The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States provides:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. (Emphasis added.)

What did the founders intend by writing this first of the amendments to the Constitution, written before the Constitution was ratified by the 13 independent states? Was it written to protect the government from the interference by religion, or was it written to protect religion from interference by the government? I’ve seen it read both ways. Many people read it to mean a “separation of church and state,” but that phrase never appears in the Constitution.

To understand the intent of this amendment as it applies to religion, we must first understand British rule in the American colonies. From the time of King Henry VIII, England had, and still has, a state‐run religion. During the British colonization of America, King George III was not only the head of state but also the head of the Church of England. The Church of England was an organ of the state and, in many ways, funded by the British government. Even today, the British Prime Minister nominates the candidates to be made bishop, and the King appoints them. When the American colonists revolted against the British head of state, they also rebelled against the head of the Church of England.

Among the first English colonists to arrive in America were the “pilgrims,” a name given to those who travel for a religious purpose. The pilgrim Puritans were members of the Church of England who sought a “purer” form of religious worship and came to these shores to exercise that freedom. They objected to the remnants of “Roman” practices that existed in the Church of England.

Among the 13 original colonies, only Maryland allowed for the free exercise of the Catholic faith. Some of the colonies did in fact establish state‐run religions. Until the middle of the 19th century, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts supported an official state religion, Congregationalism. The First Amendment to the Constitution only prohibited the federal government from interfering in “the free exercise” of religion; that prohibition did not extend to individual states until the end of the Civil War, with the passage of the 14th Amendment in 1868.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” In simple terms, this part of the 1st Amendment means the federal government will not establish a state church or give preference to one faith over another. It also means that the government, federal and state, will not interfere with a person’s religious beliefs or practices, unless those practices run afoul of the law. The 14th Amendment extends that protection out to state governments, holding them to the same standards as the federal government.

One’s faith is personal; the government cannot force or prevent someone from believing or not believing in a particular religion. What we believe is protected from governmental interference.

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, exist because the people sought protection from interference by the government in their personal lives. We should all treasure our American freedoms, particularly the freedom to practice our faith openly and without interference.

This Tuesday, November 8, is Election Day; please vote.

In 1993, my wife Noreen and I were blessed by her Aunt Peg, who gifted us with the house in Ireland where Noreen’s mother was born. We have no idea when the house was built or who built it, but we’re fairly certain that it has been in the family for several generations, perhaps going back to the 18th century. We’re there nearly every year. We refer to it as “the back of beyond” because it is so remote and so isolated; it prompts me to think of how it must feel to find yourself in Brigadoon. The house is located in the rugged Caha Mountains, in the Townland of Cummers East, in the Village of Lauragh, in the Parish of Tuosist, on the Beara Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. The local church is named for the patron of Tuosist, St. Killian, a missionary monk.

St. Killian, born in 640, lived in a monastery in Tuosist in the Townland of Kilmackillogue. There is a ruin of a centuries‐old monastic church surrounded by a cemetery where the parishioners of Tuosist have been buried for centuries. There are graves there that are so old they are marked only by rough‐hewn blank standing stones.

Every July 6, on the eve of the feast of St. Killian, the parishioners of Tuosist gather in the cemetery at Kilmackillogue for an open‐air Mass commemorating St. Killian and remembering all those buried there. It’s called the Pattern Mass and is followed by the clergy blessing graves. On more than one occasion, I have had the privilege of assisting at the Pattern Mass and blessing of the graves, including the blessing of the grave of Noreen’s grandparents Timothy and Nora and her aunt Mary.

Why all this fuss in Tuosist over St. Killian? He was a remarkable man; as a priest monk, he ministered to the people of Tuosist. In 686, St. Killian left Tuosist to go to Rome with 11 of his companion monks to seek Pope Conon’s consent to bring the Gospel to the Germanic tribes of Franconia and Thüringen. From Rome, he traveled to Würzburg where the Pope appointed him Bishop. In 689, in Würzburg, Killian and two of his companions, Colman and Totnan (a deacon), were martyred for preaching the faith. Among the many people who come to Tuosist each year for the Pattern Mass are pilgrims from Würzburg who come to honor their patron in his native land.

