On the Feast of St. Monica, Aug. 27, 120 members of parishes from across the Diocese of Allentown attended the St. Monica Ministry Mass celebrated by Bishop Alfred Schlert at St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish, Hellertown.
A buffet dinner followed afterward in Friendship Hall, with testimony by Deacon Maurice and Judy Kelly.
“We might ask ourselves, what brought us here tonight?” asked Bishop Schlert during his homily at the Mass.
“Well, of course, the Holy Eucharist brought us here to celebrate the mystery of Our Lord’s Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity present on our Altar, but I thank each and every one of you for coming because what brought you here is love.”
He explained further, “St. Thomas Aquinas gave us perhaps a very good classical definition of love: ‘Love is desiring or willing the good of another.’”
According to its mission statement, the St. Monica Ministry, which was founded in the Diocese of Allentown by Celeste Behe at the request of Bishop Alfred Schlert, is “a dedicated community and prayer network offering hope and support to the families and friends of fallen-away Catholics.”
As those in attendance prayed for the return to the faith of family or friends, Bishop Schlert offered encouragement and some step-by-step practical advice for interactions with those away from the Church.
He first wants us to acknowledge that we may not know the exact reasons people have left or respond poorly to the Church. There may be wounds directly imparted by the Church or other reasons like apathy toward the Church’s teachings, but whatever those reasons are, we can learn how to allow the Holy Spirit to step in.
“As much as we love that person for whom we are praying, God loves them infinitely more,” Bishop Schlert lovingly expressed.
Some of the advice Bishop Schlert provided included:
1. Love those who have fallen away from the Faith.
2. Try to have a dialogue in charity about why the Faith is important to you. Explain why you see it as the treasure that it is. Spend little – if any – time explaining why the Faith should be important to them.
3. It is best to share a little bit about ourselves and what keeps us all in the Church despite our faults and the Church’s faults. Acknowledge that the Church is a means of salvation because we are sinners.
4. Don’t say, “Why don’t you go to Church?” “Why can’t you go to Church?” “Isn’t it important to you?”
5. “Let the Holy Spirit work. The Holy Spirit will have more influence.”
6. “Speak the truth in charity.” Say things like, “I care for you and your salvation. This is why I go to Church. Maybe you would like to consider this, too. We both want to reach the same place, eternal life, and because I love you, I will your good.”
Bishop Schlert asked the attendees to recognize that the Gospel is about giving witness. While we do not know precisely when an individual will return to the Church, our call is to continue lovingly praying and giving witness through our own lives.
Deacon Maurice and Judy Kelly, who attend the St. Monica Ministry Holy Hour each month, provided a testimony about their sorrow for their loved ones who have left the faith and their hope that they will return.
They said they believe that it is through prayer, modeling faith, and teaching the truth when appropriate that we can impact the lives of our loved ones. Sometimes, we need to simply trust that God hears our prayers and sees our tears.
Mrs. Kelly explained how St. Monica – longing for the conversion of her son, Augustine – was encouraged by St. Ambrose, who told her, “[Surely the son of so many tears will not perish].”
St. Ambrose went on to teach Augustine and helped convert him to the faith. “Pray for an Ambrose to step into your [loved one’s] life and be aware of how to be an Ambrose in someone else’s child’s or loved one’s life. Be aware of your possible impact and be open to it,” said Mrs. Kelly.
Some of their closing words included, “Speak less to Augustine about God, and more to God about Augustine. And trust God’s timing. It’s His will and plan of salvation.”
St. Monica Ministry is named after the mother of St. Augustine, who had never been baptized due to the behest of his pagan father. Monica prayed for St. Augustine for decades. Eventually, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the impact of St. Ambrose, St. Augustine was baptized and converted to Catholicism, leaving behind his pagan religion and lifestyle.
St. Monica provides an example of patient long-suffering for those who attend St. Monica Ministry meetings – which include a monthly Holy Hour and discussion about “The St. Monica Club” by Maggie Green.
For more on St. Monica Ministry or to receive the newsletter, email Celeste Behe at [email protected].
By Annaleigh Gidosh
