Message from the pastor on Sunday, October 6, 2024

Anthony Aruanna • October 10, 2024

As much as I would like to focus only on the pastoral issues of our parish, this time I need to explain some pending issues that touch the entire Diocese of Rockville Centre, hence, all the Catholics on Long Island. I am sure that most of you have already heard from the local news outlets that our diocese is about to strike a deal regarding the pending lawsuits. Please read on the next page the official Statement of the Diocese of Rockville Centre as a result of the Hearing in Bankruptcy Court (dated September 26, 2024).

Also, please read first this statement from our Vicar General:

“In order to compensate survivors and protect the parishes from lawsuits, the Diocese and every parish will be making a contribution to the settlement. The settlement total has been accepted. Therefore, donations to the parish now remain with the parish. Also, to protect the parishes from any past liability, it will be necessary for every parish to enter into an abbreviated Chapter 11. This does not mean that the parish is in jeopardy or closing. Please do not panic if you hear it reported that parishes are "declaring bankruptcy". As always, do not automatically believe everything you hear in the media. The parish Chapter 11's should be completed within 48 hours and will not interfere with our work and ministry. This is being done so that the parishes can obtain releases for their protection from liability going forward. The diocesan and parish plans have not yet been confirmed. However, we want you to be informed so that you are not surprised by anything that might be reported in the press. In the coming weeks, more detailed information will be provided in the bulletin. Please know that we will keep you fully informed as details are confirmed. Our highest goals are to resolve any potential liabilities and to secure our future for our parish.”

What does it mean for us as a parish and all parishes on Long Island? — It means that we will have to contribute to this lawsuit settlement whether we had any pending cases or not. The quote we need to chip in is assessed based on the parish financial assets up to date. I can assure you that our parish of Saint Joseph the Worker has gotten one of the lowest assessments in terms of what we need to pay. I still need to confirm with the diocesan entities the exact number and the date line for the payments. You will be informed accordingly. Meanwhile we continue to pray for the victim survivors of sexual abuse and their families. They certainly deserve real justice, our respect, and our ongoing pastoral support. We also hope that a global resolution will bring some measure of comfort to them and stop an ordeal that we have been under since the lawsuits have been brought to courts.

I understand that many of you may be angry at this situation in our diocese and in the Catholic Church by and large. You may wonder, as I do too, how did we end up in such a mess?! Before you make any hasty judgment, please, pray over it and try to see a bigger picture. I did not grow up in this country, but having read enough about modern history and speaking with many people I know that the decades after World War II, particularly the 60s and the 70s, were quite permissive in many ways in America and other Western countries. The so-called sexual revolution was taken to the extreme in pop-culture. The traditional values of God, country, and family had been put aside and many people started living their lives with this “free” spirit while getting more and more entangled in the life of licentiousness, which quickly led to wide spread consequences of divorce, single parenting, abortion, and general promiscuity — all in the name of “free love” and self-realization.

Unfortunately, the same spirit of licentiousness has also creeped into the Catholic Church, especially after the Second Vatican Council. Since then, many priests, religious, and lay people associated with the Church have become spiritually inflicted too. Despite their previous traditions and religious upgrading many embraced a mindset that was prevailing in the pop-culture. Now, many years have passed and we all suffer the consequences. Please, do not get me wrong, I am not trying to justify any particular evil act, but rather to show you that the Church is like a family that suffers the consequences of one son or daughter that did something terribly wrong. The healing of family requires a cooperation of all its members.

I thank you all for your prayers and continuing support. God bless you and your families.

Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor

Mensaje del pastor para la celebración de la Pascua 2025

By Anthony Aruanna • April 14, 2025
Queridos hermanos y hermanas,

Pastor’s message on Easter 2025

By Anthony Aruanna • April 14, 2025
Dear brothers and sisters,

From Pastor’s Desk on the Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

By Anthony Aruanna • March 2, 2025
“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?” — Our Lord Jesus addresses this question to His disciples trying to tell them that they need to be healed of their spiritual blindness first. In this context blindness is not to believe in Christ and healing means to have faith in Jesus who is the Light of the world. In other words, when we gain our spiritual sight through faith, then we will be able to help others on the way to salvation. Without faith in Jesus we just remain living in the darkness of sin. Without Jesus we are all like blind men bouncing against the walls of reality and against each other. However, when we embrace faith in God in the person of Jesus and let our hearts be set on Christ, then He—the Son of God and Our Lord—becomes our guide. Because of that our every step will be illumined with the light of faith. While putting our faith into action in our daily life we also start bearing good fruits of an authentic and happy life.

