What Do You Hunger For Most?

This Sunday’s Gospel is an important part of the most profound theological treatment on the Eucharist. It is taken from Chapter 6 of John’s Gospel, the Bread of Life Discourse. Today Jesus tells us ‘not to work for food that perishes, but for food that endures for eternal life’ – His own Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist. After prayerfully reflecting on Jesus’ words and actions, we are drawn to ask ourselves: What do we hunger for most in life?

          I asked myself that question for the first time in the Summer before my Senior year in High School. At that time, I was trying to discern what God wanted me to do with my life. One Saturday, after going to Confession, I was praying before the Blessed Sacrament in my parish church. Suddenly, I knew in the depths of my heart that God wanted me to become a Religious Sister and strive to always make Him the center of my life. This deep desire persisted in spite of the obstacles I encountered, and my own faults and weaknesses. Throughout the vicissitudes of life, our Faithful God has granted me strength and peace in my vocation.

          What do you hunger for most? I am certain that you whom God has chosen for the Married, the Single, and the Priestly vocations have experienced God clearly speaking to your hearts also. As St. Augustine articulated at the beginning of his Confessions, we are made for God and our hearts are restless until they rest in God. So, the Holy Spirit is speaking to everyone when He tells us to stop working for food that perishes. There is nothing wrong with wanting a good paycheck to take care of our families, or buying nice things from time to time, and it is admirable to take care of others’ needs. However, we must remember that everything we buy will eventually turn to dust and everything we do in this life will eventually be forgotten by others.

          The only thing that is ultimately satisfying and will last eternally is a close relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship is nurtured through prayer, scripture, spiritual reading, serving others, and frequent reception of the Sacraments, especially the Most Holy Eucharist. The Eucharist is Jesus’ own Body and Blood that leads to Eternal life.  Every time we receive Holy Communion, Jesus truly comes to us and touches the depths of our souls. This is what I hunger for most. I hunger for God’s touch. Don’t you?

God love and bless you!

Sr. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, IHM

Saturday July 31st St. Ignatius of Loyola
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday August 1st
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday August 2nd St. Eusebius of Vercelli, St. Peter Julian Eymard
8:00 am † John Kenney

Tuesday August 3rd
8:00 am † James Richard Bolton

Wednesday August 4th St. John Vianney
8:00 am Enza Mancini

Thursday August 5th Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major
8:00 am † Thomas Dugan

Friday August 6th Transfiguration of the Lord
8:00 am † Jean Lombardi

Saturday August 7th St. Sixtus II & companions, St. Cajetan
8:00 am † Deceased members of the Nama family

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, John Flickinger, Maria Pinto, Barbara Kroupa, Ernestine Spinello, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

⁺Dear Parishioners,

          The Gospel reading for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time reminds me of what we 13 kids often heard our Dad say to Mom. “Leona, don’t worry, God will provide.” Mom would then respond, “I know, Bill,” but she sometimes still had a bit of a worried look on her face. This trust in God was instilled in us when we were quite young. We did not understand it completely, but it is funny, as we grew into adulthood and faced the challenges of life, we found Dad’s words echoing in our minds, “Don’t worry, God will provide.”

            God does and will provide. As Saint Padre Pio reminds us, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.” God calls upon each of us to use our God-given gifts and talents to provide for ourselves and others. For example, the followers of Jesus in today’s Gospel became hungry. Jesus recognized the crowd’s need and asked Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” In today’s language, Philip may have replied, “Come on, Jesus, you’ve got to be kidding me. Feed all these people, with what? I don’t have that kind of money; none of us do.” But then Andrew chimes in.  Knowing and believing that Jesus can do the impossible, Andrew notices a little boy with barley loaves and fish, and you know the rest of the story. The point is that Jesus makes use of what we surrender to Him and makes the impossible possible.

