Saturday September 9^th St. Peter Claver
4:00 pm For Peace in Eastern Europe

Sunday September 10^th
7:00 am Intentions of the Parishioners
9:00 am Intentions of the Presider
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday September 11^th
6:30 am † Francis & Eileen Frankenfield

Tuesday September 12^th Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary
6:30 am † Margaret Johnston

Wednesday September 13^th St. John Chrysostom
6:30 am † Deceased Members of the Link and Simpson Families

Thursday September 14^th Exaltation of the Holy Cross
6:30 am † Lawrence J. Tobin, Jr.

Friday September 15^th Our Lady of Sorrows
6:30 am † Deceased members of the McMahon
& Reilly Families

Saturday September 16^th St. Cornelius
8:00 am † Harry Weckerly

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Earl T. Bauder, Janet McHenry Howarth, Barbara Ramsden, Gilberta Rocha, Touria Majidi, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Saturday September 2nd
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday September 3rd
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am Intentions of the Presider
11:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe

Monday September 4th
8:00 am † Louis P. Troisi – 18th Anniversary

Tuesday September 5th
6:30 am † Kathleen (Kass) Sanders

Wednesday September 6th
6:30 am † Special Remembrance

Thursday September 7th
6:30 am † William Dehan

Friday September 8th Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary
6:30 am † Anne Maureen Hope

Saturday September 9th St. Peter Claver
8:00 am † Deceased Members of the Holy Name Society

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Earl T. Bauder, Janet McHenry Howarth, Barbara Ramsden, Gilberta Rocha, Touria Majidi, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Saturday August 26th  
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday August 27th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am Intentions of the Presider
11:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe

Monday August 28th St. Augustine
8:00 am † Thomas Daley

Tuesday August 29th St. John the Baptist
8:00 am † Anne Dehan

Wednesday August 30th  
8:00 am † Francis & Eileen Frankenfield

Thursday August 31st  
8:00 am † Thomas McGettigan

Friday September 1st
8:00 am † Marguerite Troisi – 20th Anniversary

Saturday September 2nd
8:00 am † Elizabeth Rufe

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Earl T. Bauder, Janet McHenry Howarth, Barbara Ramsden, Gilberta Rocha, Touria Majidi, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Maria Pires & Anthony Zappitelli…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Who Am I To You?

              If Christ were to pose the question He asked the apostles today to you, what would you say to Him? Would you say He was a holy man who performed miracles? Or would you say He was a prophet? How about a man who was elevated to His status by God to finish God’s work? These ideas and deductions were all arguments that took place in the early Church. This is a very important question for our own faith journey, and in the history of the Church, it is pivotal. If we believe and have faith the Scripture and the Gospels were written with Divine Inspiration, we can know who Jesus is. It is through these Scriptures and the witnesses of many that it is revealed to us.

I was once asked why it took God so many attempts to bring His people back to Him. Why did He send prophet after prophet only to be rejected again and again and then send Jesus? Why not Jesus first? The simple answer is we were not ready. The revelation of who Jesus is and God’s plan for us was given to us at perfect the time and place God chose. If Peter’s declaration of who Jesus is in today’s Gospel is true, it places Christ as the Son of God, the final person of the Trinity. If God has existed eternally, then Jesus Himself has existed eternally. He was there at our creation. He was there at the fall in the garden. He was there at the parting of the sea. He was there during the Babylonian exile. And most of all, He was there in the words of the prophets. It was always God’s plan to reveal His Son to us over time. This allowed us to prepare for His arrival. Remember, this was always God’s plan for us.

