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Dear Parishioners,
As we gather on this Columbus Day weekend, we call to mind Christopher Columbus. This important Italian explorer sailing for Spain is widely credited with the discovery of the Americas. He and many other explorers who followed him began to settle in North and South America and forever changed the world. There are some today who discredit Christopher Columbus, but we must remember that he was living in a different time with different norms. We acknowledge the misuse of the colonial powers while at the same time realize that so many Europeans throughout that continent were able to make new lives from Canada right down to Argentina. In the coming years, we hope to give more restitution to the native people who were displaced, and we hope that in time they will be afforded more equality and have a stronger voice in society. In the last couple of years in the U.S., we have all been rethinking our own past and have come to realize that we need to continue the dignity of every human being that lives in our land. There is no room for prejudice in the life of a Christian or indeed any person. We move forward making apologies where necessary and restitution while at the same time striving to give equal rights for education and job opportunities to every person living in the U.S.
This weekend we are thrilled to be able to host our Antioch Retreat. Please hold our young people in prayer as they open their hearts to the Holy Spirit and are guided by their older peers and our adult community.
It was wonderful to welcome our 9th and 10th grade youth last weekend. This weekend, we begin our 9th grade academic class followed by Mass. I am pleased that both parents of CCD and Confirmation youths attend Mass as a family. As we as a community better understand the dignity of the Holy Mass, we truly learn a gift for the whole of our lives. As your pastor, I am very proud of our young people and want to instill in them a strong Catholic devotion to the Blessed Sacrament so that they will be better equipped for the joys and sorrows of life. My prayer is that our young people will be the next Catholic adults in the pew coming together for the sacrament of marriage and in God’s time bring Catholic children to enrich our world. We began our first Wednesday CCD class last Wednesday and are happy to welcome back Cycle B CCD this Sunday. As usual, I enjoy both the teaching element and interacting with our catechists who give so freely of their love for God.
This Saturday we celebrated our last outdoor Mass followed by a parish picnic. It has been wonderful to be able to be together socially after the difficult lockdown of the last year and half. I have enjoyed celebrating Mass outdoors and look forward to resuming them in the early summer.
Next Saturday the 16th, Kathe DeRose with her cantors and choir will be responsible for the Saturday 5 pm Mass. They will also continue to play and sing at the 11:30 am Sunday Mass except for the first Sunday of the month when we have the Special Needs Mass. Rich Ortiz continues to play and sing at the Sunday 7:30 am Mass. From Sunday the 24th on, Lenny will lead our Children Choir Mass each week. I look forward to having many of our CCD children join the Children’s choir. Lenny and Dan with Allie continue to lead the Youth Choir Mass every Sunday at 6 pm. I am so pleased to see the increase in our singers and musicians. A big thank you to all our musicians and cantors. As St. Cecelia reminds us, those who sing pray twice.
Fr. Owen