More pictures on the Blessing of the new stairs

Dona Nobis Pacem

Deacon Mitch

Dedication of our new stairs!

Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne! Saint Anne is the patron saint of our church. The project is now complete, and it is absolutely gorgeous. Tonight we had such a beautiful mass, and good Saint Anne held off the rains at least long enough for our parish to do the dedication. As father Kyle said "you who suffer addictions, you who are lonely, you who seeks peace and love, come climb the stairs and see love and peace that is only found through Jesus Christ!" 

Come visit, come and spend time at Saint Anne of Berlin!

Dona Nobis Pacem

Deacon Mitch

Unplugged

 Well there he goes again father Andrew with his challenges. He created some challenges for the parishioners this week:Number one be unplugged.... no Facebook no computers no texting,and there will be no blogging for a week. The challenges continue also with the following: listen, Lead, and learn. Father Andrew stated we would probably be shaking, and he would be able to tell by the look of us if we had followed up on his challenges. And so it begins, you won't hear from me for a week.  Maybe you will take up his challenge also? 

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 Deacon Mitch "signing off for one week"

2013 Permanent Diaconate Video

I'm sharing this video to those who know someone, or are someone discerning the vocation to the Diaconate!

Developing a Bucket Sale Mentality

I've recently shared with you that I have a new district manager. He just came to my store for the very first time to inspect, review, and share a few thoughts. I told him one of the proudest accomplishments I have is leading the initiative of the Bucket Sale. Twice a year we have a sale on paint sundries, i.e. brushes, rollers, etc. Since this inception of this event we have either won this or remained in the top three despite being one of the smallest stores in my district. He couldn't believe a store my size could accomplish so much, offering "if you can do it, everyone should be at least at that level". He then asked..."how do you do it!" I told him we are always studying the market, looking for new products, getting to better understand the changing landscape, and calling, calling, and being very persistent. He then offered this...."You need to develop a bucket sale mentality every day!" Well, that got my competitive juices flowing and I have made some changes already in the store that are beginning to pay off. 

I then started to realize that in my daily life as a Deacon, as a Christian, I need to develop that Bucket Sale Mentality too! I am charged, we are all charged to praise the Lord, and bring more souls to Christ. We must be willing with whatever gifts we are blessed with to be of service to the Lord. No matter how old or how young we are, we need to be ready and able to defend the faith in a merciful way, and share that joy of being a disciple of Christ. You may not feel that you are worthy for whatever reason, yet we all need to trust in the Holy Spirit to guide us to live the Gospel. The best way is to spend moments with the Lord in Adoration, and prayer.I have no doubts you will be divinely inspired. Make the necessary changes every day, and behold we can all move mountains.

Dona Nobis Pacem

Deacon Mitch

I am terrible with names...& then there is John

I've come to the conclusion that it will take a lot of work on my part to remember names. For years I've struggled with this and have marveled at those who have the gift of remembering people's names. I usually never forget a face, yet there is that flaw in my character that aches me. With all that said, then there is John. John is one of those gentlemen that you can't and won't forget. I've only known John for about 4 months as one of my favorite retail customers. You may ask why, and the answer is simple. John is a man of Joy! And I do mean Joy! He radiates and exudes that joy and it is so uplifting. He listens well, and is always praising people! I wish there were more Johns in this world, and I wish I were more like him also. I guess this goes back to the heart of Fr. Kyle's homily last week of encouraging people and this Scripture passage that I read every single morning......Encourage yourselves daily while it is still “today,” (Hebrews 3:13).

I pray that a little bit of John rubs off on me and all of us!

Dona Nobis Pacem

Deacon Mitch

Are you listening?

It never ceases to amaze me how our Lord finds ways to reach out to us, if only our ears are open. Just that phrase reminds me of Scripture...."they have ears but can not hear!" 

Yesterday, I met for the first time my new district manager. One thing I immediately noticed is that they are all getting younger than I am. I guess after working 30 years for a company that is something that is to be expected. 

We had some wonderful discussions and I took notes. Yes notes! No matter how hard I try to remember, even though my memory isn't bad, I remember more by writing it down. 

So how does this all relate to matters of faith? It does! You see the same things that make a good manager, a good employee, are the same things that make a good disciple. Avoid complacency, follow good practices, be willing to change your old habits.Way too often, most of us feel that we have figured it out, we think we have discovered the angle to get to heaven. Unfortunately, we have forgotten that we are human beings, and we tend to plateau and then cruise. We don't like the bumps and bruises, and we certainly don't stretch ourselves very far. We aren't very willing to change. 

Change was the buzz word, create new habits, be flexible, it will improve. Well, I have some changing to do, challenges before me, yet there was a renewed sense of enthusiasm. I am competitive, I like challenges, and so the task is before me. 

My new boss is Catholic, he has four children, and is moving to New Hampshire. I shared my story with him about going to school at St. Meinrad which wasn't very far from his hometown. He shared with me that the priest who married him and his wife probably studied there. The name wasn't familiar yet, we never know for sure. He shared his name and this morning I looked him up. His resume was impressive, and he appeared to smell like sheep. His parish is growing, and what struck me the most was one little quote that he lives by.................."Envision it with faith, and it will become a reality!" Hmmm, Deacon Mitch are you listening?


Dona Nobis Pacem

Deacon Mitch 

My beginnings

http://berlinhistory.weebly.com/guardian-angel-church.html

Please click on the above link to read the history of Guardian Angel Parish! It was a Parish that lived and breathed its faith.

Dona Nobis Pacem

Deacon Mitch

A picture of my baptism at Guardian Angel church

31 Years ago

31 years ago today I married my best friend, whom I love even more today!

Dona Nobis Pacem

Deacon Mitch

Simply said yet extremely well done!

Terry and I had a wonderful weekend away to celebrate our pending anniversary. We traveled to old orchard beach and spent a great weekend of camping, time with our daughter and granddaughter, capped with a romantic evening supper. So last night we attended the 6 PM mass, being on vacation I sat in the pew with Terry and my Mom and Dad. It felt different, but it also felt very good. Father Kyle our pastor was the celebrant last night. The focus of his homily was on three particular words; encourage, forgive, pray. He reminded the parishioners that we aren't a church of doom and gloom. He stressed that there was consequences for our sins, but that the Lord will take care of that. He spoke that we need to be a joyful people, always encouraging people. He had one phrase that I had to post into my I phone shortly after the homily ended. "encouragement leads us to the next mission!" Wow! I was really moved by that simple phrase, which carried so much weight. Suddenly I was struck with a scriptural phrase......"Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13)" It started making me think. How can I be a joyful person, if I am not encouraging people each and every day? None of us can honestly move onto the next mission without encouraging everyone each and every day without exception. I obviously have work to do!

Dona Nobis Pacem

Deacon Mitch

Job or vocation | National Catholic Reporter

Job or vocation | National Catholic Reporter





 This morning I came across this reflection.   I believe it's something we all need to think about in our lives .   Please click on the link above.



Dona Nobis Pacem



 Deacon Mitch

The power of prayer

This morning I was reminded that I don't have to be a doer all the time. My ego, and the fact that I'm a man, greatly influences the way I act. Yesterday, I don't know where I found it, but I listened to a video that a priest discussed the topic of prayer. He highlighted that quite often, men in particular feel they have to do something. He further discussed that there was a greater need to simply pray! As a deacon I took the vow to do morning and evening prayers every day. Honestly at times I just move through them too quickly. Once again, The man inside of me trying to get things done as quickly as possible. This morning I took a different route, relaxed a bit, and morning prayers were only at about 10 o'clock this morning. As I prepared myself for morning prayers I was thinking how much more I could do by simply praying for vocations. God in his wisdom enlightened me! I am providing you with a copy of the first psalm of today's morning prayer....it truly opened my eyes.

Ant. 1 Stir up your mighty power, Lord; come to our aid.

Psalm 80
Lord, come, take care of your vineyard

Come, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20).

O shepherd of Israel, hear us, *
you who lead Joseph’s flock,
shine forth from your cherubim throne *
upon Ephraim, Benjamin, Manasseh.
O Lord, rouse up your might, *
O Lord, come to our help.

God of hosts, bring us back; *
let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

Lord God of hosts, how long *
will you frown on your people’s plea?
You have fed them with tears for their bread, *
an abundance of tears for their drink.
You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, *
our enemies laugh us to scorn.

God of hosts, bring us back; *
let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

You brought a vine out of Egypt; *
to plant it you drove out the nations.
Before it you cleared the ground; *
it took root and spread through the land.

The mountains were covered with its shadow, *
the cedars of God with its boughs.
It stretched out its branches to the sea, *
to the Great River it stretched out its shoots.

Then why have you broken down its walls? *
It is plucked by all who pass by.
It is ravaged by the boar of the forest, *
devoured by the beasts of the field.

God of hosts, turn again, we implore, *
look down from heaven and see.
Visit this vine and protect it, *
the vine your right hand has planted.
Men have burnt it with fire and destroyed it. *
May they perish at the frown of your face.

May your hand be on the man you have chosen, *
the man you have given your strength.
And we shall never forsake you again: *
give us life that we may call upon your name.

God of hosts, bring us back; *
let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm Prayer

Lord God, eternal shepherd, you so tend the vineyard you planted that now it extends its branches even to the farthest coast. Look down on your Church and come to us. Help us remain in your Son as branches on the vine, that, planted firmly in your love, we may testify before the whole world to your great power working everywhere.

This should be our prayer every day. It seems like almost every day I hear many people wondering when more people will accept the call to the priesthood, to the religious life, to the order of deacon. Let a stall stop being just doers let us all pray!

Dona Nobis Pacem

Deacon Mitch

Who is a permanent deacon and what does he do?

The Identity and Ministry of the Permanent Deacon

All members of the Catholic Church are called to share their gifts as Christ did. By virtue of baptism, each and every member of the Catholic Church enjoys new life in Christ, a sharing in his divine life. In light of this participation, all the baptized share in his mission and priesthood – to sanctify, to teach, to guide, that is, to minister to others, according to the gifts each has received.

Ministry is a tapestry. We need all the threads to appreciate the richness and diversity of the whole, and each of these threads is woven together in Christ. We are a diocese that encourages all ministries, lay and ordained, for the building up of the Body of Christ.

God calls some men through the Church to ordained ministry: bishops, priests, and deacons. Bishops and priests are ordained to the ministerial priesthood; deacons are ordained for a ministry of service. All receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Thus, the deacon is an ordained minister of the Church. He is neither a layman nor a priest. The deacon is a cleric ordained for the service of God’s people in communion with the bishop and his body of priests. He works collaboratively with bishops, priests, and existing staff members of a parish or institution. They work together to build up the Body of Christ.

All ordained ministers in the Church are called to serve through Word, Sacrament, and Charity, but they exercise this service in various ways. As minister of Word, a deacon proclaims the Gospel, preaches, and teaches in the name of the Church. As minister of Sacrament, a deacon baptizes, leads the faithful in prayer, witnesses marriages, and conducts wake and funeral services. As minister of Charity, a deacon is a leader in identifying the needs of others and in calling God’s people into service to meet these needs.

Becoming a deacon involves a vocation from God; it is not simply another volunteer job or ministry. Therefore, a person becomes a deacon not just out of personal desire or interest, but for the common good of the Church as determined by the bishop. It is for these reasons that the selection, discernment, and formation of deacon candidates are rigorous efforts. The entire formation process in fact, is a journey of discernment. Through systematic opportunities for prayer, spiritual direction, formal course work, and pastoral-skills development, the candidate is able to reflect critically on his life and the various ministries to which he might be assigned. This process of discernment continues to the very moment of ordination.

Ordination bestows a permanent character on a person. Once ordained, the deacon is always a deacon, regardless of where he is or what he is doing, just as a bishop or a priest is always a bishop or a priest, regardless of where he is or what he is doing. The title “deacon” comes from the Greek word diakonos, which means “servant.” The deacon is an “icon,” or sacramental sign of Christ, who came “not to be served but to serve” (Mark 10:45). Once the bishop ordains the deacon he enters into a new set of relationships: he is permanently and publicly configured to Christ the Servant; he shares in the overall responsibility of the bishop to care for the people in the diocese, and he becomes an integral part of the clergy of the diocese, assisting the bishop and the priests in serving the needs of the diocese.

Whatever specific services a deacon performs, they all flow from his sacramental identity. In other words, it is not only WHAT a deacon does, but WHO a deacon is, that is significant.

Deacons, both married and celibate, serve God’s people by their witness to the gospel value of sacrificial love. In their secular employment, deacons witness to the dignity of human work. In their lives of service, deacons can often enable and empower others to exercise their own diaconal responsibilities, and witness more effectively to the Gospel of life.

The deacon, as an ordained minister, has a permanent and a public responsibility for a ministry of Word, Sacrament, and Charity. Through ordination, he becomes an icon of Christ the Servant. When a person sees the deacon, the person ought to see and experience Christ in service to the world.

Taken from catholicnh.org

Dona Nobis Pacem

Deacon Mitch

Looking for a few good men....part deux!

Good morning! In the excitement to use this vehicle as a way to reach out to people, I was remiss in one point. I completely forgot that there are many parishioners who quite possibly know someone, Or really believe they know someone who has a vocation to be a permanent deacon. I ask you all to pray, for the harvest is plenty and the workers are few. The time is ripe now. The diocese will be taking applications later in the year. There will be informational meetings coming soon! Please put your deacon radars on! Once again, there are many deacons throughout the diocese and I am positive anyone of them would be willing to speak to a would be candidate. For those of you who were not blessed with having a deacon in your parish please discuss this matter with your local priest.

Dona Nobis Pacem

Deacon Mitch

Thinking of becoming a deacon?

For those of you who discerning the vocation of being a permanent deacon  I would highly recommend the following book for you to read.

Dona Nobis Pacem

Deacon Mitch

The funniest things you will ever hear!

Terry and I had the day off yesterday, and she wanted to go for a walk through town. It was very enjoyable as we have not gone for many walks within the last two years. She wanted to end the walk at Dunkin' Donuts to pick up some breakfast and a cup of coffee. As we were walking in, an old customer, and also a parishioner, came up to me to congratulate me on being ordained. He mentioned that for a long time he wanted to reach out to me and he was happy to get the opportunity that day. With a straight face he made this comment "One big problem, no more singing!" I was stunned! I looked at him and asked "did you attend the Easter vigil mass?" He answered yes! I think the 12 minute solo singing the exultet got the best of him. I then joyfully said to him "Well if you're planning on going to the Easter vigil next year you will get another earful!" LOL

Dona Nobis Pacem 

Deacon Mitch

Looking for a few good men...

How would you react after receiving this email? Of course this is something you would open right away, and within the  letter  you would see this....…to follow in your footsteps!  Do you know of any men who have expressed an interest in the diaconate?  Do you know any you would recommend even if they haven’t said as much to you?  I would be glad to correspond with them.  Also, we’re trying to determine a good place to have an info session in the fall.  Please let me know your thoughts.  Thanks!!      --Greg

 

Deacon Gregory R. McGinn

Diocese of Manchester New Hampshire 

The invitation is out there gentlemen, Please open your hearts, your mind, and your ears to the call of God! If anyone locally would love to discuss this vocation, please get in touch with me!

If you are not from the great Northwoods, I am sure there are deacons close by, tap him on the shoulder and say can we talk? I am positive the answer will be yes!

Deacon Mitch

Vacation day at Jericho Lake

Yours truly 

Terry getting ready

Off we go 

Front camera view 

Terry sneaking up on a turtle 

Final picture of canoeists 

Dona Nobis Pacem

Deacon Mitch 

It's the Fourth of July again…… It's that time again!

Once again we celebrate our nation's birth, and we celebrate as a parish, correction as two parishes sharing one faith, sharing one love for God.  Here are a few pictures to show you how much fun we had today, we are Catholic, we are proud, we are Americans, and we know how to have fun.

Take a look at all these pictures, You be the judge, doesn't it look like we're having a lot of fun? Praise God for always joyful people, we are truly a church of joy!

Dona Nobis Pacem

Deacon Mitch