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The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., on this past April 13, 2008, released the findings of a survey on Sacramental practices of US Catholics, that had been commissioned to them by the Department of Communication of the US bishops. Because, the feast of Corpus Christi is this coming Sunday May 25, 2008, I find it appropriate to voice some concerns, and take advantage of the doubts expressed, to clarify what is the belief and teaching of the Catholic Church in the Eucharist. I have to confess that to some degree, I am amazed that after 2008 years of the Christian era, some of Christ’s teaching to his disciples are still not understood nor found to be credible. In simple and clear terms, I would like to review the facts.

FACT ONE: In John 6:51 Jesus said to the people: “ I myself am the Living Bread come down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, they shall live forever; the bread I will give is my FLESH, for the life of the world. Let me solemnly assure you, if you do not eat the FLESH of the Son of Man and drink his BLOOD, you have no life in you.

FACT TWO: The reaction of many of his disciples and the Jews who listened was swift and one of utter disapproval. John 6:60 After hearing his words, many of his disciples remarked, ’ This sort of talk is hard to endure! How can anyone take it seriously? From this time on, many of his disciples broke away and would not remain in his company any longer.’

FACT THREE: In the survey released April 13, 2008, 43% of adult Catholics said their belief is best reflected in the statement, “Bread and Wine are symbols of Jesus, but, Jesus is not really present.” This 43% of baptized Catholics, who I presume have attended the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on more than one occasion, and consequently have heard many times the narration of the Last Supper and the words that Jesus used, and which are repeated at the Consecration of the Mass, take the attitude and response of the disciples in the desert, they don’t believe. This, not withstanding, that Christ is clear and concise when he speaks to his friends and disciples as He ate the Last Supper with them: “Take this all of you and eat it, this is My BODY, which will be given up for you. And again, “This is the cup of my BLOOD, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all, so that SINS may be forgiven.” Then, after the Consecration, the priest continues, “Almighty God, we pray that your angel may take this sacrifice to your altar in heaven. Then, as we receive from this altar, the sacred BODY and BLOOD of your Son, let us be filled with every grace and blessing.” I can’t think of anything else to say to the 43%. It is clear that the Jews who walked away when Jesus asked them to eat his Flesh and drink his Blood, knew that he was speaking of His Body and Blood, and at least, had the honesty to say that was unacceptable to them, and so they left Him. But baptized Catholics, who believe their sins are forgiven by a symbol, are at best disingenuous, or, in spite of years of religious practice, have never believed in their Master.

FACT FOUR: Many men and women of our Armed Forces over the years and even today, have sacrificed their lives for our freedoms and the love of our great country. There are crosses from Arlington to Normandy that remind us of their sacrifice. I wonder how the wives, parents, sisters and children who never met their fathers, would feel, if they read that in a survey, 43% of American Catholics believe that their loved ones really did not sacrifice their lives, that it really is only a symbol!

FACT 5: Bishop Thomas Wenski on next Sunday, May 25, will preside at the 6.00 p.m. Mass on the feast of Corpus Christi, and later guide our Procession at Lake Eola. We honor and render devotion to the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. This is not make believe or magic, it is not a reminder, we don’t need as Catholics to seek Salvation in a mascot or trinket, symbol or not. If 43% less parishioners were to show up at the weekend Masses, we have lost nothing, if they did not believe to begin with.

FACT 6: The Eucharist is what makes me Catholic, the powers that were conferred on me as a priest, by the ordination of the Apostles and their descendents to make this heavenly food available to children who make their First Holy Communions, and to Catholics who as wandering pilgrims towards eternity are nourished by the Body and Blood of their Savior. This is who we are. If it is only a symbolic presence of Our Lord, 43% will be better served by sleeping a few more hours on a Sunday morning, go fishing or watching the Golf Channel. At least that way, they will be rested and entertained. My hope and belief, however, is that, like when the priest is celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, before receiving Communion, he quietly prays “ May this mingling of the BODY and BLOOD of Our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.”

DON’T MISS THIS CONCERT!

