SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2014 Twenty-eight Sunday in Ordinary Time

FROM THE DESK OF OUR PASTOR

Dear Friends,

A month passed since we have found ourselves in our new church. The International Parish Community of Warsaw has been in existence since 1982 when an American Augustinian priest Fr. William Faix, begun to say Sunday Mass in English for the Catholic members of US Embassy in Warsaw, in almost underground circumstances during the Martial Law in Poland. Two years later, the English ex-Pats Community grew and began to worship in a small side chapel at St. Ann’s Church in Krakowskie Przedmieście. Then in 1989, we began our Res Sacra Miser Chapel experience which lasted until 1994. From there St. Paul’s Community travelled to Radna Street where we have stayed for 20 years witnessing the changes in leadership; now, 30 years later we have moved again. Our move brought us to Aleja Solidarności 80, an ex-Carmelite Church with a great history. The move happened six years after a famous visit from HE Cardinal Nycz came to our community, he had said these

words: “I will make sure that the English Speaking Ex-Patriots and Foreigners of Warsaw will

have their proper place to worship.”

We now have moved, and found ourselves in a new place. Notwithstanding the new place, we have the same objectives: to search for God together, to be able to pray together, to make sure the youngest will find a good atmosphere as well as good people around them to grow in faith and to build up a good community. For myself, your parish priest: to help you to walk close to the Lord and to receive a message of hope every Sunday.

I realize there are things that are unsatisfying: for instance

the time of the Mass or perhaps the lack of a cozy “toddler’s room,” more visible bulletin board etc. I realize there are still needs to be met and I welcome any remarks and suggestions. Please feel absolutely free to speak about anything that worries you. I am sure many things can be reformed and improved. I am also sure, that with the time being we will -Yao more about this Church and we will feel more like home.

I would like to thank all those who helped with the move from Radna to the Church of the Nativity Our Lady, as well with the cleaning of the premises. In this newsletter you will find an extended list of the helpers and make sure to free to meet with me after Mass during fellowship with coffee.

May good St. Paul the Apostle, and especially Our Lady who looks at us from the main altar lead us to God.

Sincerely Yours,

Fr. Wieslaw Dawidowski, OSA

St. Paul's English Speaking Catholic Parish of Warsaw Church of the Nativity of Our Lady (Narodzenia NMP na Lesznie) at Al. Solidarnosci 80

CCD: 11:00 Sundays Holy Mass: 12.15 Sundays Confessions: Sundays 11.30-12.15; Saturday 17.00-18.00; Weekdays by appointment, call Father Father Wiesław Dawidowski 600-384-916 w.dawidowski@gmail.com

Like and follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/saintpaulswarsaw or online at http://warsawcatholics.pl/

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2014 2

Our Liturgy – Sign of Peace

There is a new Vatican regulation,

issued by the Congregation for the

Divine Worship concerning the sign

of Peace at Mass which has not

always led to serenity among

liturgists or within the congregations

gathered each Sunday in Catholic

churches around the world. Frankly

saying it contains nothing new,

except the fact that it actually does

not allow priest to leave the altar to

exchange the sign of peace with the

congregation.

However, the congregation said, "if it

is foreseen that it will not take place

properly," it can be omitted. But

when it is used, it must be done with

dignity and awareness that it is not a

liturgical form of "good morning,"

but a witness to the Christian belief

that true peace is a gift of Christ's

death and resurrection.

The text of the congregation's

"circular letter" on "the ritual

expression of the gift of peace at

Mass," was approved by Pope

Francis, and Jesuit Father Federico

Lombardi, Vatican spokesman,

confirmed its authenticity Aug. 1st,

2014.

Here are the excerpts of the letter in

English:

In 2005, members of the Synod of

Bishops on the Eucharist adopted a

formal proposition questioning

whether the sign of peace might be

better placed elsewhere in the Mass,

for example at the end of the prayer

of the faithful and before the offering

of the gifts.

Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera,

current prefect of the congregation,

and Archbishop Arthur Roche, the

congregation's current secretary, said

Pope Benedict XVI had asked the

congregation to study the matter and,

after doing so, in 2008 it asked

bishops' conferences around the

world whether to keep the sign of

peace where it is or move it to

another moment "with a view to

improving the understanding and

carrying out of this gesture."

"After further reflection," the letter

said, "it was considered appropriate

to retain the rite of peace in its

traditional place in the Roman liturgy

and not to introduce structural

changes in the Roman Missal."