Up until recently, Ireland had produced an abundance of priests, many of whom followed in the footsteps of St. Killian by going to far‐off lands to bring the message of the Gospel to those who had not yet heard it. Many of the priests who did were martyred like St. Killian.

St. Killian’s zeal for the spread of the Gospel message is an inspiration for all of us. We are all called to spread the Gospel, even at risk to our own lives.

When I was very young, I remember my parents telling me to say this prayer if I had lost something: “Good St. Anthony, please look down; something’s lost and must be found.” I often wondered, with all the patronages available to the saints, how did St. Anthony get burdened with being the patron of lost items?

This is the story: St. Anthony had a book of psalms that he treasured. The book went missing and he thought it may have been stolen. St. Anthony prayed that the book would be found or returned. A novice who had taken the book quickly returned it. Accordingly, Anthony is known as the Patron Saint of lost things.

The story of St. Anthony is so much more than finding lost items. He was born Fernando Martins de Bulhões in Lisbon, Portugal, on August 15, 1195. At the age of 15, he experienced God’s call to serve and was accepted by the Augustinian Order of Monks. He went first to a nearby monastery and later to Holy Cross Monastery in Coimbra, Portugal, where he remained for eight years, devoted to prayer and the study of sacred scriptures. This was the beginning of his development as a Biblical scholar and a renowned theologian.

In 1220, he learned that five Franciscan friars had been martyred while evangelizing the Muslims in Morocco. Fernando asked if he could join the Franciscans for the express purpose of going as a missionary to Morocco. His request was granted, and that same year, he arrived in Morocco. It was then he took the name Anthony. He believed God wanted him to evangelize to the Muslims, and he was ready to give his life for Jesus. But such was not the case; in a few months, illness forced him to return to Europe. Now, God’s purpose for him would be realized: a priest, a theologian and one of the great preachers of the Church.

In 1221, Anthony was asked to preach at a gathering of Franciscans and Dominicans. So forceful, simplistic, and even eloquent was his presentation that he was quickly asked to preach all over Italy and areas of France. His theological expertise and inspirational oration were not lost on the leader of the order, St. Francis, who soon enlisted Anthony to teach theology to other Franciscans.

In 1230, Anthony settled in Padua, Italy. People flocked to hear his sermons; sometimes, there were as many as 30,000 attendees. He became a champion of the poor; among other acts, he influenced the local government to pass legislation protecting the poor from prison if they could not pay their debts. The saint is the source of St. Anthony’s bread, which people baked in his honor and gave to the poor.

It was near Padua that Anthony died from exhaustion at age 36. Less than a year after his death on June 13, 1231, Anthony was canonized (one of the quickest in history). Pope Gregory IX said that the world should not be deprived of venerating such a holy man who was the source of many proven miracles. Such a virtuous life cannot be hidden.

Spring is here, and the thoughts of many students and teachers turn to the end of classes and final exams; those of us in Religious Education don’t have that advantage. As parish directors of religious education, we must plan now for September and the start of a new year.

The pandemic has made the last two and a half years a challenge for parents and those in the field of education. For September 2022, we don’t know if we will be teaching live in classrooms, in a home faith formation program, virtually on Zoom, or some combination. My prayer is that, in September, we will be past COVID and back to all live classes. Catechists teaching with students in a classroom works best for the religious formation of our children.

This past year, there were 376 students enrolled in the Parish Religious Education Program (PREP) with a dedicated team of 18 catechists teaching in‐person classes. Of course, only 222 of our students attended in‐person classes; the other 154 students were at home being catechized by their parents, who have done outstanding work. These parents teaching at home rose to the occasion and spent quality time with their children exploring the faith. Our hope was that the experience would bring the children and the parents to a better understanding of their relationship with God and the Church.

If PREP is back in “full swing” in the 2022‐2023 academic year, the program will need at least 35 catechists to staff the classrooms and an equal number of classroom aides and hall monitors. The number of people needed seems daunting, but I believe with God’s grace we can do it.

When our good Lord ascended, He left His followers with this command: “...you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth.” We, as followers of Jesus, have the obligation to be His witnesses and bring the message of the Gospel to the ends of the earth, including Tuckahoe and Eastchester. One significant way we may fulfill our obligation to carry the Gospel message to the whole world is to start right here as catechists to the children of our Parish. Without our passing on the faith to the next generation, there may be no faith to hand on in the future.