All are invited to a concert THIS Sunday, May18 at 4:00 pm at St. James Cathedral. Friends of the Music Ministry closes its 2007-08 concert series with Glenn Osborne and works celebrating the Easter season from Palm Sunday to Corpus Christi. A reception will follow in the Social Hall.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society needs 4 parishioners to join volunteers from area downtown churches on a community project. These churches are combining efforts to provide IDs to the homeless May 28, June 25 and July 23. Volunteers from each church are needed to work a 3-hour shift at the Orlando Union Rescue Mission on these days. If you can help, call SVDP's private line at 407-648-9472 and we will be in touch to provide more details.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society is conducting a clothing drive May 31-June 1 for its 2nd Home Store. A St. Vincent de Paul truck will be parked outside the church that weekend and SVDP volunteers will accept any clothing, regardless of condition. Please put your clothing in a bag and donate it to people who desperately need it.

CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION

Bishop Wenski will celebrate Mass on Corpus Christi, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, at St. James Cathedral on Sunday, May 25, 6:00 p.m. Following the celebration of Mass, you are invited to participate in a Eucharistic Procession from the Cathedral around the walking path of Lake Eola with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. This Procession with the Most Blessed Sacrament is a very beautiful opportunity to pray together and evangelize.

PARISH OFFICE CLOSED

The Parish Office will be closed next Monday, May 26 for the Memorial Day Holiday. Mass will be 9:00 a.m. ONLY.

The office will begin closing at 4:00 PM on Fridays for the summer. Thank you!

NURSERY HELP NEEDED

Part time help is needed in the nursery. If you are currently looking for part-time Sunday employment and love children, please contact Mary at 407-422-2005. Infant CPR and First Aid certification is required.

SECOND COLLECTION: The Catholic Communication Campaign, is an activity of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that develops media programming, public service announcements and other resources to promote Gospel values. One-half of this annual collection stays within the Diocese of Orlando for our own Diocesan communication opportunities. The second collection will take place, this weekend, May 17 & 18. Please be generous.

Marriage: Parishioners planning marriage require four months notice.

Baptism: A meeting is required with our Baptism Coordinator

Choirs: Wednesdays:

Adult: 7:30 p.m.

Children: 3:15 p.m. (School)

Spanish-Thursday, 7:00 p.m.

Religious Education:

Sunday Pre-School and Elementary

8:45 & 10:15 a.m.

Middle School: 10:15 a.m.

Nursery (up to 3 years) Sundays’ during the 9:00 and 10:30 a.m. Masses

Director Liz Foster: 407-422-2005

New Parishioners:

Please register at the Parish Office-forms are also available online at www.stjcc.net

The Last Will of the responsible Christian keeps the needs of our Lord’s Apostolate in mind.

The work of your life can continue after death

Inquiry Session

If you are a non-Catholic but you think that you might be interested in becoming a Catholic, you are invited to join us for an Inquiry session. We will hold our first session on Thursday, June 5 at 6:30 PM in the Parish Center. We will also hold sessions on the following Thursdays: June 12, 26, July 10, 17, 24, August 7, 14, 21.

MEET THE STAFF

Meet Lizzie Foster, a native of New Castle, Indiana and Nursery Director at St. James Cathedral. Lizzie has been with us for 4 years. Married to her husband Richard for 22 years, they have a daughter Mary, who is a graduate of both St. James (’03) and Bishop Moore (‘07) and who is currently studying Nursing at UCF. The Foster family has enjoyed their 19 years as parishioners here and love to travel together especially if it means relaxing at the beach!! Lizzie has been involved with scouting for 12 years as well as volunteering at the Humane Society. She believes “there is no bad child, they just want something positive to do.” Lizzie has very fond memories of her trip with the youth group the summer of 2004 when they traveled to DC.

AVERTING THE STORM

On Monday, June 2, at the 12:10 p.m. Mass, Bishop Wenski will be celebrating a Votive Mass for the averting of storms to start the Hurricane season in prayer. All are encouraged to attend.

CHAMPIONS OF FAITH

This moving and uplifting film tells the story of faith, family, sacrifice, and virtue in baseball like no other film ever made! It is a movie that will be enjoyed by adults and children of all ages and received rave reviews at the Catholic Film Festival. Your St. James Knights of Columbus still has a limited number of copies of this DVD video available for purchase. This video is not available in Orlando area retail stores. If you interested in purchasing a copy of CHAMPIONS OF FAITH: BASEBALL EDITION, please contact Russ at 407-353-4741. All proceeds support St. James Knights of Columbus charities

Kudos to young parishioner, Harrison Winger, 14 who recently won 1st place in the Callaway World qualifier tournament held at Rock Springs Ridge Golf Club. He will be heading to San Diego in July to compete in the World Junior Golf Competition! Good luck and God Bless Harrison!!