Our own journey of faith and our own idea of who Christ is for us also takes time. I am personally not the same college fraternity guy I was many years ago, as all of us are not the same we were. It is God working in our lives’, preparing us to receive and embrace His Son. It is through this embrace and the gift of faith from God we too can declare the words that Peter gave us, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

May Jesus live in our hearts forever.
Deacon Chris

Saturday August 19th St. John Eudes
4:00 pm Intentions of the Presider

Sunday August 20th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Parishioners

Monday August 21st St. Pius X
8:00 am † Marie Forrester

Tuesday August 22nd Queenship of Blessed Virgin Mary
8:00 am † Margaret (Peggy) Johnston

Wednesday August 23rd St. Rose of Lima
8:00 am † Larry Phelps

Thursday August 24th St. Bartholomew the Apostle
8:00 am † Sandra Coyle

Friday August 25th St. Louis; St. Joseph of Calasanz
8:00 am † Joy Burns

Saturday August 26th
8:00 am † Fr. Joseph DeGregorio

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Earl T. Bauder, Janet McHenry Howarth, Barbara Ramsden, Gilberta Rocha, Touria Majidi, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Edward Bergan…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Two men went fishing one day. One man was an experienced fisherman; the other wasn’t. Every time the experienced fisherman caught a big fish, he put it in his ice chest to keep it fresh. Whenever the inexperienced fisherman caught a big fish, he threw it back. The experienced fisherman watched this go on all day and finally got tired of seeing this man waste good fish. “Why do you keep throwing back all the big fish you catch?” he asked. The inexperienced fisherman replied, “I only have a small frying pan.”

Sometimes, like that fisherman, we throw back the big plans, big dreams, big ideas, and big opportunities that God sends us, because our faith is too small. And we may have laughed at that fisherman who didn’t figure out that all he needed was a bigger frying pan; yet how ready are we to increase the size of our faith? In our faith life, it’s important for us to remember the bigger picture of what God wants to do for us. We just celebrated August 15^th, God assuming Mary into heaven, body and soul, at the end of her earthly mission. So, God will lift the whole Church into communion with Himself in Heaven at the end of history.

Mary’s Assumption, then, is God’s promise to us.  Every Christian who follows Mary’s path of humility and fidelity to God’s can look forward to following her into the joys of heaven. That’s one of the reasons the Church celebrates the Assumption: the Church wants our faith to be big and strong, like Mary’s. It wants us to remember that God is All-Powerful and Loving. He does wonderful things in, through, and for those people who really trust Him, as Mary did. So, God has big hopes for us — Assumption-sized hopes. Seeing how His hopes for the Blessed Virgin Mary were so wonderfully fulfilled should help increase our faith. And as the angel Gabriel said to Mary long before her Assumption, “nothing is impossible for God.”

Let us always then allow our faith to grow, so that God’s works in us may be made to completion, where we can then share eternal Joy — Body and Soul — in Heaven with Him!!

Mary, Mother of the Holy Eucharist

       On the upcoming Solemnity of the Assumption, we honor Mary, gloriously assumed body and soul into the splendor of Heaven. However, our Immaculate Mother does not draw attention to herself, but leads us to a more fervent devotion to her Divine Son, Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist. Mary is the Mediatrix of All Grace, especially the greatest grace and gift of all: Her Divine Son in the Sacrament of His Love.

At the Annunciation by her “Yes” to God, Mary became the first tabernacle. In this instant, the Eternal Word leapt down from Heaven and “He whom the whole world cannot contain enclosed Himself in your womb, O Holy Mother of God.” Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant containing not just the Word of the Torah or Law, but the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ. The Litany of Loretto addresses her as the “Cause of our Joy, Spiritual Vessel, Vessel of Honor, Singular Vessel of Devotion” and the “House of God.” She is the “Seat of Wisdom” because once born, Eternal Wisdom made her lap His throne. St. Thomas Aquinas says her greatest honor is being the ‘Theotokos’ – God Bearer or Mother of God.

The Holy Eucharist is the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which He instituted at the Last Supper. The flesh that was to be crucified, raised up in glory by the Father, and given to us sacramentally in the Eucharist is the flesh He received from the Virgin Mary. As the translated antiphon of the Latin text of Ave Verum Corpus proclaims: “Hail, true Body, born of Mary the Virgin”. Truly she is the Mother of the Eucharist, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament!

