was I had opportunities to fly back and forth to my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, to spend time with my family. <br /> During one of my visits, my dad and I were going through his closet, cleaning, sorting things, and mostly just talking. Out of one of his drawers, he pulled out a pair of thick, wool, dog print tube socks. “You need these, Genevieve. You love dogs!” <br /> My first reaction was to remind him how incredibly hot it is in South Florida, and how I wouldn’t be able to wear them. <br /> After a long pause, he said, “Well, I don’t think I’ll be able to wear them where I am going either. Just accept the gift, Genevieve, you can always throw them away later.” <br /> These socks represent a defining moment in my life. They help me remember that over the course of life, you will be likely to find yourself being offered a meaningful gift. It could be a tangible item, or someone’s time, their money, their advice, their help. Dad’s dog socks help me remember how incredibly precious this act of giving is — that this person cares for you, loves you, and wants to support you so much that they offer up a little piece of themselves. <br /> Every gift that comes from the heart has the ability to strengthen a relationship. Accept the gifts you’re offered, graciously and with thanks. You may not realize how meaningful they are until later.</p>
<p style="text-align:right;"><em>— Genevieve Hoppe, head of school, Unity School of Delray Beach</em></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10894818095,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10894818095,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="103" alt="10894818095?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>A symbolic acorn</span><br /> As a pastor for nearly 36 years, I have experienced generosity beyond anything I deserve — from a Starbucks gift card to an all-expense-paid trip to Israel with my wife. Yet, the singular gift that quickens my heart and draws tears of gratitude each Christmas was given in June of 2012, when I said goodbye to a congregation in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, that I had loved for over 12 years to accept a new ministry in Delray Beach. <br /> One of my dearest friends in that church presented me with a tiny box wrapped with clumsy 75-year-old fingers. Over the last 12 years, we had buried his wife, shared more lunches than I can count, spent hours together driving scenic roads and took a day trip to New York City marked by continuous laughter. <br /> Inside, I found a gold acorn Christmas ornament. He said that 12 years ago when I became his pastor, I was then only an acorn in his life. But in that time, our relationship has grown into a mighty oak tree. <br /> Some months ago, Bill moved his church membership to the church triumphant and he will celebrate his first Christmas with his Lord in heaven this year. That simple gold ornament hangs on my Christmas tree and each time I see that small acorn, I’m filled with gratitude for the gifts of friendship and love we shared.</p>
<p style="text-align:right;"><em>— Doug Hood, senior pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach</em></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10894818480,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10894818480,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="109" alt="10894818480?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a><span style="font-size:14pt;">Grandson changed me</span><br /> Some people say, “I don’t really care about gifts, I have everything I want.” <br /> I envy them because I care about gifts and still seem to want things. As a Christian pastor I preach annually that “Jesus is the best gift of this and any Christmas.” <br /> And I believe it. <br /> But the second-best gift I ever received was in the middle of the pandemic, three days before Christmas when my grandson was born. It may be commonplace to say, “I didn’t realize how much it would change me,” but it has changed me. And my wife, Grandma Zu Zu, and my son, now “Dad.” <br /> It’s the reason climate change is really starting to bother me. The change shows in how much I hope he’ll play guitar like me. He wasn’t on any list or in any sermon. He just was. And is. What a gift!</p>
<p style="text-align:right;"><em>— Andy Hagen, lead pastor, Advent Church, Boca Raton</em></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10894818297,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10894818297,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="105" alt="10894818297?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>Family is everything</span><br /> When I left my country, the Philippines, to come to the United States for work, I knew that it would be difficult for me to go home on Christmas. That’s the nature of working in health care and as a priest. <br /> Because of some immigration restrictions, I was only able to go home and visit my country three years after I landed to the United States. <br /> Finally, I was able to return home in 2005 during the Christmas season. In early November, I got my green card, proof of a permanent U.S. resident status, meaning I could travel freely outside the U.S. Then, the excitement of seeing my country and my loved ones, the joy I felt as I picked some Christmas presents for my family and close friends, and the opportunity to celebrate Christmas with family and loved ones was the greatest Christmas present I ever got. <br /> I don’t know when this opportunity will happen again in my life. I share the love of family with those who are around me on Christmas. I pray that my presence to those people who the Lord has entrusted to my care will bring joy to their lives and draw them closer to their loved ones as well, on Christmas and throughout the year.</p>