            Think back for a moment when you have really prayed for God’s intercession and God answered your prayer. His response to our prayers may not be exactly as we hoped, or not according to our timeline, but then we must face the truth that He is God, and we are not. Trust and surrender to God are not for the faint-of-heart. Saint Paul urges us today to live our vocation in life to the utmost with “humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love” – all leading to unity with God and one another. Jesus, our Bread of Life, provides us with the nourishment we need for the journey of life. Let us then surrender all to our loving, compassionate, and merciful Lord, and trust that He will and does provide.

God’s blessings to you and your loved ones!
In Mary’s Immaculate Heart, I am,
Sister Mary

Saturday July 24th
St. Sharbel Makhluf
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday July 25th
9:00 am For those affected by COVID- 19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday July 26th
Ss. Joachim & Anne
8:00 am † James W. Rosenbaum

Tuesday July 27th
8:00 am † Eileen Delzingaro

Wednesday July 28th
8:00 am † Debbie Rosenbaum 10th Anniversary

Thursday July 29th
St. Martha
8:00 am † Eileen Delzingaro

Friday July 30th
St. Peter Chrysologus
8:00 am † Thomas Rufe

Saturday July 31st
St. Ignatius of Loyola
8:00 am † Anna DiMeo

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, John Flickinger, Maria Pinto, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …Barbara Eisenhart, Frank Fierraro, Darren Rodzwic, Irene Heilman, Thomas Boran.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

True Guidance

             There are not many more frightening or unsettling things to happen to someone than getting lost.  It is extremely hard not to panic as you finally realize you have no idea where you are. Some of the things that rush through your mind are, “What way do I turn?”, “What to do now?”, “How long will this last?”, “Will I ever get there?”  These questions lead us to a feeling of hopelessness.  But wait, I will just pull out my smart phone, problem solved. Let’s just say for the sake of argument that your battery is dead. What will you do now? Now if you are a man, you will just sit there and stay lost, but if you are a woman, you walk up to someone and ask for help.  Of course, I am trying to be funny, playing off an old stereotype, but there is some truth to one aspect of this.  Sometimes, we must put our pride aside and ask for help. 

There are so many things in this life that we cannot control.  Trust me when I tell you your smart phone will not have an answer for when you lose a loved one or when you have lost your job.  The bills are coming in faster than the money you are making.  You are dealing with your own addiction or one that your spouse or child has.  These situations and many others happen to someone somewhere every day.  Some will even happen to you.  You cannot control every situation and there are no quick fixes.  You may need to ask for help but asking Siri or Alexa to help will not provide the answer that you need.  You will feel hopeless.  You will feel lost.  You will need to put your pride aside and put your trust and faith in Jesus Christ.  He is waiting for you to just ask for help.  The love and compassion that He has for us is unlimited. He was sent to lead you back to his Father.  This is why He is here.  We try to replace Him with things from this world, asking for help in any way that we can to avoid anything that may damage our pride.  It comes to down to this: put your phone down and put your hands together.  It’s simple.

May Jesus live in your heart forever.
Deacon Chris

Saturday July 17th Memorial of Blessed Virgin Mary
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday July 18th
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday July 19th
8:00 am Marisa Buccini

Tuesday July 20th St. Apollinaris
8:00 am † Jean Lombardi

Wednesday July 21st St. Lawrence of Brindisi
8:00 am † Katherine Johnson

Thursday July 22nd St. Mary Magdalene
8:00 am † Mary Buccini

Friday July 23rd St. Birgitta
8:00 am Bob & Bernadette Buccini

Saturday July 24th St. Sharbel Makhluf
8:00 am Edith Santone

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, John Flickinger, Maria Pinto, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased, remembering Sam Swindells…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Carry no food, no sack, no money. Through our baptism we are all called to be Jesus’ disciples, and we are asked to spread His Good News with this approach. This approach can be summed up in two words: trust and perseverance. The disciples, besides the clothing on their backs, only carried a walking stick and their sandals. They were told that every need they have along the way will be met, but the need that will be met is by God’s providence, not by their own doing.