Devotion to Our Lady leads us to her Son especially in the Eucharist. Saint John Paul II stressed the importance of spending time in prayerful Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, truly present in the monstrance and in the tabernacle, as well as participation in the Mass every Sunday and on weekdays when possible. This holy meal is also a Sacrifice representing that of the Cross and it is the Lord who is present offering Himself to the Father on our behalf.

During this parish year of the National Eucharistic Revival, let us resolve to spend more time in Eucharistic Adoration, attend Holy Mass more frequently, increase our devotion to Mary and participate in the upcoming spiritual programs and social activities our parish offers. Nothing can take us from God when we are armed with the love of Our Lord in the Eucharist and the love of His Mother. We need the Eucharist. We need Mary, Mother of the Holy Eucharist.

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

Saturday August 12th St. Jane Frances de Chantal
4:00 pm Intentions of the Presider

Sunday August 13th
7:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe
9:00 am Intentions of the Parishioners
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday August 14th St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe 
8:00 am † Anne Windle

Tuesday August 15th Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
6:30 am † Anne Mitchell
9:00 am † Mary E. Mergen
7:00 pm † Michael D. Mahon 

Wednesday August 16th St. Stephen of Hungary
8:00 am † Kathryn Tordella 

Thursday August 17th
8:00 am † Dorothy Ross

Friday August 18th
8:00 am †  Mary and Walt Kurkowski

Saturday August 19th St. John Eudes
8:00 am † Vincent C. Penecale

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Earl T. Bauder, Janet McHenry Howarth, Barbara Ramsden, Gilberta Rocha, Touria Majidi, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased … Sister M. Odette Dalfo, IHM, and Michael Albanese… 

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Irish Pallottine Fathers

The Pallottine Fathers and Brothers were founded by St. Vincent Pallotti in 1835. The name of our community is derived from the family name of the founder, but we are officially referred to as the Society of the Catholic Apostolate. St. Vincent was a priest in the Diocese of Rome. He founded our community to promote the revival of faith and charity in the world. He ardently believed that every Christian is called to be an apostle in virtue of one’s baptism. He placed great emphasis on developing the lay apostolate and the missionary outreach of the Church. His vision represents the particular charism of the Pallottine Fathers and Brothers to this day. The community now numbers over 2,400 members who are engaged in the works of the apostolate on all continents; we are currently present in 54 countries. St. Vincent Pallotti was canonized by St. John XXIII on January 20, 1963. The Irish Province has missions in East Africa and South America. The Irish Pallottines also work in the US, in two parishes in Detroit, at our Mission Promotion House in Wyandotte, Ml, and in two large parish communities in Texas where we work among the Mexican immigrants.

The Irish Pallottine Fathers were founded as a Missionary Province in 1909, working in Argentina and England, and we opened our first mission in Tanzania in 1940. This area later became a diocese, the Diocese of Mbulu, the first bishop being one of our Irish missionary priests.

Our missionary commitment was later extended to the Diocese of Singida, and successively to the Archdiocese of Nairobi in Kenya, and to the Archdiocese of Arusha in Tanzania. Thirty-six of our priests work in eleven parishes in East Africa; most of which cover extensive territories with several mission stations attached to each parish. The work is arduous and challenging. The growth of Islamic fundamentalism and the energetic advance of various Christian sects are amongst the new challenges we face.

We currently have twenty seminarians in formation in East Africa, one in Ireland, and one in Argentina. In addition to our pastoral work, we have two centers in Tanzania involved in the education and rehabilitation of children with special needs. We have helped in the establishment of three local hospitals, many parish dispensaries, and the building and refurbishment of schools at various levels, presently handed over to local management. Our priests are also involved in other areas of social development, famine relief (when necessary), water projects, AIDS prevention courses and other social services which benefit our deprived communities.

Our work and our missions are extensive and demanding in terms of the effort which is required and the financial burdens involved. While our primary mission is to preach the Gospel, we are also deeply conscious of our obligation to minister to the total person, body and soul. The prayers and support of many people of good will throughout the United States and Europe enable us to fulfill the mandate of Christ to “teach all nations” (Mt. 28: 19). We are immensely grateful to all who help us in our work and in our missions. Our benefactors are remembered every day in the prayers of our Pallottine communities.