We need catechists, aides, and monitors for the 2022‐2023 PREP academic year. Your time is your valuable asset; please be generous and give it to the religious formation of our children.

As the PREP schedule stands now, we need catechists, aides, and monitors for:

• Tuesday afternoon (4:15 to 5:30)

• Tuesday evening (6:45 to 8:00)

• Wednesday afternoon (4:15 to 5:30)

In the past, our greatest need has been in the Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon hours.

No prior training or teaching experience is required; all you need is faith and the desire to share your faith with our children. We will provide you with what you’ll need to fulfill your commitment to teach or to assist. Simply stated, our task is to spread the good news of the Gospel to our children, to your children.

To volunteer, please call us at the PREP office, (914) 961‐1076.

Most of my ancestors came from the same town in Sicily, in the Province of Messina: San Fratello (no, it’s not just a deli in Tuckahoe). In spite of the fact that the town is named for three brother saints, Alfio, Cirino, and Filadelfio (i santi fratelli), they are not it’s Patron Saints. The town’s Patron Saint is someone exceptional, someone you may not expect to find among the saints of Sicily. The patron of the town is Saint Benedict the Black, also called Benedict the Moor and Benedict of San Fratello. I am proud to have taken his name as my Confirmation name.

Benedict was the son of Cristoforo and Diana, slaves who were taken from Africa to San Fratello, where they were converted to Christianity. Cristoforo and Diana bore the name of their “owner” Manasseri. (I believe members of the Manasseri family still live in San Fratello.) Benedict was born in San Fratello in 1526. He and his parents lived such exemplary lives and fulfilled their duties so thoroughly that their owner, in appreciation, granted freedom to their 18-year-old son, Benedict. He continued to work as a day laborer, generously sharing his small wages with the poor and spending his free time in caring for the sick. Because of his origins, Benedict was often the object of ridicule, which he bore so patiently and cheerfully that he was called, even during his youth, “The Holy Black.”

When Benedict reached the age of 21, he became acquainted with Jerome Lanze, a nobleman who had left the world to live under St. Francis of Assisi. Benedict sold the few possessions he had, gave the money to the poor, and joined the monastic group at San Fratello, later moving with them to Palermo. For many years, he was happily assigned to the kitchen as a lay brother at the Friary of St. Mary of Jesus, but upon the death of his director, Benedict was chosen the guardian of the friary, even though he could neither read nor write. After serving one term in this office, he was chosen novice master, his counsel being eagerly sought by the novices, professed religious, and people of every class. He possessed extraordinary gifts of prayer, was divinely given an infused knowledge of the Scriptures, and had an intuitive grasp of deep theological truths, which astounded learned men and aided him in the direction of souls.

The reports of his sanctity spread throughout Sicily, and the monastery was constantly beset with visitors – the poor requesting alms, the sick in search of a miracle, and people of all ranks seeking advice or prayers. Benedict's face was often seen to shine with a celestial light, especially when he was praying in the chapel.

At the age of 63, Benedict died in Palermo, at the very hour he had predicted, on April 4, 1589. A widespread devotion to him developed immediately following his death and was especially popular in Latin America, Italy, and Spain. In 1611, Spain's King Phillip III donated a new shrine to the friary church at Palermo, where Benedict was buried. Benedict's incorrupt remains were transferred to the shrine, where they are still venerated by the faithful.

Benedict was beatified by Pope Benedict XIV in 1743 and canonized by Pope Pius VII in 1807. He is the heavenly protector of the city of Palermo and the Patron Saint of blacks in North America. His feast is celebrated tomorrow, April 4.

On one Thursday morning after Ash Wednesday, a young girl came down to breakfast and told her parents that the day before the priest had told her that she was dust and she would return to dust. She looked to be very distressed, so her parents asked her what was wrong. She told them that she looked under her bed this morning, and, there, she saw someone who was either coming or going.