The walking stick and sandals symbolize a determination to continue to move forward, to persevere. They must never give up, even when they face opposition, persecution, and the cold. They are asked to move forward step by step by falling in love with Jesus and staying in love with Him. As His disciples, we are asked to do the same…to share our faith by the way we love it and grow in it. There will be unexpected victories when we use this approach, and it will help us to persevere in real disappointments as well. 

As we journey together in faith, let us continue to answer this universal call by our God.  Let us ask for the grace to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, so that the world can see through our faith God’s love and compassion.

Saturday July 10th Memorial of Blessed Virgin Mary
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday July 11th
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday July 12th
8:00 am † Louis Farren

Tuesday July 13th St. Henry
8:00 am † Donato Buccini

Wednesday July 14th St. Camillus de Lellis
8:00 am † Amadio Buccini

Thursday July 15th St. Bonaventure
8:00 am † Marion Martin

Friday July 16th Our Lady of Mount Carmel
8:00 am Jennifer Neas

Saturday July 17th Memorial of Blessed Virgin Mary
8:00 am † Maureen ‘Bean’ Gibbons

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, Barbara Linetty, John Flickinger, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

The Most Amazing Freedom

As we celebrate the 245^th anniversary of our country’s independence by flying high our red, white, and blue, watching parades, and enjoying picnics, we are reminded of the exceptional liberty we enjoy here in the United States. The Sacred Scriptures proclaim another kind of freedom, one that is even more profound and amazing than the freedoms guaranteed by the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. In Ephesians 3:12 we read: “In Christ and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” For in Christ, every human person can draw near to God, expressing not only your joys, but also your sorrows, not only your confidence in Him, but also your doubt, not only your pleasure, but also your anger. This is an amazing freedom that no one can take away.                       

        Throughout the ages, countless martyrs of our Catholic faith have given shining witness to this profound truth. In spite of being stripped of all human freedom and tortured in body and spirit, their trust and love for the Lord grew even stronger. This was clearly manifested by their joyful surrender of their very lives into the loving arms of their Lord and Savior.

        This freedom to draw near to God can easily be taken for granted, just as the freedoms we enjoy in our democracy can be held too lightly. Since we are used to praying to God at any time, in any place, and with any words, we can forget the stunning nature of our access to God which no human person can take from us. Ponder this in your heart. The God who created the universe, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, the God of all wisdom and justice, this God invites you to speak your mind, share your thoughts, your feelings, your fears, and your dreams with Him. However, even more amazing is the fact that not only can we approach Him in our prayer, but we are blessed that God Himself comes to us through His Son in the Holy Eucharist. Blessed be God forever!

As we celebrate this day, let us remember to raise our hearts in profound thanksgiving to our AMAZING GOD! 

Gracious God, we thank You for the liberty You have bestowed on us as citizens of the United States. Help us to use this freedom for the good of all. We also praise and thank You for the most amazing gift, the freedom to participate in Mass and receive Your precious Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, as well as to approach You in prayer, to tell You everything on our minds and hearts without fear but in confidence. What precious, wonderful gifts You have given us! May we never take these most amazing freedoms for granted.  Amen.

God love and bless you!
Sr. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, IHM

Saturday July 3rd St. Thomas the Apostle
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday July 4th
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday July 5th St. Anthony Zaccaria
8:00 am † Frank Windle

Tuesday July 6th St. Maria Goretti
8:00 am † Edward Kane

Wednesday July 7th
8:00 am † Gerald Gausch—35th Anniversary

Thursday July 8th
8:00 am † Betty Weinrich

Friday July 9th Ss. Augustine Zhao Rong & companions
8:00 am † Deceased members of the Reilly and McMahon Families

Saturday July 10th Memorial of Blessed Virgin Mary
8:00 am † Deceased members of the Link and Simpson Families

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, Barbara Linetty, John Flickinger, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

⁺Dear Parishioners,

        Thank you, thank you, Parishioners, for your prayers throughout the school year. It certainly has been a year like no other. Because of your prayers and the safety measures we put in place, we were able to stay open and continue teaching our super-duper students!