St. James Cathedral School

505 E Ridgewood, Orlando, Florida 32803

8 blocks East of the Church

Principal: Gerri Gendall

407-841-4432

Montessori thru 8th

Thank you to all who supported our 19^th Annual Golf Tournament for Tuition Assistance. Because of your generosity, $47,233.00 was raised to help those school families who encounter financial hardship. We enjoyed a beautiful day at Grand Cypress, followed by a delicious dinner and auction attended by parish and school families. The event was a huge success, and thanks goes to our parishioners who prayed for and participated in this worthwhile event.

There are still a few openings for the 2008-2009 school year. For information and a personal tour, please call 407 841-4432 and please view our website at www.stjcs.com.

SCHOOL CELEBRATION! Please save the date-Saturday, May 31, at 5:00 pm, for our annual end of the year celebration at the gym. There will be Bar-B-Q, yearbooks and lots of fun for the entire family. If you have any questions, please contact Christie at 407-894-6402.

Some truths, like the very existence of God, can be known by human reason alone. Other truths, like the fact that God is One in Three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - can only be known if God reveals them to us. We could never conclude on our own that God is a Trinity. Today's Feast is not only an opportunity for thanking God for telling us more about himself. It is an occasion to take courage as we strive for deeper unity within the human family. God reveals himself to us in order to make us more like himself - not just as individuals, but as families, nations, and an international community. We grow in unity as we give ourselves away to one another, just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit give themselves to each other completely.

Please join in congratulating Father Andrew Wojtan, former Associate Vicar of St. James on his 25th Anniversary of Ordination on

May 29. If you would like to thank Fr. Andrew to his devotion to his vocation, he can be reached at: Holy Spirit Catholic Church 2309-2399 Holder Road Mims, FL 32754. Please remember him in your prayers as he celebrates this milestone.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Spaces are filling at a record rate! Have you registered yet? This year we will be discovering Jesus Miraculous Power in five fun-filled days, June 23-27! Volunteers are needed to make this week a success! This is a wonderful opportunity for high-school students to get your summer volunteer hours! Come and join the fun! For more information, contact Ms. Jones at 407-422-2005 or email her at rjones@stjcc.net.

May 10 & 11

$18,887.54

MINISTERIO HISPANO

El Centro de Estudios Aplicados en el Apostolado de la Universidad de Georgetown hizo público un estudio en practicas sacramentales de los Católicos en los Estados Unidos. Debido a la solemnidad del Corpus Christi el domingo 25 de mayo, encuentro apropiado el expresar mis preocupaciones y clarificar las creencias y enseñanzas de la Iglesia Católica acerca de la Eucaristía. Tengo que confesar que de cierta medida, me asombra que después de 2008 años de la Era Cristiana, algunas de las enseñanzas de Cristo a sus apóstoles no son entendidas o consideradas creíbles.

1- En Juan 6:51, Jesús le dijo a su gente: “Yo soy el pan vivo que descendió del cielo; si alguien come de este pan, vivirá para siempre; y el pan que yo daré es mi carne, la cual yo daré por la vida del mundo. De cierto, de cierto os digo: Si no coméis la carne del Hijo del hombre y bebéis su sangre, no tenéis vida en vosotros”.

2- La reacción de muchos de sus discípulos y los Judíos que escuchaban fue rápida y llena de desaprobación. Juan 6:60: Al oír esto, muchos de sus discípulos dijeron: --”Dura es esta palabra; ¿quién la puede oír?” Después de esto, mucho de sus discípulos se fueron y no se quedaron en su compañía.

