Rev. Robert McNamara, 1910-2009

Father Robert McNamara, the oldest priest in the Diocese of Rochester and a respected historian and writer, died in Rochester Friday, (May 22, 2009) at the Our Lady of Mercy Motherhouse infirmary. He was 98 years old and had served as a priest for 72 years.

Father McNamara was best known for his well-received and popular history, The Diocese of Rochester in America, a richly detailed history of the Diocese of Rochester. He also wrote a history of the famous Pontifical North American College in Rome, where seminarians from the U.S. study in preparation for service as priests. Both works are considered outstanding among institutional histories in the Church.

“I am greatly saddened by Father McNamara’s death,” Bishop of Rochester Matthew Clark said. “He was our oldest priest at 98, and we were blessed with his ministry for 72 years. We were graced by his prowess as a writer, researcher, historian and archivist, and his magnificence as a minister and servant of God.”

Father McNamara was born on Nov. 3, 1910, in Corning, N.Y. He held degrees from Georgetown University (1932), Harvard University (master’s in literature, 1933) and the Gregorian University in Rome (Licentiate of Sacred Theology, 1936). He attended the Pontifical North American College in Rome as a seminarian.

He was ordained a priest on Dec. 8, 1936.

Father McNamara served as assistant at the former St. Frances Xavier Church in Rochester early in his career, as well as on the editorial staff of the Catholic Courier newspaper and as chaplain at St. Anne’s Home, Rochester. He also served as a history, Italian and liturgy professor at the former St. Bernard’s Seminary on Lake Avenue, Rochester until the seminary closed in 1981, and for many years was the diocesan archivist. In 1999, at the age of 88, he laboriously researched and updated his original 1968 history on the the Diocese for a new, expanded edition.

On Wednesday, May 27, Father McNamara will lie in state at the Mercy Motherhouse on Blossom Road, Rochester, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. with Evening Prayer at 7 p.m. On Thursday, May 28, he will lie in state at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 4536 St. Paul Blvd., Irondequoit, from 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. immediately followed by his funeral Mass, at which Bishop Clark will preside.

Interment will be in the family burial plot in Corning.

For additional details: www.catholiccourier.com (See Obituaries) content

13th Annual Monroe County Catholic Schools Golf Tournament is June 29 at Greystone

The 13th Annual Catholic Schools Scholarship Golf Classic will be held on Monday, June 29, 2009, at Greystone Golf Club in Walworth, Wayne County.

Proceeds will be used to provide financial assistance for needy students in the Diocese of Rochester’s Monroe County Catholic Schools system. Pat McGonigle of WHEC-TV (Channel 10) will emcee the awards luncheon.

Teams, sponsors and donations of auction items and raffle prizes are being sought to help raise funds. For more information, please call 585-328-3228, ext. 1297, or e-mail . You also can download a brochure and register online here.

Catholic Call-in May 12, 2009

Get answers to your questions about the Catholic faith

Have you always wondered why we Catholics genuflect? Why do non-Catholics who were married before need an annulment before they can marry in the Catholic Church? Can I receive Holy Communion if I’m divorced?

Catholics throughout the 12-county Diocese of Rochester can get answers to these and any other questions about the Church and their faith during a special toll-free “Catholic Call In.”

CALL 1-866-595-8575 between 2 and 7 p.m.

The call-in is just one part of a diocesan-wide, three-year Spiritual Renewal called Spirit Alive! It was initiated by Bishop Matthew Clark in Lent 2008. Spirit Alive! consists of three movements: deepening one’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ, deepening one’s knowledge and understanding of the Word and deepening one’s commitment to discipleship and stewardship.

“It is a very special and important time to deepen our relationship with Jesus,
our Lord and Savior, and to more fully learn and practice what true discipleship means,”
the Bishop has said. “This is, after all, what is truly crucial to our lives as Catholic
Christians.”

For more information and for resources for individuals and groups, visit www.rochesterspiritalive.org.