Supportive Pastors (Father Anthony Janton and Father Matthew Windle)

+ the prayers and donations of parishioners

+ an inspiring, hard-working, and dedicated faculty/staff

+ encouraging and wonderful parents

+ terrific Home & School and Board of Limited Jurisdiction

+ fantastic students

= QOA where God is alive and the school community THRIVES!

QOA wishes everyone a happy, relaxing, fun, and safe summer. God’s special blessings to you and your loved ones ?

Love, prayers, and lots of gratitude,

Sister Mary

Saturday June 26th Memorial of Blessed Virgin Mary
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday June 27th
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday June 28th St. Irenaeus
8:00 am † George Nama

Tuesday June 29th Ss. Peter & Paul
8:00 am † Daniel Taylor

Wednesday June 30th First Martyrs of the Church of Rome
8:00 am † Thomas Rufe

Thursday July 1st
8:00 am † Doreen Hetrick

Friday July 2nd
8:00 am † Lorraine M. Hendricks

Saturday July 3rd St. Thomas the Apostle
8:00 am † Bernadette McMenamin

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, Barbara Linetty, John Flickinger, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Storms

There was an old commercial I remember as a kid, in which a woman is being bombarded with the burdens of everyday life. The baby is crying. Her other children are misbehaving. Another needs help with his homework. The dog has made a mess. There is someone at the door.  All of this is happening while she is making dinner. She finally throws her hands into the air and says, “Calgon take me away!” She is instantly transported to a luxurious bubble bath were all her stresses and worries are taken away.  I guess the people selling Calgon thought that if they convince you that Calgon can solve all your problems, or at least calm the storms of your life, then you would buy their product. In all reality, the storm of this woman’s life was still raging on the other side of that bathroom door. The soap company, as well as the woman herself, could not really take away the squall of her life.  In fact, no one is immune from difficulties or issues we may have in life. The only thing we can do is to face them head on and deal with them. If we need help, there is one person who is always by our side, to not only let us know we can get through any crisis, but to share the burden with us.  Jesus Christ is that person.

Saint Augustine once wrote when reflecting on this very Gospel, “When your heart is in this troubled state, do not let the waves overwhelm you. If, since we are only human, the driving wind should stir up in us a tumult of emotions, let us not despair but awaken Christ, so that we may sail in quiet waters, and at last reach our heavenly homeland.”  We hear Christ, after the apostles wake Him, call out, “Be still, be quiet!”  Who is He truly talking to, the waves and the wind? Or is He talking to the apostles? His next statement should clear things up when He says to the apostles, “Why are you, the apostles, lacking in faith?” How could they possibly perish if Christ was with them? This is true for us also. We can never truly perish if we have faith in Jesus, and if we allow Him to calm our hearts. 

Amid that horrible storm, Christ was able to sleep. He is totally comfortable in the fact that His Father loved him and would always be with Him.  So, He was unafraid.  The love of His Father took away any fear He may have had. Christ shares the love that the Father has for Him with us. This love should take away all our fears and allow us to deal with whatever storm may be buffeting us. At some time in our life, we all will succumb to the storms of life, but Jesus will be right there with us taking us to the true life meant for us.

May Jesus live in your heart forever.
Deacon Chris

Saturday June 19th St. Romuald, Memorial of Blessed Virgin Mary
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday June 20th 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday June 21st St. Aloysius Gonzaga
8:00 am † Jack Veasey

Tuesday June 22nd St. Paulinus of Nola, Ss. John Fisher & Thomas More
8:00 am † Cornelius Bonner

Wednesday June 23rd
8:00 am † Special Intention

Thursday June 24th Birth of St. John the Baptist
8:00 am † Anne Windle

Friday June 25th
8:00 am † Mary Kane

Saturday June 26th Memorial of Blessed Virgin Mary
8:00 am † Carl Miller

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro, Agnes Neas, Eileen Snipas, Barbara Linetty, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Why do we call God “Father”?  We hear throughout the scriptures that the most suitable expression possible for God is calling him our Father. This personal and endearing term for Him is intimate because our Father wants us to come to know Him and love Him, to experience the Father’s love for ourselves. Do we have this relationship with God yet? Do we see him as a loving Father?