Saturday August 5th Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major
4:00 pm For Peace in Eastern Europe

Sunday August 6th Transfiguration of the Lord
7:00 am Intentions of the Parishioners
9:00 am Intentions of the Presider
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday August 7th St. Sixtus II & companions; St. Cajetan
8:00 am † Mrs. Clara Wilson

Tuesday August 8th St. Dominic
8:00 am † Holden and Gawronski Families

Wednesday August 9th St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
8:00 am † Deceased members of the Dominican Family

Thursday August 10th St. Lawrence
8:00 am † Anne Janoski

Friday August 11th St. Clare
8:00 am Thomas Quaresima

Saturday August 12th St. Jane Frances de Chantal
8:00 am † Michael Fedele, Jr.

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Earl T. Bauder, Janet McHenry Howarth, Barbara Ramsden, Gilberta Rocha, Touria Majidi, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

In the years immediately following my ordination, while an Assistant Pastor and then a high school teacher, I began the habit of writing everything in a calendar. Although today I am somewhat crazy about being organized, writing everything in a calendar became necessary. Too often I would forget various appointments and miss parish events. My years in high school were a little easier, not only because the bell would ring every forty-five minutes, but more accurately because of the fear of leaving a classroom full of students with no supervision to cause some disturbance in the corridor.

If I had to venture a guess, I think I would be on target to say that most of us live by a personal or family calendar. Writing all of the important appointments and family events in the small space provided is a reminder that all of us have full lives…we are surrounded by activity…we have much to accomplish each day, each week, each month and year. So the calendar becomes part of our lives.

I wonder though, how often might we write on the calendar…spend uninterrupted time in conversation with family; …relax at home without anything else to do or any place to be; …a quiet day to read or play with the children. In the space provided on any given day, does your calendar ever read: spend some extended quiet time in church giving thanks to God for the gifts in my life?

It seems that with so much activity, it is easy to lose sight of what is most important. All of the “responsibilities” we write on our calendar tend to become our priority; it is what gets our attention, our time, and our energy. Yet daily, we have the opportunity to come together to celebrate as a community, to be refreshed by the Lord and to be strengthened to live out the Gospel message. All of us should want to fill our calendar with that!!!

If our calendar dictates what we must do, where we must be, who we need to visit; perhaps the first thing that should be written in one of the days each week is “St. David Church.” Each of us needs this time to allow Christ to fill us with His love; to be nourished at His table; and to pray for one another. Everything else should be secondary. I encourage you to go to your calendar and simply write “Our time with the Lord at St. David’s Church.”

Let us pray for one another that we give ourselves the time to receive from the Lord.

God Bless You,
Father Kennedy

Saturday July 29th Ss. Martha, Mary, & Lazarus
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday July 30th
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am Intentions of the Presider
11:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe

Monday July 31st St. Ignatius of Loyola
8:00 am † Francis & Eileen Frankenfield

Tuesday August 1st St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori
8:00 am † John Kenney

Wednesday August 2nd St. Eusebius of Vercelli; St. Peter Julian Eymard
8:00 am † Intention of Frank Windle

Thursday August 3rd
8:00 am † Anthony Nacci

Friday August 4th St. John Vianney
8:00 am † Thomas Dugan

Saturday August 5th Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major
8:00 am † Jean Lombardi

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Earl T. Bauder, Janet McHenry Howarth, Barbara Ramsden, Gilberta Rocha, Touria Majidi, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Saturday July 22nd St. Mary Magdalene
4:00 pm Intentions of the Presider

Sunday July 23rd
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe
11:00 am Intentions of the Parishioners

Monday July 24th St. Sharbel Makhluf
8:00 am † The Intentions of Marie Windle

Tuesday July 25th St. James
8:00 am † Elizabeth ‘Lee’ Kostic

Wednesday July 26th Ss. Joachim and Anne
8:00 am † Jason Connelly

Thursday July 27th
8:00 am † Richard J. Kaminski

Friday July 28th  
8:00 am † Karen McGettigan 

Saturday July 29th Ss. Martha, Mary & Lazarus
8:00 am † Eileen Delzingaro

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Earl T. Bauder, Janet McHenry Howarth, Barbara Ramsden, Gilberta Rocha, Touria Majidi, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …Eileen Ryan…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Faith, Hope, and Love