On Ash Wednesday, the church gives the person distributing ashes to the faithful an option of two formulas. The more traditional formula is: “Remember thou art dust, and unto dust you shall return.” The second formula is: “Turn away from sin, and receive the Gospel.” It is apparent that the two formulas emphasize the different messages for Lent.

The first, “Remember you are dust, and unto dust you shall return,” reminds us of our mortality and the brevity of our life on earth. When we die, our bodies will return to the elements from which it is made. As kids, you might have said, “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”

We live in a death-defying society. Death is viewed by many as something unnatural or a punishment. In ages past, death was viewed as a natural event. I remember the day my maternal grandmother died, and I went to see my grandfather; I was in tears. As I hugged him, I was sobbing; he pulled me back, looked me in the eyes, and said, very calmly, that I was not to cry. He said my grandmother was old and she was supposed to die. The reality is we are all going to die; we’re all supposed to die. “Remember you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.”

The second, “Turn away from sin, and receive the Gospel,” reminds us of Lenten obligation of renewal. Lent is a time of atonement and rejecting a life of sin. Lent is a time for accepting and living the Gospel message of faith, hope, and love. The Gospel is our guidance on earth and our map to life eternal.

It’s distressing how few Catholics have a familiarity with the Gospel. It is the Gospel that is the source of our knowledge of salvation. The entire Bible is the story of our salvation. Each and every line of the Bible should be read as if it is addressed to us personally. Lent is a wonderful time to reacquaint ourselves with sacred scripture. “Turn away from sin, and receive the Gospel.”

So this Ash Wednesday, as we begin our Lenten journey, let us recall our mortality and our obligation to reject a life of sin and live life based on the Gospel of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Servant of God Father Paul of Graymoor was born on January 16, 1863, in Millington, MD, to an Episcopal Minister, Rev. Joseph Wattson and his wife Mary Electa. This was a difficult period in the United States due to the conclusion of the Civil War. This event left a lasting impression on the young Wattson, who in his later years would be seen displaying sensitivity to every type of injustice.

Fr. Paul saw the need for both a Franciscan spirituality in the Episcopal Church and a way to both serve the poor and preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. In 1898, together with Lurana White, an Episcopalian sister, they founded the Society of the Atonement within the Episcopal Church, today known as the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement.

Fr. Paul had a great desire not only for serving the poor but also for praying and working for the unity of Christians. In 1908, he inaugurated the "Octave of Prayer for Church Unity" that began on January 18 (formerly the feast of the Chair of St. Peter) and concluded on January 25 (the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul). It was later recognized and celebrated globally as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. (This year, it is observed January 18-25.)

The young religious communities founded in the Episcopal Church encountered great difficulty in preaching reconciliation between the Anglican and Catholic Churches. This situation provoked a great spiritual and moral crisis for Fr. Paul, Mother Lurana, and their confreres. In 1909, one year after initiating the Church Unity Octave and after much soul searching, he approached Pope Pius X to enter into full communion with the Church of Rome. The Society of the Atonement became the first religious community to be received corporately into the Catholic Church since the Reformation.

After Fr. Paul's ordination as a Catholic priest in 1910, the Society of the Atonement continued its original mission to pray for Christian unity and to act as an agent of charity to the needy. The heart of Fr. Paul of Graymoor was a furnace of love for people in both material and spiritual difficulty. He proved to be a great Franciscan by going out of his way to reach anyone who was in trouble.

In the early 1900s, Fr. Paul opened the Friary to these "knights of the road," as he used to call those men who were homeless and jobless. This work of welcoming the stranger, the poor, the homeless in the home of the Friars was the beginning of what came to be known as "St. Christopher's Inn." The Inn continues to welcome thousands of men in difficulty from substance abuse and alienation. Perhaps the greatest gift the Inn offers to these men is in welcoming, listening to, and understanding them. For over a century, the prophetic work of Fr. Paul of Graymoor continues to realize the Gospel mandate Pope Francis today proposes as the charitable mission of the Church to go to the margins of society.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York has said of the contribution of Fr. Paul: "The Holy Spirit is evident in the tireless efforts of Father Paul of Graymoor towards the unity of Christians, the support of all missionary activity and the loving care for the needy, work that continues today in St. Christopher's Inn."

— From: www.fatherpaulofgraymoor.org