But that does not exclude the need for

new or renewed efforts to explain the

importance of the sign of peace:

And, it said, they should do

everything possible to end "abuses"

such as:

-- "The introduction of a 'song for

peace,' which is nonexistent in the

Roman rite."

-- "The movement of the faithful

from their places to exchange the sign

of peace amongst themselves."

-- "The departure of the priest from

the altar in order to give the sign of

peace to some of the faithful."

-- People using the sign of peace at

Christmas, Easter, baptisms,

weddings, ordinations and funerals to

offer holiday greetings,

congratulations or condolences.

"Christ is our peace, the divine peace,

announced by the prophets and by the

angels, and which he brought to the

world by means of his paschal

mystery," the letter said. "This peace

of the risen Lord is invoked, preached

and spread in the celebration (of

Mass), even by means of a human

gesture lifted up to the realm of the

sacred."

In some Catholic liturgical traditions,

it said, the exchange of peace occurs

before the offering in response to

Jesus' exhortation in Matthew 5:23-

24: "If you bring your gift to the altar,

and there recall that your brother has

anything against you, leave your gift

there at the altar, go first and be

reconciled with your brother, and

then come and offer your gift."

But in the Latin rite, the letter said,

the exchange of peace comes after the

consecration because it refers to "the

'paschal kiss' of the risen Christ

present on the altar." It comes just

before the breaking of the bread

during which "the Lamb of God is

implored to gives us his peace."

For our parish the sign of peace is

exchanged in a form of a handshake.

For hygienic reason it can also be as a

gentle embrace. Both forms are

accepted by the congregation. So we

are all right here. However I love to

reach out to people. I never question

the decisions of the bishop

concerning the discipline of Church.

However, my character does not

allow me, not to exchange the sign of

peace with the lay people and restrict

it to the altar servers and priests in the

sanctuary. Therefore – and I pray it

will not be found as a liturgical abuse

– I would like to invite two persons –

a man and a woman - who sit in the

first pew to actually depart from their

place and to come up to a priest to

exchange with him the sign of peace.

After this, they would return from the

priest (who represents the person of

Christ) back to the congregation and

would pass the sign of peace to their

immediate neighbor. In this way the

sign of peace will actually spread

from the altar in a similar way like a

light of Christ during Paschal Vigil.

What do you think? Could it work in

our Parish?

Fr. WD

I used a material By Cindy Wooden

published by Catholic News Service

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2014 3

CHURCH

Housekeeping

By Conch Tiuson-Yao

It was a massive pile of boxes, books, records, cabinets with dust and dirt. Not knowing where to start, a group of volunteers just worked on things bit by bit. Soon, not really soon…but later on, things started to clear up. Some piles gone, shelves cleared and filled up, dusting and vacuuming completed, the overwhelming task came together. Day 1, day 2, day 3…days and weeks went by. It did seem like things got totally cleared on the 6th day. Rest was for the 7th.

Now the parish, looks anew, with wash curtains and carpets, soft toys for children laundered, tables and chairs matched, CCD books and supplies organized, CCD classrooms set and ready for all children to use, choir area vacuumed and chairs placed, wires cleared, lamps attached and many, many more tasks were completed. Truly it was great work done, completed by many who have volunteered, giving up their time, resources and abilities. A big THANK YOU for your generous support, for hastening the adjustment of our transition, for the service you have given. May God bless you a thousand fold!

*Joyce Torres *Rebecca Hogan *Melissa Panagsagan

*Elsa Chua *Erlinda Amantil *Angelica Abrahan *Cherry Albano *Maricel Villamin *Rizalina Mercado *Cherubin Farrales *Marilyn Veridiano *Grzegorz Jozefiak *Marguerite Mercado *Lalaine Visalda *Mary Ann Huerta *Teresa Gozos *Sherill Nabus *Neneng Martin *Radek Zajdel *Annalea Villaruz *JosephBalsamo *Jeanepher Monsale

A Separate thanks goes to Marek Seretny, Bro. Piotr Lamprecht, Fr Benjamin and Fr. Jacek for moving things from Radna to Aleja Solidarności.

PRE-CANA- Fall

Session

From October 11th and on, every Saturday at 4:00 PM there will be a Pre-Cana Session for the candidates for marriage. It will consist of five Saturday sessions, each session will last two hours.

