Funeral Homily: Bro. Clifford Bringleson, CR

This morning, we laid to rest Brother Clifford Bringleson, CR at St. Mary's Church, Kitchener, ON. Fr. Sam Restivo, CR, Provincial Superior presided at the Mass of Resurrection assisted by numerous priests and Brothers of the Congregation of the Resurrection.

Brother Cliff was laid to rest with his siblings in attendance: Florence Cooper, Fred Bringleson and Kathleen Mitchell.The whole community joined in the celebration of Cliff's life and it was a fitting liturgy for a humble man.

Below you will find the homily from the mass which I had the privilege for sharing.

Brother Clifford Bringleson, CR

The Congregation of the Resurrection announces the death of Brother Clifford Andrew Bringleson of Resurrection Manor, Waterloo, Ontario on December 30, 2012.  He was in his 82nd year and 61st year of religious life. 

Brother Cliff is predeceased by his parents Clifford and Marjorie (nee Obermeyer).  He is survived and lovingly remembered by his sister, Florence Cooper (Donald, deceased), brother, Fred (Laura) and sister Kathy Mitchell (Arthur).  Lovingly remembered by Michael Cooper (Michelle), Patricia Cooper, Donna Marie Traina (James), Gary Holland (Marlene), Peter Bringleson, Father Paul Bringleson of the Archdiocese of Keewatin-The Pas, Manitoba, Colleen Mitchell, Teri Mitchell-Lunn (Trevor), Alison Flus (Trevor) as well as many other great and great-great nieces and nephews.

Brother Cliff was born on May 14, 1930, in Hamilton, ON where he received his elementary, secondary and business and commerce education.  Upon graduation from high school, he entered the Congregation and professed his temporary vows on September 8, 1951 and his final vows in 1956.   

He spent the first seven years of his ministry in Catholic education teaching business and commerce and serving as the school bursar at Scollard Hall, North Bay.  For the next 32 years Brother Cliff ministered at St. Jerome’s High School, Kitchener teaching religious studies, typing and business and commerce courses.  In 1981 he was named Business Educator of the Year by the K-W Chamber of Commerce and had an annual scholarship established in his name by St. Jerome’s High School.  In 1990, he was assigned to ministry at the Learning Resource Centre of Resurrection Catholic Secondary School, Kitchener integrating disadvantaged students into the classroom.  Upon his retirement, a large crucifix was hung at the high school, acknowledging his 44 years of service in Catholic education.

Brother Cliff often expressed his gratitude for the gifts of a caring and supportive family and for the call to religious life in the Congregation.  He also appreciated the opportunity to “walk the walk” with thousands of students over the years, helping them to grow in their Christian faith and preparing them to live a meaningful life and engage in satisfying work.  Anyone who knew Brother Cliff recognized that he was genuine, caring, loyal, dedicated and had a wonderful sense of humour.  He rarely left someone without uttering his famous “Bless Yah!”  Throughout his ministerial life Brother Cliff also served the Congregation in many different roles including local leader of Resurrection Manor upon his retirement.

We express our gratitude to the staff at Twin Oaks of Maryhill for their dedicated care over the years.

Visitation of Brother Cliff will take place at St. Mary’s Church, 56 Duke Street West, Kitchener on Sunday,January 6from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m.   A Vigil Service will be held at the church at 8:00 p.m. where there will be an opportunity to share memories of Brother Cliff.  The Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at St. Mary’s Church at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 7 with Father Sam Restivo, CR presiding and Father Paul Bringleson as homilist.  Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, with a reception to follow at St. Mary’s Church Hall.   Donations in Brother Cliff’s memory may be made to the Congregation of the Resurrection for the care of their retired members and forwarded to 265 Westmount Road North, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G7 or arranged through Erb and Good Funeral Home, 171 King Street, South, Waterloo, 519-745-8445. 

The Church Is About To Change...hopefully

Yesterday, a friend sent me a copy of a great hymn, "The Canticle of the Turning." It's a hopeful hymn with an Irish folksong melody. The refrain, addressed to God, goes like this:

My heart shall sing of the day you bring,
Let the fires of justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near
And the World is about to turn.

So I began to think: What would it mean if we sang, "And the church is about to turn"? As we approach the beginning of 2013, it seems appropriate to ponder that question.

Of what do we dream? The "fires of justice" would have to mean, first and foremost, building a church that welcomes authentic dialogue and begins to establish lay councils with real authority in dioceses throughout the world as well as at the Vatican itself. That sense of churchwide collegiality would begin -- just begin, mind you -- to fulfill the promise of Vatican II.

It would inaugurate a new effort to deal anew with the sex abuse crisis, calling to account those who covered it up, as well as the perpetrators of abuse.