<p style="text-align:right;"><em>— Father Dennis Gonzales, St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church, Delray Beach</em></p>
<p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10894819063,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10894819063,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="101" alt="10894819063?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a><span style="font-size:14pt;">A POW’s compelling log</span><br /> My grandfather, James Feerick, volunteered for the Army Air Corps (predecessor to the Air Force) and was a bombardier when he was shot down over Germany. He ended up in the same POW camp The Great Escape memorialized. My grandfather led choir practice to cover up the sound of hammering inside the barracks and would sing his favorite songs to encourage the men, even when he was punished for it. At POW reunions, many people said his singing kept their spirits alive and helped them survive.<br /> In 2013, my parents gave my sisters and me a reproduced version of my grandfather’s wartime log that he kept as a POW. It is full of names and roles of other prisoners, sketches and journal entries. My parents added pictures and entries that testify to the full life he lived after the war. It is a gift that inspires us to live life to the full and never forget that acts of heroism can be as simple as a song.</p>
<p style="text-align:right;"><em>— the Rev. Kevin McQuone, spiritual director and assistant professor of pastoral theology at St. Vincent De Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach</em></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10894819075,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10894819075,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="103" alt="10894819075?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>A Hanukkah miracle</span> <br /> Most of my possessions were in storage because I was renovating a house. When it was time to move into our home, I discovered that the head of the moving company had disappeared. A few boxes were returned, and we were making do with what we had. <br /> But all of my ritual objects were gone! The night before Hanukkah, I noticed a box that I’d had a television sitting on top for a few weeks. I moved the television and looked in the box. I found a hanukkiah (Hanukkah menorah) that was a family heirloom, a piece from the 17th century.<br />Finding it has become our family’s Hanukkah miracle!</p>
<p style="text-align:right;"><em>— David Steinhardt, senior rabbi, B’nai Torah Congregation, Boca Raton</em></p>
<p style="text-align:right;"> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10894818872,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10894818872,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="107" alt="10894818872?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>Menorah memories</span><br />Each Hanukkah at my house, we light a menorah that I purchased in Israel while competing as part of the World Maccabiah Games. It gives me an opportunity to think about my many beautiful memories exploring Israel while representing the USA and my Jewish heritage.</p>
<p style="text-align:right;"><em>— Melissa Perlman, president, BlueIvy Communications</em></p>
<p><em>Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and community events. Contact her at fontaine423@outlook.com</em></p></div>Religion News: Parishioners celebrate newest member with drive-by showerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/religion-news-parishioners-celebrate-newest-member-with-drive-by-2020-10-27T19:46:50.000Z2020-10-27T19:46:50.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8084353296,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8084353296,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8084353296?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><em>Dozens of people brought gifts to the First Presbyterian parking lot. <strong>Photos by Tim Stepien / The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>By Janis Fontaine</strong></p>
<p>First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach added a new member to its church family in September and staged a baby shower the hard way.</p>
<p><br /> The Community Church by the Sea, as it is also known, welcomed Pierre Isaac Rapier, son of the Rev. Greg Rapier and his wife, Lissette. It’s the first baby the church has added to its worship family in many years, so the congregation was excited.</p>
<p><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8084356463,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8084356463,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8084356463?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="233" height="311" /></a>Even the coronavirus pandemic wasn’t going to stop the parishioners from commemorating such a blessed event, so they did what lots of people have done: They staged a drive-by celebration.</p>