The dates of the meetings and the topics are planned as follows: 11th of Oct – Know yourself and Recipe for Marriage (Fr. Wieslaw Dawidowski) 18th of October – Biblical Theology of Marriage (Fr. Wieslaw Dawidowski) 25th of October – Communication and Economy (Alex Visalda) 15th of November – Sexual Ethics (Małgorzata Rymarczyk – expert in the field) 29th of November – Sexual Ethics (Małgorzata Rymarczyk) Pre-Cana is an obligatory course for immediate marriage preparations for all the Catholics. In case of a religion difference both candidates, no matter their religion tradition, are expected to participate for the sake of the duties of the catholic spouse.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2014 4

ALTAR SERVER’S ROTA

12/10 Cecilia Marshall, Russel & Reese Farrales, Reiley Yao

19/10 Marta & Peter Habrzyk; Michele Rocchegiani, Adriana Oporto

26/10 Chadwick Farrales, Reiley Yao, Russel & Reese Farrales

1/11 Marta & Peter Habrzyk; Michele Rocchegiani, Adriana Oporto

2/11 Cecilia Marshall, Russel & Reese Farrales, Reiley Yao

9/11 Marta & Peter Habrzyk; Michele Rocchegiani, Adriana Oporto

TESTIMONY FROM A PARTICIPANT OF RCIA Why to be catholic.

When I was an atheist I

was feeling emptiness of my soul.

I was always trying to find the

inner peace which was far from

me. After meeting with my fiancée

I was interested about catholic

religion because of her. For me it

was interesting why she believes

to some religion. After that I

decided to get some knowledge

about it. After some small research

I went to Sunday mass with my

fiancée and I feel really good

about the atmosphere.

I said to her that I want to

go to next Sunday too. She found

for me an English parish in Radna

str. This time everything was

different because I could

understand what they are talking

about. I heard the most important

sentence for me “God is love” and

this sentence was the reason for

me to follow the next step to talk

with brother Piotr about the RCIA

courses. Now I am a student of

RCIA course and I am happy that

I started. Now I have one wish to

be baptized and live with the rules

of catholic religion.

Jabir

RCIA CONTACT

Rite of Christian Initiation for

Adults (RCIA)

Meets

Wednesdays at 19.30

Contact:

Deacon Piotre Lamprecht

OSA 518-414-885

Deacon Piotr leads our parish youth group, it is a relaxed atmosphere with snacks. Conversational meetings focus on getting to know one another and sharing our faith. Our brief periods of hard work involve working towards World Youth Day which will take place in Krakow, as well as helping at parish

functions. Come and meet teens from Warsaw's English speaking schools, you will sure feel welcomed and we would love to have you. Contact: Deacon Piotr (mobile: 518414885) or find us on Facebook (Youth Group at Saint Paul's)

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Check out the World Youth Day website to learn more information:

http://worldyouthday.com/

St. Paul’s Parish Youth Group

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2014 5

We wish to express gratitude to the following families and individuals who have since the new academic CCD year and to those who will contribute sweets for us after Mass. The refreshments are very much appreciated- The treats are popular with our parishioners -- especially the youngest ones -- in the new church as they were at Radna! Therefore, we hope to continue the tradition of socializing a bit after Mass with a cup of coffee or tea and a sweet bite. With gratitude we count on our "regulars" as well as the new volunteers to continue providing treats for our fellowship. - Roccheggiani Family - Berka - Iliana C. - Agnieszka Brzoza-Wyatt - Kate Szyszko - Visalda Family - Elsa Chua - Vuina Family - Sturgeon Family

INVITATION TO JOIN THE PARISH COUNCIL

Dear Parishioners, in order for our parish to function well there are a variety of duties carried out weekly by the members of the Parish Council. Presently this group has somewhat shrunken while the duties remain or are even slightly greater in this transitional year after we have moved from the chapel on Radna Street. Therefore, we are in need of new members to help us with various ministries within the Parish Council. If you would like to join us and if you have some time to donate in service to your parish please inform Fr. Weslaw, Tanja (PC chair,

tanja210@live.com) or any other member of the PC. We welcome you and your ideas to improve our community!

Thank You Bakers!

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2014 6

Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) News

The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine was an association established at Rome in 1562 for the purpose of giving religious education. Its modern usage, often abbreviated CCD or C.C.D., is a religious education program of the Roman Catholic Church, designed for children.