We are surrounded in our world by many different types of people. We have rich and poor, many different kinds of races and cultures. We also have those who have been dismissed by our society, broken laws, or committed crimes. We are so quick in our human thinking to place people in categories that we think each person deserves. We judge those who may not fit our idea of a person deserving the rewards of this life and the ultimate reward that we strive for, Heaven. Praise be to God that this decision belongs to Christ and Christ alone. We want instant justice for any wrongdoing removing it immediately, unlike Christ implores patience. In his complete and total love for us, He holds onto hope. Hope that maybe someone might have a change of heart and find the love he has for them.  While preaching on this very Gospel, Pope Francis said this:

The servants’ intention is to eliminate evil immediately, that is, evil people. But the master is wiser, he sees farther. … Certainly, evil must be rejected, but those who do evil are people with whom it is necessary to be patient. This does not mean that type of hypocritical tolerance that hides ambiguity; but rather, justice tempered by mercy. If Jesus came to seek sinners more than the righteous, to cure the sick first before the healthy (cf. Mt 9:12-13), then our actions too as his disciples should be focused not on suppressing the wicked, but on saving them. Patience lies here.

We also need to be aware that Christ offers the same love and hope for each one of us. Like today’s Gospel parable, we need to remember that each of us is not without sin. We are the field the weeds of sin have grown into. As you and I have sinned, we have weeds growing up alongside the good in us. Would we like that failed part of us to be uprooted, potentially rooting out the good as well? No. Instead, God lets us develop, without destruction, steadily forgiving our weeds through the sacrifice of his beloved Son. Through faith our responsibility is to hold tight to Christ, allowing him to save us, allowing him to remove our weeds of sinfulness, and allowing all of us to be a bountiful harvest for the field owner, our Heavenly Father.

May Jesus live in our hearts forever.
Deacon Chris

I don’t know much about gardening other than ‘weeds are bad.’  I remember as a child my parents would have us weed the front lawn and they taught us to do it right. We had to get the roots out. This was so that the flowers could grow and the lawn would look nice. But God does something different than a typical gardener would do with weeds. Rather than pulling them up as things are growing, the Master Gardener waits to weed until the end of time. The Good and Bad are separated and each receives their due. Why does He do that? One of the reasons is that in our free will, God is patient with us sinners: those who want to strive towards him, those of us who stumble, fall, and get back up as we learn the good and love the good that we ought to do. 

This is not only a pleasant thought for us; it is also a practical thought. Each one of us suffers from the consequences of a fallen world where the wheat and weeds grow together. In this fallen world, all of us are wounded by our own sins and the sins of other people, sometimes in obvious ways and sometimes in hidden ways. In this fallen world, every sin causes wounds – both to ourselves and to other people.  That is how the weeds grow. When we take time to think, to reflect on the weeds of sin that sprout in our lives, we can become discouraged. When we look at the wounds, the damage, the sin, the weakness, they can seem to be so deep that fixing them is beyond our natural ability. However, we don’t have to depend on our natural ability; God comes to our aid. He doesn’t just throw us out. God sends us His saving grace, especially in His Sacrament of Confession, where He embraces us and does not condemn us. If it takes Him a million and one times to forgive us of our sins, so that it captures our hearts, then it is worth it. 

God is a patient God: there is no limit to His forgiveness and mercy – no limit to His ability to give us a fresh start, and this is great news. Here is the catch, though; God wants us to do the same with others. We need to recall the patience that God shows us in our sinfulness so that the door to repentance can be open, even for an enemy. 