It would also mean inaugurating a process to bring true gender equality to the life of the church, in all its ministries and offices. It would welcome a married clergy. It would initiate a churchwide discussion on the realities of being gay, lesbian or transgender in today's world. It would welcome a dialogue of Catholic women and men on controversial issues of sexuality and reproduction.

It would mean an end to the Vatican war on LCWR and American nuns. It would mean seeking dialogue with theologians who have new ideas, not condemning them.

And it would mean a wholehearted engagement with those of other faith traditions, seeking alliances that champion justice for the poor, peace in the world and environmental sanity in dealing with climate change.

OK, this sounds like a pipe dream, but it's a new year. We have to hope and dream.

And of course, I could go on, and many of you readers can add your own hopes and dreams. What would "the church is about to turn" mean for you in 2013?

Maureen Fiddler - National Catholic Reporter

Happy New Year

Nestled in the rectory of St. Ann's on this New Year's Eve.

Giving thanks for an amazing year of ministry this year. I met some wonderful people this year as result of ministry within my parishes and diocese. I saw the visible face of Jesus Christ in your lives. This is a privilege I do not take for granted.

As I close my eyes tonight (before midnight I might add) I offer all my hopes for you in this coming year. Thank you for allowing me to share the message of the Gospel with you. I treasure those experiences: both the joyful ones and the sorrowful ones which we shared together. They all have God's hand upon them and give us grace.

It was a hard year on priests: we have lost some good ones and ordained some new ones. In all, I suppose, I still am grateful God has blessed me with the beautiful gift of ordination in the Priesthood.

I pray especially tonight for the priests in the United States who have lived through some difficult times           as pastors. Some are hungering for a more responsible leadership from their bishops; some pray for a more pastoral response from their bishops, who hold authority before people. Most pray for a healing of relationships between the institutional Church and her people. They are remembered tonight.

New Year's Day is the World Day of Prayer for Peace - and we have desperate need of it. Let us make that our shared prayer for communion tonight.

God Bless,one and all. Happy New Year!

Good Night

Feast of the Holy Family Homily

This weekend the Church puts before us the Feast of the Holy Family. It is an opportunity for us to look to Joseph, Mary and the child Jesus for direction, hope and comfort.

Our families, more or less, are challenging. They require attention and perserverance in order to grow into healthy reflections of God's love for the world.

On this feast I pray for your families, wherever they may be. They are remembered at this moment of grace and I have no doubt that God will continue to guide you in the days which are ahead.

In thanksgiving for the gift of family I offer you these words:

Merry Christmas From Father Paul

From our house to yours...

Merry Christmas from Father Paul & Kismet

On Not Being "Religious"

I had an experience today, which was not unfamiliar, I would think, to some priests. I was asked to preside at the funeral of a man who was, shall we say, "on the fringe of the church" or even organzied religion.

In my ministry in Canada's north this has been a regular ocurrence for me. I'm not certain it is due to demographics or just simply being in the right place at the right time, but I have frequently presided at funerals of people who some would say, "are outside the Church."

I have never looked at this in an extraordinary way. I simply believe I am a pastor and I have a responsibility to be present for people who are entrusted to my care - officially or not. I have drawn criticism from a former archbishop because of this, indeed I even received a censure in a previous parish for this practice, which I nonethless ignored.

Today, I felt relieved that a family chose to express their love for a father and friend by having prayers offered for him publically. It made a difference in my life, I must say.

I sometimes feel that we, as a Church, can grow too comfortable with how we do things. When an experience falls upon us which causes us to "think outside the box" we fall back on rules to prevent us from having to think pastorally. "This should not be allowed; He/she is a Protestant; we don't know he believed in God," and many other excuses come to mind.

This whole Advent Season we have been waiting. For whom? The Messiah made real to us in the birth of an infant named Jesus. We prepare to welcome him. How do we do this in 2012?

I believe the Church needs to pay closer attention to those "outside" it. They, like the shepherds and Wise Men who first welcomed Christ, are looking for an experience. Can we offer them that? More importantly, ought we offer them this?

I think too much sometimes. Today might be one of those days. I am enlightened and overjoyed that I saw hope in the life of a grieving family today. Did they fit the criteria of "practical Catholics" that the Church likes to throw around? I'm not prepared to make a judgement about that. All I saw today was a family who struggled to find hope and to express their love and gratitude for a man who touched their lives. They wanted God to be a part of that in some way.

That is enough for me. I pray one day, it will be enough for the Church.

Catholic Beliefs Not Open to Popular Vote: Pope

When the Catholic church affirms the importance of how all the faithful understand matters of faith and morals, it is not saying Catholic beliefs are open to a popular vote, Pope Benedict XVI said.

