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Sermon on the Mount, Altarpiece - St. Matthew's Church, Copenhagen
Henrik Olrik, 1880
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| Welcome New Guild Members! | | |
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We warmly welcome the 47 new Guild members who joined our mission this past weekend at the Annual Courage-EnCourage Conference!
Jesus promised us in what later came to be known as the Sermon on the Mount that if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all the things we truly need will be provided for us by our heavenly Father.
It is in this spirit that the Father John Harvey Guild entrusts its mission completely to the will of the Father. We believe God has laid it on our hearts to pray for the opening of Father Harvey's cause and, even as we do our part by taking practical steps to move towards this possibility, we submit all our hopes and prayers completely to God's will and timing.
It is also in this spirit that we remember the words from the popular baseball movie Field of Dreams: "If you build it, they will come!" (We're sure Fr. Harvey won't mind this reference, being the huge baseball fan that he was and, we imagine, continues to be in eternity!) ~ We are simply "building" the Guild in the hope that Father's holy life of fidelity and charity will be remembered throughout the ages. In God's good timing, we trust that many more will join us in our mission. As we build it, may others continue to come!
Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:33
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- Featured Article: A Priest for All Times by Christina Nair
- Featured Memory: Second-Class Relics by Theresa Fiorella
- Grateful for our Volunteers!
- Meet Donna and Jack!
- Seeking Guild Chaplains for Mass Intentions
- Help us Reach Our Membership Goal
- Shibe Park Shenanigans!
- A Profile in Courage on EWTN
- Quick Access Links: Submit a Testimony • Prayer Cards • Donations
- Words of EnCouragement: Mr. Angelo Sabella
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Featured Article: A Priest for All Times
| | | | | It was always evident to those who knew him that the Courage apostolate and especially its members were first in Father’s heart, no matter where he was or what he was doing. | | |
Featured Memory: Second-Class Relics
| | | | | I remember once he accompanied a small group of us to a Brooklyn Cyclones baseball game and he took time to explain the game to one of our friends who didn’t really understand baseball. He really enjoyed doing that. | | | Grateful for our Volunteers! | | |
At present, the work of the Guild is primarily accomplished by a small but dedicated team of volunteers working behind the scenes in a multitude of ways. Two of our heroic volunteers assisted this past weekend by overseeing the Guild table at the Annual Courage-EnCourage Conference at Neumann University in Philadelphia.
Thank you, Guild members Pete and Ann! We're truly grateful for all your assistance, not only this past weekend at the Guild table, but for the many other ways in which each of you generously serve the Guild's mission!
| | If you would like to volunteer for the Guild in some capacity, please email us at info@frjohnharvey.com and together we'll think of the best ways you could help us to "Build the Guild"! | | |
We were honoured to have Father Harvey's niece Donna McCarthy and her husband Jack McCarthy attend the Guild information session at the Annual Courage-EnCourage Conference. Their warm and prayerful support of the Guild's mission keeps us going!
Read Donna's entry in the Our Memories page, entitled A Loving Uncle.
| | | Seeking Guild Chaplains for Mass Intentions | | |
We often receive private requests from Guild members for Masses to be said for birthdays, for the deceased, and for other special intentions.
At present, Father Paul Check, former Executive Director of the Courage Apostolate, says monthly masses for all Guild members. Father Thomas Dailey, OSFS also regularly says Masses for our members' special intentions. We're very grateful to both these wonderful priests for their commitment to the Guild and their generous service to our members!
As the Guild is continuing to grow, we're attempting to put together a small group of priests whom we could periodically call upon to say Masses for Guild member intentions, as they arise. The Guild will provide each priest with a ten dollar stipend for each Mass said and the requester of the Mass will be asked to make a suggested donation of fifteen dollars to the Guild, to cover the Mass stipend, the cost of printing the Mass card, and the postage.
If any priests currently supporting the mission of the Guild would like to assist us in this way, please send an email to info@frjohnharvey.com. We would be very grateful to hear from you!
| | Help Us Reach Our Membership Goal! | | |
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We're aiming to have at least 1000 Guild members before approaching the Bishop about the possibility of opening Father Harvey's cause. As of this writing, we have 477 members.
Please tell your friends and family about Father Harvey and invite them to Join The Guild! Let them know that membership is free and that new members receive:
- five free prayer cards
- a free Guild medal
- a free subscription to our eNewsletter
Members also receive the special blessing of having monthly Masses offered for them by Father Paul Check, former Executive Director of the Courage Apostolate and current Theology and Formation Faculty Member at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio.
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| Please share our 'Join the Guild' page with friends and family! | | |
“It all began when he was about ten years old, as he stole through a hole in the fence of old Shibe Park to watch the Philadelphia Athletics play baseball. Now, some seventy-five years later, his fanatical appreciation for and recollection of the sport has not changed … only his morality!”
Rev. Thomas F. Dailey, OSFS
from the Introduction to
With Mind and Heart Renewed - Essays in Honor of Rev. John F. Harvey, OSFS
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To know Father Harvey is to know he loved baseball. Father himself said, “I was a sports nut of the first order!” His family lived near Shibe Park where the neighbourhood was alive with excitement over their home team, the Philadelphia Athletics. Prior to John Harvey’s birth into this sports-loving corner of the world in 1918, the Athletics had already won several pennants and they had won the World Series three times.
Young John Harvey would wait until the later innings of a game, when the side gates were opened up to let people out. He would then sneak in to watch the rest of the game instead of listening from outside the stadium or following a radio broadcast, both of which he also did. During his childhood years, the Philadelphia Athletics won pennants again in 1929, 1930, and 1931 and they won the World Series again in 1929 and 1930. He remembered those events distinctly and, although the Athletics as a team were not as successful after 1933, John Harvey remained a loyal fan and a lifelong baseball enthusiast.
The games at Shibe Park introduced him to players like Ty Cobb, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Cochrane, and Howard Ehmke....
| | Continue reading at the Baseball and More page on the Father Harvey website to learn more about Father's early life, growing up near Shibe Park! | | |
A Profile in Courage on EWTN
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The Father Harvey documentary A Profile in Courage will air on EWTN on August 24th at
10:00 p.m. EST.
Please join us in praying that the documentary will inspire viewers to join the Guild and that many will come to learn about and appreciate the unique pastoral support offered through the Courage/EnCourage Apostolate, founded by Father Harvey 45 years ago!
PLEASE NOTE: The documentary can also be viewed at any time, directly on the Father Harvey website.
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Fr. Harvey was a household name in my family. My sister Vera served alongside him at the Courage Central Office in NYC as his first secretary throughout the 80's. It was a major blessing to be asked to work with Fr. Harvey back in 2006. A game changer for me! There was a holiness about him; he was smart and gave his all serving the men and women of the apostolate.
He modeled for me what it means to be committed and faithful in living for Jesus Christ and serving others with an authentic Christian/Salesian heart. He knew chastity was part of the Good News and helped many of our members to live the Five Goals of Courage & EnCourage. He made me laugh! He was my boss, a moral theologian, psychologist, teacher, director, priest and most especially my friend!
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Mr. Angelo Sabella
Program/Relationship Manager,
Courage Apostolate
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