Happy Sunday!

I never thought this day would come so soon, but this is my last bulletin letter. Being the pastor at St. Joan of Arc has been a wonderful gift and something I’ll always be grateful for. From the moment I arrived I felt like I was a part of this family. In April of 2019 I really didn’t know quite what to expect. It has been a privilege to be a part of your lives in so many ways. Having the opportunity to baptize your children and grandchildren, preside at marriages and offer Mass for you has enriched my priesthood. Not only these joyous moments, but visiting the sick in their homes, care facilities, and hospitals, celebrating funeral Masses when the Lord called your loved ones back to Himself, each of these moments has been a privilege for me to experience. I am grateful for being welcomed into your homes for meals, hearing about your journeys in the faith, listening to your struggles, all the while doing my best to accompany you. Thank you for being so patient with me as I learned and continue to learn what it means to be a pastor.

Happy Sunday!

A very happy Father’s Day to all of our fathers in the community. This weekend we are also celebrating the Solemnity of St. Joan of Arc. Her calendar feast day is May 30th, however, since she is our patroness, we are able to move it to the closest available Sunday so that more people in the parish can celebrate it. Since the Sunday after May 30th was Trinity Sunday and then Corpus Christi, the next closest Sunday is this weekend. The readings and antiphons will not be the same as are in the Lumen Christi missal.

Happy Sunday!

This Sunday the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, or Corpus Christi. This solemnity always reminds me of the great Eucharistic processions that occur throughout the world on this day. After my second year of theology studies I spent the summer in Antigua, Guatemala. I had arrived there just in time for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. Throughout the city families and different devotional groups were preparing “alfombras” for the Eucharistic procession. While the word “alfombra” typically refers to a rug, in this case the alfombra was about the size of a rug, but it was a design of flowers or religious symbol such as a monstrance. These designs would be created with flower petals or different colored sands.

Dear Friends,

Summer is a great time for reading. Remember summer reading lists from school? I used to ride my bike down to the library in the first weeks of break and check out all the books I was supposed to read. Then I would find other books, too. Remember browsing the shelves? Then I would set up and read and read until all the summer reading was done. After that I was free to read on my own and what I liked.