Our world right now is very sad because we live in a culture that has tremendous poverty of fatherhood. Far too many people had horrible experiences of fatherhood and yet we are asked to address God as Father. My four brothers and I have been very fortunate to have a good and loving Father. I am so thankful for this. This good experience has helped me in my ongoing relationship in seeing God not as a distant figure, but as my Father who loves me more than I can ever imagine. It has helped me to trust in the one who can see tomorrow although we cannot. 

To live this way is difficult. St. Paul in the second reading says, “we are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.” It is only when we surrender ourselves to our Father that we learn of His great love for us. He loves us more than we love ourselves, but to surrender to this love can scare us because it means giving up control. It means that He may ask something of us that may hurt at times.

When I think about this, I think of an old story told about a five-year-old boy who does not like to get shots. He hates to get them, but he has to get one because he is very sick, so his father takes him in to the doctor. The boy is crying, saying, “Dad, please don’t let him hurt me. Don’t let him give me a shot! Come on, Dad, you know that I trust you and love you, don’t let that doctor hurt me.” The doctor says to the father, “I am sorry, he is very sick and needs a shot.” The father holds the boy while the doctor gives him a shot. Afterwards, the boy looks at his dad and says angrily, “I trusted you, I loved you, and you let that doctor hurt me by giving me that shot. How can you say you are my loving dad if you let that doctor hurt me?”

Often our God is the Father who holds us while we are getting our shots in life and we don’t like it when it happens. We don’t like the pain, we don’t like the struggle, we don’t like all that it entails, but the Father knows that His plan is to always give us life, always to bring us to good. There is no other way to do that except through the cross. We work with Him so that He can show us that the Cross is about us seeing the depths a father’s love will go, so that we drop the things that harm us in life. Next week is Father’s Day. Let us pray and reflect on fatherhood. Let us pray that we can open ourselves up to see God as who He is…our Father who loves all His beloved children. 

Saturday June 12th Immaculate Heart of Mary
4:00 pm † Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday June 13th 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am † Intentions of the Presider

Monday June 14th
8:00 am † Dorothy B. Galow

Tuesday June 15th
8:00 am † Sam and Marge Hanna

Wednesday June 16th
8:00 am Lisa Buccini

Thursday June 17th
8:00 am † Edward Jurkiewicz, Sr.

Friday June 18th
8:00 am † Patricia Conway Ratti

Saturday June 19th St. Romuald, Memorial of Blessed Virgin Mary
8:00 am Pauline Meltsch

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro, Agnes Neas and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

The words spoken at the Consecration of the Mass resonate deeply in our souls. This is my Body which will be given up for you. This is the chalice of my Blood…which will be poured out for you.

At every Mass, we bear witness to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead. Through the gift of the Eucharist, which the Lord instituted at the Last Supper, we receive His pure and boundless love over and over again. As Catholics, we believe that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ. Such a precious gift deserves our reflection and appreciation. It’s not something we can experience virtually. Christ’s presence in the Eucharist is real, and our personal presence is required to receive it.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many changes to our lives, to our routines, and even to our Sunday worship. For a period of time, we were not able to be personally present for the celebration of Sunday Mass at all. For the last several months, many have been a part of Sunday Mass through live streaming. Now, as the pandemic wanes and restrictions are lifting, I invite all the faithful of the Archdiocese to make their way back to the in-person celebration of the Mass. As helpful as livestreaming was during the difficult months of the pandemic, when it comes to the Mass, nothing compares to being there.

I am pleased to announce an Archdiocesan initiative based on this truth called Nothing Compares to Being There. It will involve the entire Archdiocese and feature an invitation for everyone to recognize more profoundly the irreplaceable need to be in person for the celebration of Sunday Mass. During the summer months, pastors and parish leaders will be preparing a heartfelt invitation to their communities, and together we will issue this invitation in September 2021. While the fullness of this invitation happens in September, even now I encourage you, “Nothing compares to being there.” Come home to the in-person celebration of Mass.

