Stephen Yusko's Blog

  Spiritual & Emotional Pain - A Diocese in Turmoil  March 30, 2021         Dialoguing with the Diocese of Rockville Centre is very challenging these days. Ask any parish ministry leader, priest, or deacon, and you will find in private, a common response: “…the diocese is not effective at communication”. In non-church speak, his excellency seems to be circling the wagons, and rather not dialog directly, at least with this Rogue Deacon.    “However, the hierarchy's ability to brush dirt under the carpet is noteworthy.” Bishop Barres delivered a scripted video this past Autumn about the diocese's "Reorganization" by filing Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, an inevitable move, not driven because of lawsuits from the sexual abuse scandal, but in my opinion, from the actions of the men responsible for the well-being of the diocese, Bishop Barres and former Bishop William Murphy (Cardinal Law's right-hand man in Boston during the "Spotlight" scandal). It is due to t

Savior’s Shield Christmas Eve, a call came in “Man in rage, about to sin” Another day for the uniformed blue We don our vests and suit up It’s just our job, our calling true A pint-sized partner at my side Compact, strong, don’t let it fool She’s as brave as the come Hard, tough, and compassion too The Eve of the Savior, a Thursday night I pleaded with a girl deep in fright Tonight’s the night, you must press charges Your boyfriend’s intent is to come and harm you Her grandma’s instinct to dial 911 Was the right call  for help to come We’ve been down this road, it’s not baby’s fault Emotions run rouge When we’re all cooped up Domestic abuse rises unweary  The drinking, the pressure  All is unyielding They are called into danger Their vow to protect Someday a savior Other days little respect I pray these situations would never come She prayed her boyfriend would remain on the run I darkened her doorway pleading my case This for your protection there is no disgrace Make the right decisio

  Propelling Out of the Parish Bubble  (Originally posted in 2018   and challenged by the Diocese of Rockville Centre )   The key to the new evangelization is for a parish to build on its historic culture and break out of the parish bubble into the community. A healthy parish will become a resource for the community’s spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual, and social needs. During my pre-ordination interview for the permanent diaconate, I had a fifteen-minute interview with my bishop. The time together was more or less akin to a speed-dating interview, each prospective future deacon doing his best to impress the bishop. I was able to express an interest in evangelizing outside of the “parish bubble”. The bishop expressed interest in evangelization, as most church leaders are concerned about the dwindling numbers in the pews and lack of robust support for the church by millennials. Having spent my adult married life (twenty-five years) in my home parish, I came to understan

    "Perplexing Plastic"  (Originally posted in 2018, and challenged by the Diocese of Rockville Centre)  In the 1960’s the promise of a career in “Plastics” seemed like a sure bet, in contrast to the problem where plastic pollution endangers our environment today. In a scene from the movie “The Graduate” Ben, a recent college grad (played by Dustin Hoffman) is questioned about his future at a graduation party. A scene I’m sure many of our high school and college graduates can appreciate as we approach June and the long-awaited Summer months. Mr. McGuire steps in, pulls Ben aside with the intention of some sage advice, “Ben I have one word for you...plastics!”.   As I contemplate the trajectory of faith and spiritual life, various words enter my mind as I answer the call toward a relationship with my fellow parishioners and with God. Words like struggle, trial, joy, authenticity, service, and very recently, plastics enter the frontal lobe. When we shop at the gro

  Seeking Harmony on the Seas (Originally Posted on 11/6/2018 This article was challenged by leadership in the Diocese of Rockville Centre) It had been a long winter and we decided that a vacation was overdue, so we booked a weeklong cruise through the Caribbean. Adjusting to the ship’s accommodations went smoothly, as we boarded one of the largest cruise ships in the world, “Harmony of the Seas”. The warm weather helped melt away the winter blues along with the tensions and trials of life at home. We enjoyed a warm welcome from the captain and crew as we embarked on our journey from island to island.   We were amazed at the size of the ship, as well as the diversity of the patrons and crew. Traveling together we met people from India, Australia, Mexico, Hungry, Russia, England, South Africa, and America, all journeying together.   The technology to keep the massive vessel on course was impressive as each crew member knew their role in bringing us safely from port to port. With

 Feast of St. Phoebe, Deacon  Thursday, September 3rd  I decided to revisit an article I had written for my parish's bulletin, the "Deacon's Corner" in 2018.  I stand by what I have written and have decided to republish this on St. Phoebe's day. Needless to say, this was never published in the church bulletin, but  I choose again to blog it here.   I'm a Wondering   If, as a Deacon, I am called to wonder; would it really be a source of scandal and confusion for me to express this wonder? I hope not. I believe if we are to deepen our faith, we must continue to wonder and ask questions, even if the pope or a bishop has not “asked for discussion on the matter”. I recently wrote a blog about the question of woman deacons, which I also submitted for the weekly church bulletin. Within a day, my article was rejected from the bulletin’s “Deacon’s Corner” and I was sent an email stating that the article would be potentially scandalous and could sow seeds of confusion a