Del Escritorio del Párroco en el Octavo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario, Año C

By Anthony Aruanna • March 2, 2025
“ ¿Puede un ciego guiar a otro ciego? ¿No caerán ambos en un pozo? ” - Nuestro Señor Jesús dirige esta pregunta a sus discípulos tratando de decirles que primero necesitan ser curados de su ceguera espiritual. En este contexto, ceguera significa no creer en Cristo y curación significa tener fe en Jesús, que es la Luz del mundo. En otras palabras, cuando ganemos nuestra vista espiritual a través de la fe, entonces seremos capaces de ayudar a otros en el camino de la salvación. Sin fe en Jesús solo permanecemos viviendo en la oscuridad del pecado. Sin Jesús todos somos como ciegos que rebotan contra las paredes de la realidad y contra los demás. Sin embargo, cuando abrazamos la fe en Dios en la persona de Jesús y dejamos que nuestro corazón se fije en Cristo, entonces Él -el Hijo de Dios y Nuestro Señor- se convierte en nuestro guía. Por eso, cada uno de nuestros pasos estará iluminado por la luz de la fe. Al poner nuestra fe en acción en nuestra vida diaria, también empezamos a dar buenos frutos de una vida auténtica y feliz.

Del Escritorio del Párroco en el 5º Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario, Año C

By Anthony Aruanna • February 6, 2025
A menudo la gente nos pregunta a nosotros, los sacerdotes, qué hacer para profundizar en su vida espiritual. A todos se nos ocurren respuestas diferentes y, ciertamente, hay muchos caminos para una mayor vida espiritual. Hay, sin embargo, un método más probado que ha ayudado a muchos cristianos católicos a estar en la vía rápida de la santidad y a comprender mejor la vida espiritual. Es la consagración total al Corazón Inmaculado de María, o como propuso originalmente San Luis Grignon de Montfort allá por el siglo XVII, la Consagración Total a Jesús por María. Después de San Luis hubo muchos otros que siguieron sus pasos. Entre algunos de los santos más conocidos se encuentran el Papa Pío X, San Maximiliano Kolbe y San Juan Pablo II. Estos santos reconocieron que María desempeñó un papel vital en la vida de la Iglesia primitiva y que la Santísima Madre sigue desempeñando un papel importante en la Iglesia de nuestros tiempos.

From Pastor’s Desk on the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

By Anthony Aruanna • February 6, 2025
Often people ask us, priests, what to do in order to deepen their spiritual life. We all can come up with different answers and there are certainly many ways to greater spiritual life. There is, however, a more proven method that has helped many Christian Catholics to be on the fast track to holiness and to better understanding of spiritual life. It is the total consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, or as originally proposed by Saint Luis Grignon de Montfort back in the XVII century, the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. After St. Luis there were many others that followed in his footsteps. Among some of the most known saints were Pope Pius X, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. John Paul II. These saints recognized that Mary played a vital role in the life of the early Church and that the Blessed Mother still plays an important role in the Church of our times.

Del Escritorio del Párroco en el 2º Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario, Año C

By Anthony Aruanna • January 26, 2025
Estoy seguro de que todos estamos atónitos y horrorizados por los incendios forestales del sur de California que afectan ya a cientos de miles de sus habitantes. La velocidad y la ferocidad del fuego sólo demuestran lo frágiles que somos como seres humanos individuales y como humanidad en general. Muchos californianos pueden estar dudando de su fe en estos momentos; muchos se plantearán preguntas: ¿Dónde está Dios? ¿Por qué permite Dios catástrofes tan terribles? Ciertamente, muchos de nosotros nos haríamos las mismas preguntas. Si Dios está detrás o no, no lo sabemos. Sin embargo, sí sabemos que vivimos en un mundo creado que tiene su propio ritmo y ciclos que se dan en la naturaleza. Las cosas suceden con y sin interrupción humana. Algunas cosas las podemos controlar (muy poco, de hecho), y muchas otras no. Lo que sí podemos reconocer es que las catástrofes naturales son una forma de llamada a la conversión y a una mayor confianza en Dios. También es una llamada a la acción para hacer la tierra más acogedora, de modo que las personas puedan prosperar en ella.

From pastor’s desk on the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, year C

By Anthony Aruanna • January 26, 2025
I am sure that all of us are stunned and horrified by the wildfires in Southern California impacting now hundreds of thousands of its inhabitants. The speed and ferocity of fire only proves how fragile we are as individual human beings and as humanity by and large. Many Californians may be doubting his or her faith at this moment; many will pose questions: Where is God? Why does God permit such terrible disasters? Certainly, many of us would ask the same questions. Whether God is behind it or not, we do not know. However, we do know that we live in a created world that has its own rhythm and cycles that occur in nature. Things happen with and without human interruption. Some things we can control (very little, in fact), and many things we can’t. What we can recognize is that natural disasters are a form of a call to conversion and to greater trust in God. It is also a call to action to make the earth more hospitable so that people can prosper in it.

From pastor’s desk on 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year, B

By Anthony Aruanna • October 19, 2024
Last July over 50 thousand Catholics gathered in Indianapolis for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress. Obviously, the central theme of the gathering was the Eucharist. One of the key speakers at the Eucharistic Congress, Monsignor James Shea, said:

Del Escritorio del Párroco el 29 Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

By Anthony Aruanna • October 19, 2024
El pasado mes de julio, más de 50.000 católicos se reunieron en Indianápolis con ocasión del 10º Congreso Eucarístico Nacional. Obviamente, el tema central del encuentro fue la Eucaristía. Uno de los principales oradores del Congreso Eucarístico, Monseñor James Shea, dijo: