Sunday, 4 January 2009

GRIEF FOR ' THE FLYING PRIEST'


Michael C. Kelly, the pastor at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Purcellville, had a number of techniques for bringing people into the flock.
There was his disarming sense of humor, reflected in the signs he put on the doors of the confessional booths, which read, "Your Name Here." There was his knack for attracting attention, such as when he'd ride his homemade airplane-style bicycles through town, earning him the nickname "the flying priest." And there were his everyday actions, parishioners said, which exemplified the message of giving and self-sacrifice ubiquitous in his sermons.
Kelly, 53, died this week doing one final good deed. While driving to the funeral of another priest, Kelly pulled over in the Hamilton area about 9 a.m. Wednesday during a fierce wind storm to remove a fallen tree from the road so no one would get hurt. That was when he was struck and killed by another falling tree, authorities said.
To the mournful congregation of more than 1,700 families, Kelly's act was the exclamation point on the end of years of devoted service.
"The angels swooped down and carried him off," said a damp-eyed parishioner, Ruth Showalter, outside the Loudoun County church yesterday. "That was him. He got out there for people."
Kelly's father, John F.J. Kelly, put it another way.
"The good Lord needed an outstanding priest," said Kelly, 80, of Foneswood, Va. "He needed him now."
Friends said Kelly's compassion, diverse biography and quirky talents helped him win the hearts of congregants and non-Catholics alike in Purcellville, though he had been at St. Francis for less than three years. Kelly was born in Newport Beach, Calif., the son of a Marine. His family eventually settled in Alexandria in 1969, and Kelly graduated from Mount Vernon High School.
He walked several paths before finding his calling, congregants and relatives said, serving in the U.S. Navy — where he attained the rank of boatswain's mate, 2nd Class — studying history at what was then Mary Washington College and later working alongside his father as a private weapons and security consultant for the military. He was ordained in 1995, but his love of the military and history never faded. He was a Civil War reenactor, playing the part of a Union soldier from a Massachusetts unit known as the "Irish Brigade."
His gift, parishioners said, was his ability to combine those experiences into a powerful message and manner. In the confessional booth, congregants said, he had a gentle demeanor, encouraging people to "be merciful on yourself." When called for, he could be firm, and he often repeated the slogan "Improvise, adapt and overcome" — a popular saying among Marines — to those facing challenges. After preaching, he implored churchgoers to "continue the march."
"We're fighting to overcome ourselves," said Nicole Robertson, 25, in explaining Kelly's command. A convert to Catholicism, Robertson said she would not have joined the church if it weren't for Kelly. Robertson said she was unable to attend classes necessary for conversion because of a conflict with her work schedule in 2007.
So Kelly improvised, adapted and overcame.
"He agreed to meet with me one-on-one," Robertson said. "We met every week. After I came fully into the Catholic Church, he really was a father to me in many ways."
Kelly, who also served at St. James in Falls Church, St. Ambrose in Annandale and Sacred Heart of Jesus in Winchester, had a reach that extended beyond the walls of the church's gleaming white building. Around town, he was famous for riding bicycles that he crafted to look like World War I and II-era fighter planes and appeared with them in parades.
In the afternoons, he would often ride from his residence at the church and wait on the corner for passing school buses full of waving, giggling children who lit up when they saw the flying priest.
"All the kids would be waving, waving waving," said Janice Rees, a staff member at the church. "You'd see the occasional pickup truck full of workers heading home, looking curiously, like, 'What the heck was that?' "
Parishioners said a fixture of Kelly's sermons was a command to spread God's message through good deeds. Kelly was driving on Harmony Church Road, south of Holmes Mill Road, when he came across the fallen tree. For some, the fact that he died while trying to shoulder the burden of a tree has taken on special meaning.
"He always spoke of the 'tree of the cross' — Jesus dying on a tree," said Dorothy Gessner, 81, a parishioner for 48 years. "The other day, when I was praying, the thought came to me: [Kelly] was killed by a tree. He was very close to Christ."
In a homily last weekend, Kelly, whose funeral is Tuesday, cited a Bible passage that conveyed how giving "completes" an individual. Although they were shocked and saddened, those who knew him said the way he died was not a surprise.
"You never had to ask for help," said parishioner Sheila Cowling of Leesburg. "He was there."

JANUARY 20 WILL BE THE BUSIEST DAY FOR DIVORCE PETITIONS, SAYS LAWYERS

Traditionally, more people file for divorce in January than at any other time of the year because they decide to take action after a dysfunctional family Christmas.
This January is expected to be no exception to the rule with the third Tuesday of the month likely to see the highest number of petitions filed, according to experts.
Tanya Roberts, partner at law firm Charles Russell, said: "January is the month when you tend to see an increase in the number of couples deciding to separate. Having gritted their teeth over Christmas and the New Year, and finally got the children settled into school, they call in a divorce lawyer.
"It's ultimately speculation, of course, but the word on the street is that January 20 will be the busiest day this year for divorce applications."
Research conducted by the law firm comparison website Takelegaladvice.com said divorce-related matters are up 30 per cent over the festive period compared to last year.
Mary Heaney, of Takelegaladvice.com, said: "It is a combination of Christmas and the credit crisis. These issues are putting pressure on relationships and are pushing couples to seek help."
Some estimates suggest the economic downturn could contribute to as many as two million couples seeking legal advice about the possibility of divorce this year.

100 YEARS OF FREE BIBLE: GIDEON CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF FREE BIBLES



NASHVILLE-- The Gideons are celebrating a century of handing out Bibles.
Close to 1.5 billion Scriptures have been distributed since 1908, when the Gideons International first began placing Bibles in hotel rooms.
Since then, the nondenominational evangelical group run by businessmen has extended its reach, giving out free Scriptures at hospitals, schools, prisons and in the military as well.
The majority of Gideon Scriptures -- about 60 percent -- are given to students.
But several school districts throughout the U.S. have been sued or threatened with legal action by groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, which argue that distribution of Bibles at public schools is unconstitutional.

ISRAEL STRIKE NEAR GAZA CHURCH KILLS DOZENS. PLEASE DO PRAY FOR THEM




GAZA CITY/JERUSALEM -- Christians in the Gaza Strip have mourned dozens of people who were killed when an Israeli air strike damaged a Baptist church while hitting a nearby police station, as part of Israel's military campaign against the Islamic militant group Hamas, BosNewsLife established Friday, January 2.News of the attack emerged as Hamas vowed revenge for an Israeli strike Thursday, January 1, that killed cleric Nizar Rayyan, the first senior leader of the group to die in the offensive. Israel's seven-day offensive against Hamas killed nearly 420 Palestinians and wounded about 2,000 others, according to Palestinian sources.The bombing near Gaza Baptist Church happened just before the Christian minority ushered in the New Year and underscored international concern that Christians in the Gaza Strip are in the crossfire between Israeli and Islamic attacks, BosNewsLife learned Friday, January 2.Witnesses said the church was located right across the street from a police station which was targeted by Israelis. The church was nearly destroyed with windows blown and other damage reported. Israel's government said it has been trying to avoid civilian casualties in one of the world's most densely populated areas, but vowed to continue to target Hamas because it launches rockets deep into Israel.


MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT


The near church bombing however, meant disappointment for Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors USA, a group supporting Christians who are reportedly persecuted for their faith. "It brings back a lot of poignant memories for me, how joyous the time was when we were there to dedicate that building," with Dutchman Anne van der Bijl, or 'Brother Andrew', who founded Open Doors and wrote bestsellers about his work."Now it's obviously right there in the center of a great deal of destruction," Moeller added. The church's pastor, Hanna Massad, was already forced to flee the Middle East, Christians said. Of some 1.7 million people in the Gaza Strip, few Christians are left, with church estimates ranging from “hundreds” to up to 3,000, a far cry from previous numbers.As fighting continued, Israel said Friday, January 2, it would allow hundreds of foreign passport holders to leave the Gaza Strip Friday, January 2, raising expectations of a ground offensive by thousands of Israeli troops stationed nearby. It was unclear how many Christians would be allowed to leave the region."It's remarkable how much that the church is facing there," Moeller said. “Yet the Christians [in Gaza] continue to pray; they continue to cry out to God; and when they can, reach out to their neighbors with comfort.” Christians have reportedly been meeting in small groups in homes to avoid being targeted by bombings or Islamic militants.HAMAS LAWBesides Israeli attacks, Christians have faced new challenges after the Hamas

Rami Khader Ayyad, 32, was a Gaza Baptist Church member and killed last year by suspected Islamic militants.parliament in the Gaza Strip voted in favor of a law late December allowing courts to hand out sentences in the spirit of Islam, several Arabic media reported.Such punishments include whipping, severing hands, crucifixion and hanging. The bill reserves death sentences to people who negotiate with a foreign government "against Palestinian interests" and engage in any activity that can "hurt Palestinian morale."Palestinian caught drinking or selling wine would suffer 40 lashes at the whipping post if the bill passes. Thieves caught red-handed would lose their right hand. There have been concerns the legislation could further undermine Christian activities in the Gaza Strip where there have been several attacks against the Christian minority.In one of the most published incidents, the director of the Gaza Strip's only known Christian bookstore was found dead last year, shortly after being abducted near his home, officials said.Rami Khader Ayyad, 32, was discovered stabbed and shot to death in a street of Gaza City, the territory's main city, in October, 2007, six months after his Teacher's Bookshop of the Palestinian Bible Society was blown up by militants