3: En el estudio hecho publico el 13 de abril del 2008, 43% de los adultos Católicos declararon que “El Pan y el Vino son símbolos de Jesús, Jesús no esta realmente presente.” Este 43% de Católicos bautizados, los cuales presumo atienden al Santo Sacrificio en la Misa en mas de una ocasión, y consecuentemente han escuchado muchas veces la narración de la Ultima Cena y las palabras de Jesús repetidas en la Consagración de la Misa, toma la actitud y respuesta de los discípulos en el desierto, ellos no creyeron tampoco. Cristo es claro y conciso cuando le habla a sus amigos y discípulos en la Ultima Cena, “Tomad, comed; esto es mi Cuerpo tomando la copa, y habiendo dado gracias, les dio, diciendo: --Bebed de ella todos, porque esta es mi Sangre del nuevo pacto que por muchos es derramada para el perdón de los pecados. “ Yo no se que mas decirle al 43% de los católicos. Es claro, que los Judíos que se fueron cuando Jesús les pidió que comieran de su Carne y bebieran su Sangre, sabían que El se refería a su Cuerpo y Sangre y no lo encontraron aceptable, y por eso lo dejaron. Pero Católicos bautizados, que creen que sus pecados son perdonados por un símbolo, son poco sinceros, ya que a pesar de años de práctica cristiana, nunca han creído en su Maestro.

4- Muchos hombres y mujeres de las Fuerzas Armadas durante años han sacrificado sus vidas por nuestra libertad y por el amor a su país. Hay cruces en los cementerios desde Arlington a Normandy que nos recuerda de sus sacrificios. Me pregunto como se sentirían sus esposas, padres, hermanas, e hijos si sus seres amados realmente no sacrificaron sus vidas y fue solamente un símbolo.

5- El Obispo Thomas Wenski, el próximo domingo 25 de mayo, va a presidir la misa de 6:00 PM en la celebración del Corpus Cristi y después la procesión por El Lago Eola. Nosotros le rendimos honor y devoción a la Presencia Real de Cristo en el Sagrado Sacramento. Esto no es fantasía o magia, no es un recordatorio. Si el 43% de nuestros parroquianos no regresaran a la Misa del domingo, no habríamos perdido nada, si realmente ellos no creen en la Presencia Real de Cristo en la Eucaristía.

6- La Eucaristía es lo que me hace Católico, los poderes que me confiaron como Sacerdote, la ordenación de los apóstoles y sus descendientes para hacer posible este alimento celestial disponible a los niños que hacen su Primera Comunión y a todos los Católicos que como peregrinos buscando la eternidad son alimentados por el Cuerpo y la Sangre de Cristo, eso es lo que somos. Si en verdad es simbólica la presencia de nuestro Salvador, ese 43% de Católicos estarían mejor si se quedaran durmiendo la mañana el domingo o viendo televisión. Mi esperanza y fe, sin embargo, es que mientras el sacerdote calladamente reza antes de la comunión…..

“Que la unión del Cuerpo y la Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo traiga vida eterna a los que lo reciban”. Que Dios los bendiga,

Padre John McCormick, Rector

Procesion del Corpus Christi (Cuerpo de Cristo)

El Obispo Wenski celebrará la Santa Misa el Día del Corpus Christi (la Solemnidad del Santísimo Cuerpo y de la Sangre de Cristo), en la Catedral de Santiago el domingo 25 de mayo, a las 6:00 PM. Después de la celebración de la Santa Misa, están invitados a participar en una Procesión Eucarística desde la Catedral alrededor del sendero en el Parque del Lago Eola, terminando en el Anfiteatro del Parque Eola para la Bendición del Santísimo Sacramento.

AROUND THE DIOCESE

FOOTSTEPS OF ST PAUL TRIP!

You are invited to follow the Footsteps of St. Paul (Greece and Turkey) and on a 3- night Greek Isles cruise with Fr. Jose Munoz and Fr. Miguel Gonzalez as your spiritual directors! Space is still available. Departs September 10- 20, 2008. Come and join this group on an 11 -day fully escorted spiritual journey. For detailed itinerary and information, contact Tess at 407-282-2111.

WOMEN'S DISCERNMENT

Are you looking for a group in which you can feel free to talk about God's call to religious life? Do you need some help with your discernment? Do you want to hear the stories that Sisters have to tell about their vocational calls? "Women's Discernment", sponsored by the Srs. of St. Joseph, will meet on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 6:00 PM, at St. Joseph Convent, Orlando. Light supper provided. For information and registration email Sr. Kathleen at ssjflvocations@bellsouth.net or call her at 904-610-9228.

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