Conch, our director of religious education (DRE) has been very busy planning out the CCD year and the parish is blessed to have amazing Catechists

SCENE in CCD

“It’s unfair when______.” That was the statement the CCD children needed to answer. How the children answered the questions came varied and amusing. Fr. Wieslaw was able to catch the attention of the children and their folks! It was the first CCD Class Mass that opened the new CCD academic year. Soon, rucksacks, school bags and folders were raised for the Blessing of the Backpacks. With over 50 children from the Philippines, United States, Spain, Italy, Britain and Poland, it was a great start with the children being blessed on as well.

Equally international are the group of CCD Teachers this year. Coming from Mexico, Nigeria, Britain, Philippines, Poland and the United Stated. It is a power cast!

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2014 7

Ms. Barbara Poznanski has been a long time teacher, ever since CCD started in our parish. She operates her own Commercial Agency, and on Sundays she takes care of the cutest kiddos with CCD Kinder. Her motherly warmth and loving care has brought about God’s love to the children.

On his second year, Mr. Jonathan Abrahan handles CCD 1. A bank consultant by profession, he simply loves being with children. An aspiring tri-athlete, he’s also a great math wizard and enjoys riddle games.

CCD 2 - Sr. Yolanda is a great linguist who speaks Russian, Filipino, English and French. She is with the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM) who has served internationally, including Russia and her home country, the Philippines. She has prepared children for the Holy Communion for the past three years.

CCD 3 – Ms. Cherubin Farrales takes pride in being a mother of 5 children, including one-year old twins. A pre-school teacher back home in the Philippines, she has always been deeply passionate about teaching. She has an innermost desire to share about God’s love and share about His goodness.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2014 8

CCD 4 – A long time CCD 4 teacher, Mr. Alex Visalda has the highest class attendance. He has been popular with the children for the point system he has been implementing and amazingly inspires children to beg for extra CCD work. A bank consultant by profession, a Eucharistic Minister as well, pre-Cana speaker…a jack of many traits.

Ms. Ileana Musi Acosta comes from Mexico. Cheers, wild smiles and peaceful being comes forth when you see her. She is an exchange student working on her Master’s Degree here in Poland.

Ms. Gael is a mother of two; she just came to Warsaw this year. The family has previously been posted in Krakow several years back and just came from Romania. She is a school teacher herself and has worked in the United States and at international schools. She is excited to be teaching CCD 6. Her experience and wisdom is a great addition to the program.

CCD 7 is privileged to have Ms. Omoye Akhagba, a Catechist teacher from Nigeria. She also previously worked for Grassroots Childcare Initiative, assessing the needs of medical facilities in Abuja. Here in Warsaw, she is with the Foundation for Immigrants of Somalia.

The CCD 8 has Mr. Christopher Uden for their instructor. A certified Catechist, the Vice-Principal of the International American School, and a father of two boys. He returns this year to teaching CCD as the Confirmation Teacher. He is also our Parish website manager.

Together, we are all here to serve our Lord, in the faith formation of the children; we join them in their growth in our Catholic faith. In my fourth year as CCD Coordinator, I have seen how the children enjoyed the Bible stories, how they searched for answers, and how they prepared their hearts for the different Sacraments. I have also realized how deep and how beautiful our Catholic faith is, and the more I learn and grow in faith, the more I feel there always more to learn.

In Christ, for God’s service,

Conch

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2014 9

Guess what Father Wiesław Dawidowski’s favorites are? Circle the correct answer(s) and see how well you do. The answers will be in the next bulletin. It is ok to ask him a few questions at fellowship. It is always fun getting to know our priest a little better. What is his favorite type of food? Italian Spanish Curry Fish Soup Salad German What dish does he make the best? Sushi Mussels Pasta Salad Cake What is his favorite color? Black Orange Red Blue Green Where does he like to vacation? Beach Mountains Island Big City Where is his favorite place to walk in Warsaw? Along the Wisla Ogrod Saski Lazienki Saska Kepa What are his hobbies? Painting Puzzles Singing Opera Guitar Fixing Cars Hiking What is his favorite animal? Cat Pig Horse Cow Racoon Dog Fox Elephant What is his favorite type of pie? American Apple Pie German Chocolate Cake American Pumpkin Pie What is his favorite season? Winter Spring Summer Fall

"Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves." — Pope St. John Paul II

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, for the salvation of souls, the reparation of sins, the reunion of all Christians, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father this month. Amen.