Dear Friends,
I was privileged to represent our parish and preach at the Funeral Mass of Fr. John L. Durkin at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Amenia, NY on Tuesday 14th of May at 10.30 a.m. Following the Mass he was laid to rest near his parents at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, NY. We will celebrate his life as a parish with a Memorial Mass on Saturday, 13th July at 10 a.m. Please make it a point to come and give thanks to God for such a wonderful priest.
Responding to the scourge of sexual abuse, the Holy Father in the latest Motu Proprio, "Vos estis lux mundi" (“You are the light of the world”) given in Rome on 7 May 2019, delineates steps to be taken in reporting such instances. Pope Francis displays deep pastoral concern saying that “the crimes of sexual abuse offend our Lord, cause physical, psychological, and spiritual damage to the victims and harm the community of the faithful.” The Holy Father is determined that these measures be implemented by Catholics all over the world saying: “In order that these phenomena, in all their forms, never happen again, a continuous and profound conversion of hearts is needed, backed up by concrete and effective actions that involve everyone in the Church so that personal sanctity and moral commitment can contribute to promoting the full credibility of the Gospel message and the effectiveness of the Church’s mission. This becomes possible only with the grace of the Holy Spirit poured into our hearts, as we must always keep in mind the words of Jesus: “Apart from me you can do nothing” ( Jn 15:5). Even if so much has already been accomplished, we must continue to keep in mind and learn from the bitter lessons of the past while looking with hope towards the future.”
The Holy Father resolutely moves forward to institute reform, promote healing and establish justice. In a nutshell this decree contains the following: It “establishes and codifies procedures that all the Church must follow in responding to sexual abuse – not just of minors, but also of vulnerable adults, as well as cases of sexual abuse through intimidation and coercion by those in positions of authority. It calls for the creation of easily accessible ways for allegations of abuse to be reported, establishes a system for reporting and dealing with allegations of abuse against cardinals, bishops, patriarchs, and heads of religious institutes, and it holds accountable those who “cover-up” or fail to adequately respond to allegations of abuse. It requires reporting to and compliance with civil authorities, establishes “whistle-blower” protections for those who come forward, and protects the rights of all persons involved, including the accuser and the accused. This will enter into force on 1 June 2019. Please visit our website or USCCB or Vatican websites for more information to read the full content of the Motu Propio.
Now let me speak about a news that we have been waiting for -- the extension of St. Andrew Drive. A few weeks ago, Misty Huff and I went over to Viera Company to meet with Todd Pokrywa, the president and Scott Miller, the vice president of sales and community management for The Viera Co. to discuss with them the timeline for the work of extending the Lake Andrew Drive which would eventually go past our property. We had a very cordial meeting with them and received the very positive news contained in their proposed plan. On May 4th 2019 this news had been published in FLORIDA TODAY USA TODAY NETWORK. For the benefit of those who have not had a chance to read it, here it is:
For 15 years, the Lake Andrew Drive asphalt has come to an abrupt northern halt marked by red diamonds and “No Public Access” signs, occasionally stumping confused drivers. But past the pavement, twin-track dirt lanes continue snaking northward through the grass, past Viera High toward St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. Crews will soon extend Lake Andrew Drive along these primitive lanes in a $7.9 million road project. The new 1.3mile street paralleling Stadium Parkway will link with Viera Boulevard — opening landlocked property fronting Interstate 95 as a target corporate headquarters site. Plus, the Lake Andrew Drive extension will lead motorists to the Interstate 95 “diverging diamond” interchange under construction at Viera Boulevard. The interchange should fully open in mid-June, said Jessica Ottaviano, Florida Department of Transportation spokeswoman.
“Traveling from the interstate ramps down to The Avenue, the Viera Town Center and Brevard County government services is going to be much more accessible than it would have otherwise been,” said Todd Pokrywa, president of The Viera Co. Construction should commence in May or June, Pokrywa said, working from Viera Boulevard southward. Funded by The Viera Co., the $7.9 million project includes:
1) A traffic light at Viera Boulevard and Lake Andrew Drive. 2) A short extension of Porada Drive just north of the church, linking Stadium Parkway with the new Lake Andrew Drive. 3) A traffic light at Porada Drive and Stadium Parkway. Pokrywa said the project should take about a year and a half to complete.
Today we celebrate the 5th Sunday of Easter. St. John’s Gospel passage given for this Sunday speaks of the new commandment of Christ: “Love one another as I have loved you.” Please continue to reflect on various ways in which you and I could adhere to this ever-challenging commandment of Christ.
Congratulations to our graduating class!
With love,
Fr. John