Saturday July 15th St. Bonaventure
4:00 pm Intentions of the Presider

Sunday July 16th
7:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe
9:00 am Intentions of the Parishioners
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday July 17th
8:00 am † Secular Decalced Carmellites

Tuesday July 18th St. Camillus de Lellis, priest
8:00 am † Jean Lombardi  

Wednesday July 19th
8:00 am † James W. Rosenbaum

Thursday July 20th St. Apollinaris
8:00 am † Maria Liberta Colibraro

Friday July 21st St. Lawrence of Brindisi
8:00 am † Mary Buccini

Saturday July 22nd St. Mary Magdalene
8:00 am † Katherine Johnson

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Michael Boyle Sr., Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Robert Mehlbaum, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Earl T. Bauder, Janet McHenry Howarth, Barbara Ramsden, Gilberta Rocha, Touria Majidi, John Barrow, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …Cheryl Oleykowksi and Peggy Clark…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Be A Giver – Treasure God’s Love

          “Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt.11:28). But did the people really understand His words? This short passage is considered by many to be the most beautiful words Jesus speaks in Sacred Scripture. The irony is that even today people do not listen; therefore, Jesus still must ask: “Why are you not listening?” The truth is that the Messiah, the Son of God, is in love with every human person, even those who do not listen, who walk away, or even deny his infinite love. It is Jesus’ never-ending love that makes all life possible.

Peguy says, “All life begins with tenderness.” Jesus teaches people with great tenderness, not because they deserve it, but because He needs to be this way. Our Savior is tenderness and love personified. We are sinners, and we go about doing good but also sinning. Jesus only does good, only forgives, only cares, only reaches out, because He is God, who is Infinite Love.

Jesus never gives up on anyone because He wants each of us to feel and understand the great happiness and interior peace that comes with openly and wholeheartedly taking in the tremendous gift of God’s love. “Our hearts will never rest until they rest in Thee,” says St. Augustine to God. Frequent reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist are the main sources of God’s infinite life and love.

Our Lord and Savior shows us how to love. He gives and He gives and He gives, without counting the cost. People reject and curse Him and He still loves them. He gives and He gives and He never takes back. Jesus says to all of us: “You must learn that it is in giving that you feel love, it is in the giving that you are healed, it is in the giving that you are saved.” If you want to touch God and feel the reality of His life and love in this wonderful world He has created for us, you’ve got to learn how to give freely to God and all others.

If you receive the Sacraments frequently, pray often, and share your love with God and others, you will realize that your loving Savior is carrying you through all the difficulties and challenges of your life. Be a giver and treasure the flame of God’s love in your heart and Jesus will be there to walk you home to Eternal Rest!

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

Saturday July 1st St. Junipero Serra
4:00 pm Intentions of the Parishioners

Sunday July 2nd
7:00 am Intentions of the Presider
9:00 am Intentions of the Presider
11:00 am For Peace in Eastern Europe

Monday July 3rd St. Thomas the Apostle
8:00 am † Joseph Ippi Jr.

Tuesday July 4th
8:00 am † Julia DeRocco

Wednesday July 5th St. Elizabeth of Portugal, St. Anthony Zaccaria
8:00 am † Betty Bagnato

Thursday July 6th St. Maria Goretti
8:00 am † Martha Day

Friday July 7th
8:00 am Thomas Quaresima

Saturday July 8th
8:00 am † Michael Fedele Jr.

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Michael Boyle Sr., Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Robert Mehlbaum, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Earl T. Bauder, Bud DeLaurentis, Janet McHenry Howarth, Frank Martin, Barbara Ramsden, Gilberta Rocha, Touria Majidi, John Barrow, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …John Flickinger, Grace D’Uva, Margaret J. Chalow…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

Saturday July 8th
4:00 pm For Peace in Eastern Europe

Sunday July 9th
7:00 am Intentions of the Parishioners
9:00 am Intentions of the Presider
11:00 am Intentions of the Presider