May God pour out His Spirit upon us and enkindle in us a renewed desire to be present at the Eucharistic Feast.

Sincerely in Christ Jesus,

Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, D.D.

Archbishop of Philadelphia

Saturday June 5th St. Boniface
4:00 pm† Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday June 6th Corpus Christi
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am† Intentions of the Presider

Monday June 7th
6:30 am† Sr. Judith Moeller, IHM

Tuesday June 8th
6:30 am Neas Family

Wednesday June 9th St. Ephrem
6:30 am Albert Buccini

Thursday June 10th
6:30 am† Josephine Gallo

Friday June 11th Sacred Heart of Jesus
6:30 am† Helen and Bill McMahon

Saturday June 12th Immaculate Heart of Mary
8:00 am† Josephine Gallo

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adeline Buccini, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro, Agnes Neas and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Saturday May 29th
4:00 pm† Intentions of the Parishioners

Most Holy Trinity Sunday May 30th
9:00 am For those affected by COVID-19
11:00 am† Intentions of the Presider

Monday May 31st Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
6:30 am† Sr. Jeanne Patricia Crowe, I.H.M. 5th Anniversary

Tuesday June 1st St. Justin Martyr
6:30 am† Deceased members of the Dominican Family

Wednesday June 2nd Ss. Marcellinus & Peter
6:30 am† Mrs. Dolores A. Dougherty 10th Anniversary

Thursday June 3rd
6:30 am† Paul Leopold

Friday June 4th
6:30 am† Christopher Galeone

Saturday June 5th St. Boniface
8:00 am† Debora Getz

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Mary Trauger, Loretta Boyle, Margaret DeLucas, James Dehan, Nina Ferraro, Teresa Riegal, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Adeline Buccini, Adriana Sproehnle, Karen Dale, Mike Dunn, Robert Farrell, Frank Fierraro, Agnes Neas and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Dorothy B. Galow

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

+Dear Saint David Parishioners,

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us in CCC #234, the Trinity is the central mystery of the Catholic faith. We can never fully comprehend its meaning due to our human limitations. However, we may recall in our elementary religion classes how Saint Patrick used the three-leaf clover to explain the Trinity to people. As the clover which has three distinct leaves, yet is one, so too in the Trinity we have God the Father – our Creator; God the Son – Jesus, our Redeemer; and God the Holy Spirit – our Advocate, Guide, and Sanctifier, one God, three distinct persons in the Trinity.

Another method of describing the Trinity to young people is by using an apple. In a children’s book entitled A Picture of God: 3 in 1, Joanne Marxhausen explains that the apple has three parts: the peel, the flesh, and the core; so too there is the one true God in three Divine Persons.

Each part of the apple has a specific purpose. As the peel protects the apple, so is God the Father our Creator and Protector. People committed sin, and to take the punishment for us, the Father sent His Son Jesus Who became flesh, died, and rose from the dead. Marxhausen continues. As the apple seed is buried in the ground so was Jesus, and as the seed sprouts from the ground, so Jesus rises from the dead to give us a happy, new life. To have this new life we must have faith in Jesus. Just as we believe a plant will grow from a seed, we believe that Jesus died and lives again to give us new life. That is faith in Jesus.

Our hearts are like the ground. The seed of faith planted in our hearts is God the Holy Spirit Who keeps our faith alive and growing. We water our faith and allow it to grow by reflecting on Scripture, by praying, by participating in the Sacraments, and by loving one another. With a strong faith and with God’s grace, we can then bear fruit. What unconditional love the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has for each one of us. May we continue to allow the Holy Spirit to help us grow in the unity of the one God, 3 in 1!

Happy and blessed Memorial Day to all! Our deep appreciation and prayers are extended to our dedicated veterans living and deceased who gave their all to protect this great United States of America.  God bless America!

In Mary’s Immaculate Heart, I am,
Sister Mary