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Dear Friends, Welcome to my website! |
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March 5 , 2006 Dear friends in life and in ministry . . . I'll be preaching today at St. Mary's on a Lenten theme first heard while Pat and I were in Florida. Thanks to Fr. Scott Seethaler for his inspiration at the parish retreat we attended while visiting friends. Hope your week is blessed . Ray
March 5 , 2006 Pat and I spent last week enjoying Florida sunshine. Our friends George and Jana Howell have a modest winter home in Debary, a central Florida community located 20 miles or so from Sanford. While there, Pat and I attended Sunday Mass at St. Ann’s Catholic Church. Like St. Mary’s, their Sunday liturgies benefit from talented music ministers and a warm welcoming community. St. Ann’s pastor, Fr. Paige Blakely continues a three year battle with cancer with great faith and a marvelous sense of humor. On Sunday and Monday evenings, we attended a pre-Lenten parish mission led by Fr. Scott Seethaler, a Capuchin Franciscan priest from Pittsburgh, Pa. I was profoundly touched by Fr. Scott’s messages and hope to share some of his main themes with you over the next few week’s in this column. One of Fr. Scott’s themes was: Lent: Let’s Eliminate Negative Thinking. Personally, I can’t imagine a better Lenten goal for Christians than eliminating our negative thinking. A preeminent theme in Jesus’ teaching is that we do not have to be afraid. Yet, worry and other negative thoughts seem at times to control our lives. Why is that? Why do we who have the gift of faith, still waste precious time on worry and negativity. Why, when we have been given so much, do we dwell on the little that seems just beyond our reach? Why do we judge ourselves and others so harshly? As we enter these forty days of prayer, fasting and reflection, let’s pray for the Grace to let go of our fears, and worries, and negative thoughts. Let us pray for the Grace to seek only the good in ourselves and others. This Lent, Let’s Eliminate Negative Thinking and place anything that would cause us worry or bitterness or negative thoughts in God’s hands - and move on with life unafraid. Unfortunately, our Tuesday evening flight from Orlando did not arrive in time for us to enjoy even a portion of our parish Mardi Gras Dinner. At this event our parish recognized the generous people who serve in a variety of ministries throughout the year. Two very special couples, Bob and Rita Denno and Jack and Mary Giblin received framed pictures of St. Mary’s. Bob and Rita recently retired from their leadership of our Resurrection Assembly. Jack and Mary have recently retired from their Communion Ministry to residents of the Avoca Nursing Home and also from St. Mary’s Choir. All of us at St. Mary’s have benefited from the dedicated ministry of these wonderful people. When you see them, please extend your congratulations and thanks Have a good week. Serve one another well! Deacon Ray Defendorf |
Over the years, God has blessed me with many wonderful opportunites to minister. As a Roman Catholic permanent deacon of the Diocese of Rochester, New York, (ordained 1982), I have served in a wide variety of ministries. Whether I am ministering to my parish, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, travel or retreat groups (e.g. Cursillo, Walk to Emmaus, Koiniania, Pre Cana, Youth) - music has played an important role in opening doors and hearts.
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This website is an extension of that ministry. Here you'll find the lyrics to many of my prayer-songs and, if you like, purchase from a collection of CDs I've recorded. There's also information about tours and pilgrimages that my wife Pat and I occasionally host and links to web sites I've found interesting. |
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I pray that you will enjoy this visit,
and if you like, . |
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