Monday July 10th
8:00 am † Jeanne DeCesare

Tuesday July 11th St. Benedict
8:00 am † Alicia Chiofolo

Wednesday July 12th
8:00 am † Deceased Members of the Link & Simpson Families

Thursday July 13th St. Henry
8:00 am Intentions of Sr. Mary St. Mark

Friday July 14th St. Kateri Tekakwitha
8:00 am † Elizabeth Kelley

Saturday July 15th St. Bonaventure
8:00 am † Fran & George Weckerly

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Remembering in our Prayers…
… all those who are sick … Loretta Boyle, James Dehan, Eric Bull, Bruce Seth, Vanessa Wismer, Karen Dale, Agnes Neas, Maria Pinto, Ernestine Spinello, Bryce Cassidy, Marta Gomeztor, Marion Price, Ed Bergan, Evelyn Griffin, Ray Wilson, Teresa Riegal, Bob Bohrer, Loretta Ceniviva, Regina Poskus, Joe Rosales, Pedro Flores, Thomas McLaughlin, Laverne McPhail, George Weatherford, Kathleen Lochner, Imelda Kormos, Kay Kenney, Howard J. Drager, Michael Boyle Sr., Eddie Quintana, Ralph Cosgrove, Anne & Mike Butera, Robert Mehlbaum, Joseph Bellisari, Philip Bell, Joyce Drexler, Maria Gulach, Earl T. Bauder, Bud DeLaurentis, Janet McHenry Howarth, Frank Martin, Barbara Ramsden, Gilberta Rocha, Touria Majidi, John Barrow, and the residents of Garden Springs and the Landings.

… all those who are deceased …

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

From the Desk of Julia Marlin
Be Still

This past February, I had the opportunity to spend Mardi Gras in Louisiana visiting friends I had met at the 2022 GIVEN Catholic Women’s Leadership Forum. We celebrated with festivities the weekend before, but on Monday we took an 8-hour road trip up to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama.

We made it to the shrine late Monday night and settled in for our 2 ½ day retreat – spending all day Tuesday and (Ash) Wednesday at the Shrine. A phrase that has continually come up in my prayer this year is to “be still.” It became especially evident over the course of those few days. I was finally able to just stop and rest outside of the busyness that I continually fall into. 

In the Psalms, God says to us, “Be still and know that I AM God.” (46:10) I just needed to carve out time to sit, still, in front of the Blessed Sacrament and adore how much love God has for me. What better place than at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament where the Poor Clare Sisters offer 24-hour adoration of our Lord? I didn’t need to travel hundreds of miles to do so though. Christ is present here in our own chapel – exposed in the Blessed Sacrament on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I could even go to St. Catherine of Siena in Horsham, if I wanted to make a midnight visit with Jesus in their 24-hour adoration chapel.

Amid anxiety and the stress of today’s society, we are reminded by the Israelites that, “the Lord will fight for you; you only need to be still.” I struggle with what direction God has in store for my life. Instead of worrying and complaining to friends, I need just be quiet, to offer up the anxiety, and listen to what God has to say to my heart – in the silence. He is not asking that I sit back and wait for an answer though. His response will be revealed as I continue to try and live out his mission in my daily life. We are not meant to try and fit God’s mission into our life, but to live out his mission and form our life around it.

The theme song of my personal retreat was Be Still by the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart in Los Angeles. I listened to it on repeat for at least 3 hours – meditating on a different set of lyrics each time it played. The one that continues to stick with me is:

You calmed the waves,
You ruled the sea,
Now to my heart, you speak,
‘Do not fear; be still.’

There are things that will be out of my control and things that I will have to face that I may not want to. All I need to do, though, is stop and recognize where God is in my life. He is standing right beside me – a quiet support and a loving warrior. I need to turn towards him and ask for his assistance, for his peace, for his courage. His love is so great that he is willing to wait for my request, rather than interfere with my choice to choose him first in my life.

Not everyone can get away and spend time on a multi-day retreat, but we can make the effort to retreat on Sundays – to make it our day of rest, to be still and just take a break from the busyness that we drown in every other day of the week. What would happen if you took fifteen minutes or half an hour today to just sit and be still? What would be different about those quiet moments, if you spent them in front of the tabernacle or the Blessed Sacrament? I invite you to find out.