<p><br /> On a sweltering Saturday in September, dozens of guests gathered — even Marie Buss, age 94, who had made a special baby blanket for Pierre. People decorated their cars and more than 50 vehicles led by a bagpiper made an orderly parade past the happy couple.</p>
<p><br /> Linda Prior, who helped organize the event, thought busy Gleason Street might get clogged with traffic, but guests seemed to trickle in, which was just perfect, she said.</p>
<p><br /> For a few minutes, it looked like the mother-to-be might not show: Lissette was having contractions but her doctor cleared her to make a quick visit to the church.</p>
<p><br /> “She’s been fantastic,” Greg Rapier said. “It wasn’t exactly what she signed up for.”</p>
<p><br /> Greg said the events surrounding the late September birth were “exhausting and joyful,” and for the first time he was almost grateful for the pandemic restrictions because the new family enjoyed a little solitude.</p>
<p><br /> But the Rapiers also faced the challenge of being on their own with no help to fall back on in caring for the baby.</p>
<p><br /> “I always knew this,” Greg said, “but it’s even clearer now: Love is a lot of hard work and sacrifice.”</p>
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<p><strong>St. Paul’s music director</strong></p>
<p>St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Delray Beach is welcoming a new director of music ministries to replace Dr. Paul Cienniwa, who took a position as the orchestra director for the Binghamton Philharmonic in New York.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8084695857,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8084695857,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="96" alt="8084695857?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a><br /> Dr. David S. Macfarlane, from First Presbyterian Church of Englewood, New Jersey, will join the church’s highly regarded music ministries. An accomplished musician, experienced church organist and choir director, Macfarlane also taught as an adjunct professor of music at Bergen Community College and was the assistant conductor/choirmaster for the Amore Opera of New York. </p>
<p><br /> Although the church resumed limited in-person Sunday services in September, the Music at St. Paul’s program has not resumed. Macfarlane won’t begin his work until January.<br /> St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is at 188 S. Swinton Ave.; <a href="http://www.stpaulsdelray.org">www.stpaulsdelray.org</a>; 561-276-4541.</p>
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<p><strong>Rector named bishop</strong></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8084695889,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8084695889,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="94" alt="8084695889?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach announced that Pope Francis appointed SVDP’s rector and president, Msgr. David Toups, as the new bishop of the Diocese of Beaumont, Texas. Toups, who was ordained in 1997, served SVDP as rector and president from 2012 to 2020 and as assistant dean from 2004 to 2006. During the past eight years he oversaw major renovations and expansion at the seminary.</p>
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<p><strong>A massive mitzvah</strong></p>
<p>Thanks to kindhearted people, many Jews were able to celebrate the most important Jewish holidays of the year even in the midst of a pandemic.</p>
<p><br /> Ferd & Gladys Alpert Jewish Family Service worked to distribute Rosh Hashanah meals throughout Palm Beach County with help from the Jewish Volunteer Center of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County and the Kind Kitchen of Palm Beach.</p>
<p><br /> JFS’s kosher food pantry also undertook its annual distribution of 35 Rosh Hashanah holiday food baskets.</p>
<p><br /> The three nonprofits, with more than 150 volunteers, packaged 230 holiday meals, loaded them into cars and delivered them to 173 households in Boynton Beach, Lake Worth Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Royal Palm Beach, Wellington and West Palm Beach.</p>
<p><br /> The Alpert JFS is a nationally accredited service provider for children, adults, seniors and Holocaust survivors.</p>
<p><br /> To learn more, visit <a href="http://www.AlpertJFS.org">www.AlpertJFS.org</a> or call 561-684-1991.</p>
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<p><strong>Holly House goes virtual</strong></p>
<p>For the first time in more than 50 years, the ladies of Holly House at First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach won’t host their large, annual sale of handcrafted holiday items at the church. But that doesn’t mean the ladies have been idle.</p>
<p><br /> The crafters have been busy making holiday items, but they’ve moved sales mostly online to the Facebook Marketplace. You can find all the adorable decorations and gifts you love there.</p>
<p><br /> Available are craft supplies, fabric, sewing notions, and handmade products ready to sell.</p>
<p><br /> Shoppers are welcome to make an appointment to visit in-person Tuesday, Thursday, and possibly Saturday mornings to make purchases.</p>
<p><br /> It is cash and carry. Masks are required. By making appointments, the church can limit the numbers of shoppers at one time.</p>
<p><br /> For more information, contact Linda Prior, 561-702-0245, Linda_Prior@hotmail.</p></div>