Advent Reconciliation Service Sunday December 4th, 2003

Simple, personal and thought-provoking, were the three main themes for this year’s Advent Communal Reconciliation Service.

Reconciliation brings healing and hope and a sense that we can make a difference, however modest, Father George Wertin said during Sunday afternoon’s service in “the big room”. He then challenged each person to be “signs of reconciliation.”

As we arrived at the service, we were encouraged to take a paper cutout doll and pencil as we walked into the gym, asymmetrically arranged with chairs. In the introduction, Prayer Partner Pat Stevens referred to the cutouts as “doleful dolls of dereliction or the merry mannequins of metanoia. During the Ritual of Reconciliation, we were asked to write a personal prayer offering on the dolls. Those were then brought forward, attached together and fashioned into ornamental garland to drape around the Peace Tree.

Louise Jankowski(right) offered insight and global perspective on reconciliation, using slides and a story from the recent trip to Africa taken by several parishioners and Father Jim Cassidy. Louise mentioned that she was surprisingly impressed by Archbishop Harry Flynn. She noted he was very genuine and humble to all on the trip and forged a very easy and personal bond with many of the Africans he came know. (Read Louise's feature on the trip.)

Several interesting passages were read by Mary Havstad, including Bernard Haring, as quoted by Terry Dosh in “Bread Rising”; Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Ethics and Life Together; Sogyal Rinpoche in the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying and St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, chapter 4.

A very peaceful and introspective Tibetan Buddhist meditation was adapted by Stevens and 16-year-old Trevor Abel, in his first major event as a prayer partner. The meditation helped all to become more centered on the inspirational words and to connect the art of reconciliation with different parts of our lives.

The diversity of musical selections, from “Simple Gifts” to “Bambalela” to “Somandela,” performed by Anna and Fred Vagle and Joe Chouinard was perfect for the occasion.

Randy Miranda (is that really Randy??)is originally from Florida, so he is more comfortable in the summer, the more humid the better. He loves gardening (he has helped on occasion with projects around the SJA grounds) and music (virtually every genre but opera). Randy has planted more than 600 annuals along the classroom side of the church grounds and maintained them throughout the summer. He can usually be found on the north side of the church and in family mass with his daughter, Mallory.

And what about that lopsided gym layout. Well, the new maintenance man had begun putting up the chairs after the 11 a.m. Mass before realizing another event was scheduled Sunday. Rather than put the chairs back, it was decided to just roll with it. Sounds a lot like what St. Joan’s is all about: Adapting with the positive with no typical Catholic guilt.