An authentic sensus fidei, which literally means "sense of faith," can come only when Catholics actively participate in the life of the church and follow the teaching of the pope and bishops, he said Dec. 7 during a meeting with members of the International Theological Commission.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes the Second Vatican Council's teaching that "the whole body of the faithful … cannot err in matters of belief. This characteristic is shown in the supernatural appreciation of faith (sensus fidei) on the part of the whole people, when, 'from the bishops to the last of the faithful,' they manifest a universal consent in matters of faith and morals."

Benedict praised the theological commission members for including a discussion of the sensus fidei in "Theology Today: Perspectives, Principles and Criteria," a document they released in March and which affirms the primacy of bishops over theologians as interpreters of church teaching.

"Today it is particularly important to clarify the criteria which make it possible to distinguish the authentic sensus fidei from its counterfeits," the pope said. "In reality, it is not some kind of ecclesial public opinion, and it is unthinkable to use it to contest the teaching of the magisterium because the sensus fidei cannot develop authentically in a believer except to the extent in which he or she fully participates in the life of the church, and this requires a responsible adherence to the magisterium."

The sensus fidei is a kind of "supernatural instinct" that helps Catholics recognize what does and does not belong to the faith of the church, he said, and it is a sign that "the Holy Spirit does not cease to speak to the churches and lead them to the whole truth."

Referring to another document the commission is working on, about the Catholic belief in one God, Benedict said the sensus fidei is what helps believers rightly react against "the prejudice that says religions, especially monotheistic religions, would inherently be bearers of violence, mainly because of the claim that they advance about the existence of a universal truth."

Some people, he said, insist relativism is the only way to guarantee tolerance and peace and that it best conforms to the ideals of a democratic society where everything should be open to a vote.

When people are denied the possibility of referring to objective truths, he said, "dialogue is rendered impossible and violence, whether declared or hidden, becomes the rule of law of human relationships."

The life and death of Jesus, Benedict said, demonstrates "a radical rejection of all forms of hatred and violence" in favor of the absolute primacy of love.

"If, therefore, in history there have been or are forms of violence carried out in the name of God, these are not to be attributed to monotheism, but historical causes, mainly the result of human errors," he said.

In fact, the pope said, "it is forgetting God that immerses human societies in a form of relativism, which inevitably generates violence."

Cindy Wooden - National Catholic Reporter

Keeping Christ in Christmas

St. Ann's joined with Knights of Columbus Council's across the world in proclaiming their annual message of "Keeping Christ in Christmas."

Jill Diakow, Sir Knight Richard Kozar, Monica Kozar

With the help of a couple of parishioners, Sir Knight Richard Kozar erected the parish banner at St. Ann's Church, in Flin Flon, MB.

Mother nature shined on us in giving us a day that was only mildly cold at -12.

I appreciate our local council's initiative in keeping this annual tradition alive. The banner is visible from a major highway in town and is a visible reminder of our shared need to remember that this holiday time is centred around our Lord, Messiah and Teacher: Jesus Christ.

Thank you to Sir Knight Richard Kozar, Monica Kozar and Jill Diakow who assisted in this effort.

Many thanks from all of us at St. Ann's.

Homily - Advent & John the Baptist: Are We Willing to Reveal Jesus to Others?

This Sunday finds us celebrating the Third Sunday of Advent, or Gaudete Sunday. It simply means to "Rejoice" at the presence of the Lord.

We hear about John the Baptist this weekend; a pivotal person in the life of the Messiah.

John's message was clear: "Prepare the way for the Lord!"

We have taken much time over these last weeks in contemplating the coming of Christmas; the Birth of Christ - not only in history, but the coming of Christ at the end of time. How do we hear John's message in this Sunday's Gospel? Is there something there that we can encourage ourselves with today?

Are we willing, like St. John, to announce the coming of Christ in our lives as christians? Do we make His presence known?

I have found the emergence of the popular greeting, "Happy Holidays" to be worrisome. Are we as christians settling for a watered down version of the Christmas Message in order to not make waves in the culture in which we live? It is "Christ"mas, afterall.

I ask myself if I am willing to stand for my belief? An acknowledgment that God's Son came into the world that I might have life and a life to the full. I owe my life, such as it is, to God. God's grace alone keeps me, at least, serene and sober. Can I not have the freedom to acknowledge God's greatest and most lasting gift to the world when afterall it is His birthday I celebrate?

Pray for the grace to stand like those who have gone before us to pass on our faith. Pray for the grace to acknowledge the source and summit of this "holiday" and be grateful to say, "Merry Christmas."

Homily: