Year of Saint Paul

CELEBRATE THE CLOSING OF

THE YEAR OF SAINT PAUL

IN UNION WITH THE

EAST AND WEST OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2009

3:00 P.M. - FORMATION OF PROCESSION AT

GOOD SAMARITAN ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Corner of Glenwood Avenue and 7th Street, Ambridge, PA

4:00 P.M. - MOLEBEN IN HONOR OF SAINT PAUL

SAINTS PETER AND PAUL UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Corner of Melrose Avenue and 6th Street, Ambridge, PA

(Church will be open from 12 Noon for Confessions, Private Prayer and Visitation)

GUEST SPEAKER - BRO. ELLIOT MALONEY, OSB

(Professor at St. Vincent College and Pauline Scholar)

A SOCIAL GATHERING TO FOLLOW IN THE SCHOOL HALL

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Why a Pilgrimage in the Year of St. Paul

Jubilee

The Year of St. Paul is the latest in a long tradition of jubilees in the Church. The year 2008 commemorates the 2,000^th anniversary of his birth. These jubilee years are considered to be holy years which follow the pattern of celebrating years of rest as designated in the Old Testament (Lv. 25:1-13 and Ex. 23:10-11). The Sabbath was already established as a holy day of rest, so the tradition was taken a step further with a year of rest every seven years with a special jubilee year every 50 years. During the 50 year celebration debts were forgiven and land was returned to its ancestral owners.

Since the 14^th century, the Church has celebrated holy years every 25 years. Recall the latest ones designated by Pope John Paul II: 1997 – Year of Jesus, 1998 – Year of the Holy Spirit, 1999 – Year of the Father, leading up to 2000 – Great Year of Jubilee for the Church. Popes can also decree that other holy years may be dedicated to a particular person, sacrament or theme, such as the Marian Year, 1987-1988 and the Year of the Eucharist in 2004-2005. The year of St. Paul is such a year.

These years are special times dedicated for us faithful to take pilgrimages and pray more in order to help us become close to God. It is the time for us to attain a greater degree of inner purification, at the same time honoring St. Paul , the Great Evangelizer who planted the seeds of the Word of God among the Gentiles. These years are to remind the faithful that there is a supernatural life within their hearts and to encourage them to do good deeds.

Pilgrimage

Why a pilgrimage? A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place or shrine. At times, it can be a long journey like the Jewish people going to worship yearly at the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem , or the Muslims with their journeys to Mecca . But we have a God who has come to us and is present on all of our altars. All we have to do is come to Church to pay Him a special visit. For us Christians, a journey is the search we take throughout our lives to find a closer personal relationship with God.

Now, during these jubilee years, since people cannot all come to the primary site of celebration, a special site, or sites, may be designated by the Bishop in his eparchy to which the people may go to in order to gain the same spiritual benefits they would get if they could possibly get to the main shrine. Thus, since one of our patrons is St. Paul and the majority of us cannot get to visit the Church of St. Paul Outside the Walls, the Papal Basilica of St. Paul on the Ostian Way , Bishop Robert has designated our church as a pilgrimage shrine for the Year of St. Paul.

Indulgences

Under certain conditions we may obtain a Plenary Indulgence by praying at these special shrines. First of all, what is an indulgence? In a special theological sense, it means the kindness and mercy of God which the Church bestows upon sincere penitents for the remission of the temporal punishment for their sins, the guilt of which has already been forgiven. To explain further: In Baptism, not only is the guilt of our sin remitted, but also all the punishment we would have received that is attached to the sin. In the Sacrament of Penance (Confession), the guilt of our sin is removed and also is the eternal punishment for any of our mortal sin. However, the temporal punishment required by Divine justice still remains, and this must be fulfilled either in the present life through various acts of atonement or suffering we might undergo, or in the world to come, such as the place called Purgatory. An indulgence offers us, as penitent sinners, the means of discharging this debt during this life on earth.

So, being the Christian faithful that we are, there are certain conditions we must fulfill to obtain this Plenary Indulgence.

Fulfill the required conditions

Sacramental Confession with truly sincere repentance for our sins and have a spirit of total detachment from any inclination to sin
Eucharistic Communion
Prayers for the intentions of Supreme Universal Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI, by at least saying the “Our Father”, “Hail, Mary”, Glory Be to……..

Take part devoutly in a sacred function or in a pious public exercise in honor of St. Paul

On the days of the solemn opening and closure of the Pauline Year, in all sacred places
On all other days designated by the Bishop Robert in holy places dedicated to Saint Paul for the convenience of the faithful

If any condition is missing, a partial indulgence may be granted.

Lastly, if the faithful are prevented by illness or another legitimate important cause, they will also be able to obtain the Plenary Indulgence, provided they are in a spirit of detachment from any inclination to sin, with the intention of fulfilling the usual conditions as soon as possible. This also relies on their spiritually joining in the celebration of St. Paul from wherever they are and offering their prayers and sufferings to God for Christian unity.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7

v Required conditions: sacramental Confession, Eucharistic Communion, prayers for the Universal Pontiff’s, Pope Benedict XVI, intentions.

v In a spirit of total detachment from any inclination to sin, you may benefit from the Plenary Indulgence if you take part devotedly in a sacred function or in a pious public exercise in honor of St. Paul .

v On the days of the solemn opening and closure of the Pauline Year, in all sacred places.

v On other days specified by Bishop Robert Moskal, in holy places dedicated to St. Paul for the convenience of the faithful.

v The faithful presented by illness or another legitimate and important cause, always in a spirit of detachment from inclination to sin, with the intention of fulfilling the usual conditions as soon as possible, will also be able to obtain the Plenary Indulgence, as long as they spiritually join in a Jubilee celebration in honor of St. Paul, offering their prayers and sufferings to God for Christian unity.

One of the most important subjects that St. Paul was so zealous about was the reality of the Church. To him the Church was really Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord. This is because of the impression Christ made on him at their initial encounter when Christ asked him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me (Acts 9:4).” He had been persecuting the Church, and now he could identify the Church with the personhood of Christ. Thus, to Paul this relationship of Church with Christ meant that, in order to reach Christ, one must go through the Church. This was the basis of Paul’s conversion to the Christian faith and explains why he became centered on teaching about what the Church really is to us who are true believers.

He founded many churches during his three missionary journeys. He worried about them and even felt embarrassed if they would start to stray from the teachings of the true Gospel message. Such was the case with the Galatians, who were “turning to a different gospel (Gal. 1:6).” He was intense and passionate about the people in these churches, such as the Philippians whom he described as “my brethren, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown (Phil. 4:1).” There were times when he showed real feelings toward them, looking over them as both a father and a mother would, such as calling them, “My little children with whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you (Gal. 4:19; 1 Cor. 4:14-15; 1 Thess. 2:7-8).”

St. Paul defined the Church as the “Body of Christ” (1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 4:12, 5:30; Col. 1:24). He deeply rooted the Church in the Sacrament of the Body of Christ, the Eucharist, when he said, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body (1 Cor. 10:17).” It is in the Eucharist that Christ gives us His Body while at the same time making us His Body. That is why St. Paul tells us, “You are all one in Christ (Gal. 3:28).”

Thus, through partaking of the Holy Eucharist, we not only become one with Christ but also one with each other. We are in communion not only forming the Body of Christ but also forming a community of true believers. We then become the extension of Christ, that is, of His presence in the world. For it is the Spirit of the Father and the Son living within us that gives us life and through us life to the Church on earth. As St. Paul wrote, “to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (1 Cor. 12:7).” And so, we build up the Kingdom of God on earth by bringing the Body of Christ to life in the world bonded in peace by our communion of love with each other and thus not causing any rifts.