St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry elects three new board members

Rochester, N.Y. — St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry has announced the election of three new board members: Ronald F. Dow, Anne Shaw Fenstermacher and Deacon Anthony J. Sciolino.

Ronald Dow is the retired director of the University of Rochester Library. He is a graduate of Augustana College, and holds an MS in Library Science from Syracuse University and a Ph.D. in Higher Education and Public Administration from Penn State. He currently serves on the board of Rochester Historical Society. Before retiring, Mr. Dow served as dean of the University of Rochester Library System and was instrumental in creating and integrating the St. Bernard’s collection with that of the university.

Anne Shaw Fenstermacher is retired director of volunteers for Rochester General Hospital. She holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Cornell University and the Simon School at University of Rochester. She is an active member of St. Louis Church, Pittsford, and serves on the Rochester General Hospital Association. With this appointment, she continues her commitment to the people and programs of St. Bernard’s, having served as a St. Bernard’s trustee in the 1990s.

Anthony Sciolino is a retired Monroe County Family Court judge. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a law degree from Cornell Law School. He was ordained a permanent deacon of the Roman Catholic Church, Diocese of Rochester, in 1998, the same year he earned a Master of Arts in Theology degree from St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry. Deacon Sciolino ministers at the Church of the Transfiguration, Pittsford and, among other ministries, is dedicated to promoting Catholic-Jewish relations within the Diocese and beyond. He also serves as a NYS Advocate, Friends of Family Court, and is a member of the Monroe County Bar Association.

St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry, 150 French Road, Rochester, is a Roman Catholic graduate and professional school educating men and women to serve the church and the community through lay and ordained ministries. For more information about St. Bernard’s, call (585) 271-3657 or visit our web site at: www.stbernards.edu.

The Diocese of Rochester collection to support the Sisters of Mercy in Chile & Sisters of St. Joseph in Brazil has taken place for more than 40 years. Please give generously on May 16 & 17 at weekend Masses.

Our Sisters of Mercy in Chile

Four Sisters of Mercy left Rochester for Chile in 1965 with a blessing in the Cathedral from then-Bishop James Kearney and have been serving there for 44 years. One of the sisters is a nurse and uses her skills in home nursing, acting as conduit between people in need and the local clinic. She also works with women on empowerment issues.

Two other sisters live in a house near Santiago. They offer room and board to young women who live in rural areas are seeking a high school education which is not available to them where they live. They also do pastoral work in the area. Another is in charge of youth ministry for the entire “decanato” — a geographic area overseen by a Bishop or his delegate.) Another sister has developed a program of pastoral and social care for those affected by HIV/AIDS. Her program offers medical care, outreach to family, community support, prayer, and transportation.

Others work in pastoral ministry and serve several Christian Communities located within a larger parish and the sisters provide religious services when no priest is available.

Our Sisters of St. Joseph in Brazil

In 1964, four Sisters of St. Joseph left Rochester for Brazil from the Cathedral with a special blessing from Bishop Kearney and have been serving there for 45 years. Presently some of sisters are spread over huge geographical areas in two states in the interior of Brazil.

Others are in very large cities and small rural towns. Some of the sisters are involved in pastoral work and the formation of small Christian communities and training of lay leaders. Others work in prison ministry on the municipal and state levels.

They are also involved in health care, education in public schools, and advocacy, serving on Municipal Councils for Health and for the Rights of Children and Adolescents.

The Sisters of St. Joseph also provide religious services when no priest is available, and work for the indigenous people, poor mothers and their children and with the Pastoral Land Commission, helping poor farmers and the landless stay on the land and support their families.

For more information, please contact Deacon John Brasley at 

Annual Stewardship Day is May 9

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester’s Stewardship Day 2009 will be held May 9, 2009, at Church of the Assumption in Fairport.

Featured speaker for the day will be Lorene Hanley Duquin, author of eight books and the editor of the Our Sunday Visitor’s “Faith on the Go” series. Duquin will give the keynote address and conduct two of the four practical workshops at the event, which runs from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Bishop Matthew Clark also will address the gathering.

Cost is $10 per person and includes a continental breakfast. Registration is required and can be done online at www.stbernards.edu. For more details and to obtain a brochure with a mail-in registration form, click here, or email .

For more information, please contact Deacon John Brasley at 

The Gift of Hope

Help us give children a hand up and a way out of poverty through the gift of a Catholic education

Diocese has been given a generous opportunity 
from the Wegman Family Charitable Foundation

NEW! BARNES & NOBLE BOOKFAIR MAY 2-4 TO HELP CHALLENGE!

The Wegman Family Charitable Foundation has offered up to $2 million to the Diocese of Rochester to fund scholarships to children of low-income Rochester families if the Diocese can raise $500,000 by the end of this school year (June 30). All funds raised will be used to provide scholarships based on need in the Monroe County Catholic Schools system.

In a letter read in all Monroe County parishes, Bishop Matthew Clark asked those who can to please contribute to this worthy cause.

“I need not tell you of the obstacles children of low-income families face,” he wrote, “from dire poverty in their homes to daily violence on their streets. Parents of these children tell us that they truly believe the faith-based education they are receiving in our safe and nurturing Catholic schools is a strong deterrent to the enticement of youth gangs, violence and drugs. Our own experience is that these children perform exceedingly well with the vast majority going on to college. This is a remarkable success story that we must celebrate and continue.”

How You Can Help

1. To give online safely and securely with your credit card: CLICK HERE

2. If you would prefer to send a check by U.S. mail, please make your it payable to “Diocese of Rochester Challenge” and mail to:

Sister Janice Morgan
Pastoral Center
Diocese of Rochester
1150 Buffalo Road,
Rochester, NY 14624

All gifts will be used to fund scholarships for eligible families

Full text of Bishop’s letter (pdf)

Thank you!

Bishop Clark to Speak at Temple B’rith Kodesh in Rochester

Bishop Matthew Clark will be the special guest speaker at Temple B’rith Kodesh’s Friday night Shabbat Service on March 13, 2009. The service will begin at 7 p.m. in the Philip S. Bernstein Sanctuary.

Bishop Clark will give “Reflections on the Life and Work of Father Joseph Brennan & Catholic-Jewish Relations.”

“It is a special honor for us as a congregation to welcome Bishop Matthew Clark to our Shabbat Service,” says Rabbi Laurence Kotok, senior rabbi at Temple B’rith Kodesh. “Bishop Clark brings true greetings of friendship and community to our congregation. During the past few years, I have been deeply impressed by Bishop Clark’s devotion and concern for interfaith relationships. Let us join together in carrying forward our shared vision of a world of respect and understanding.”

Temple B’rith Kodesh is located at 2131 Elmwood Ave. and is wheelchair accessible. All are welcome. Click here for directions 

Online Lenten resources and local events

From the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops:
http://www.usccb.org/lent/

Busted Halo’s Lent plan
http://bustedhalo.com/features/fast-pray-give-2014

Lent Resources from the Franciscans:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Lent/

Daily Meditations for your MP3 player:
http://www.pray-as-you-go.org/

Quiet Sitting Meditation
for the Lenten Season with the Sisters of St. Joseph

Please join the Sisters of St. Joseph for a Quiet Sitting Meditation during the Lenten Season. The service is every Friday of Lent from 4-5 p.m. (March 6, 13, 20, 27) at the Sisters of Saint Joseph Motherhouse, located at 150 French Road, Pittsford No need to call ahead. All are welcome. For more information, please contact Dawn Gruba, 585)641-8172 or e-mail .

Statement on recent news reports concerning Bishop Williamson

Rochester, New York, Feb. 2, 2009 — Bishop of Rochester Matthew Clark and the priests, deacons and people of the Diocese of Rochester join with Pope Benedict XVI in affirming our love for and solidarity with the Jewish people throughout the world, and our absolute repudiation of Bishop Williamson’s historically inaccurate and shameful remarks denying the Holocaust.

The systematic murder of more than 6 million Jews by the Nazis and their collaborators
remains a tragedy of indescribable proportion and evil. To deny that the Holocaust occurred or to attempt to lessen the scope of this evil that is historic fact is monumentally wrong. Indeed, people of all faiths and all generations must work unceasingly to remember the Holocaust and the millions of children, women and men who perished, not only to honor their memory but to ensure such unspeakable crimes never can or will happen again to any people.

The Diocese of Rochester is proud of its ongoing relationship with the Jewish Community, one which led to the historic Rochester Agreement of Understanding in 1996 – a joint declaration of solidarity and mutual defense that was signed by both Jewish and Catholic officials locally and one that has borne much fruit in bettering interfaith relations.

Cathedral organ to be featured on ‘Pipedreams’

Michael Barone, host of the nationally-syndicated radio program Pipedreams, will host and record a weekend event in Rochester featuring Eastman organ students and faculty playing three of the city’s finest organs and running the musical gamut from Bach to Gershwin.

Concerts are Feb. 13 at 7:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Cathedral; Saturday, Feb. 14 at 7:00 p.m. at Christ Church, 141 East Ave.; and Sunday, Feb.15 at 2:30 p.m. at the Auditorium Theatre.

Perhaps the greatest public face for the pipe organ in America, Barone has hosted Pipedreams for 25 years. The Rochester concerts will be recorded and broadcast on a future Pipedreams program. Pipedreams airs Sundays at 8 PM on WXXI, 90.5 FM.

At the Feb. 13 concert at the Cathedral, Eastman professors David Higgs and William Porter join their students in a two-hour performance followed by a reception.

Since seating at all performances is unreserved, the public is encouraged to arrive early. Doors open one hour prior to each concert.

The event is cosponsored by WXXI, the Eastman School of Music, the Rochester Theater Organ Society, and the Rochester Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. The concert is free.

Registration for 2009/2010 begins on Monday, Jan. 26th

The Diocese of Rochester is joining other schools around the country in celebrating Catholic Schools Week beginning Sunday, Jan. 25 through Jan. 31. Catholic Schools Week marks a period in which teachers, parents and, especially, schoolchildren can express their pride in being part of a school system that strives to combine faith, values and academic excellence.

Monday, Jan. 26 also marks the beginning of open registration for all Catholic schools in the Diocese. The Diocese has 24 schools operating grades kindergarten – 8th throughout Monroe County, the Finger Lakes and the Southern Tier.

For more information about the Diocese’s Catholic Schools, visit www.dorschools.org Email address for more information: 

A donor who has requested anonymity has given $100,000 to support the work of St. Pius Tenth Catholic School in Chili.

“This is a tremendously generous gift that will be put to great use helping our children for years to come,” said Stephen Oberst, princial of the school at 3000 Chili Ave., Chili. “It is a strong statement of support for the ongoing ministry of Catholic Education. We are so very grateful.”

St. Pius Tenth, founded in 1954, is a state-certified school with an enrollment of approximately 375 students in pre-K through 6th grade. It is part of the Monroe County Catholic Schools system. In addition to standard classes taught in a faith-filled Roman Catholic environment, St. Pius offer programs in Physical Education, Music, Art, Computer/Technology and Library Science, Extended Kindergarten, Enriched Reading and Advanced Math and Remedial Programs in Math, Reading and English Language Arts. St. Pius offers a hot lunch program and has a full-sized gym for sports, assemblies and other programs.

Those wishing to make a financial gift to support Catholic Schools should contact the Diocese of Rochester Office of Stewardship at 585-328-3210 or e-mail .

For more information about St. Pius Tenth School, please visit www.stpiustenthschool.org or contact Principal Stephen Oberst at 585-247-5650.