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Dear Parishioners,
Our Holy Father proclaimed this year as a special year to celebrate the life of St. Joseph. It has been 150 years since St. Joseph was proclaimed the Patron Saint of the church. Special indulgences are granted during this year to the Faithful. To receive the plenary indulgence, one must go to Confession, receive Holy Communion, pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, and additionally, do one of the following: (i) meditate for at least 30 minutes on the Our Father or (ii) participate in a spiritual retreat of at least one day that includes the meditation on St. Joseph or (iii) perform a Corporal Work of Mercy, or (iv) recite the Holy Rosary or (v) entrust our work daily to the protection of St. Joseph, the worker. A plenary indulgence is a way by which we free ourselves from punishment of sin. We can receive this indulgence for ourselves and someone we love every day until December 21, 2021 by fulfilling the requirements above. As the foster father of Jesus, St. Joseph is certainly the model for manhood. We see in St. Joseph, the strength necessary to be a man and the gentleness necessary to teach others how to model our lives on Christ.
March 19th is the Feast of St. Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Mother. On that day, I invite you, our beloved parishioners to offer a living intention for yourself or a loved one, living or deceased, family or friend. Your intentions will be remembered at 9:00 am and 7:00 pm mass on that day. On May 1st, the Feast of St. Joseph, the worker, we will call to mind the dignity of work and the necessity to provide for ourselves and family members but also to use our God given gifts to serve others and make God’s world a better place. Your intentions will be offered at 9:00 am and 5:00 pm masses on that day. Please take a pamphlet as you leave mass which gives information on St. Joseph’s role in the church. You will notice that each month, we give a different tribute to St. Joseph as father figure. This month of February, we call to mind St. Joseph, the most chaste. We remember St. Joseph who was entrusted with the divine child
and his fairest mother, chaste in body and also in heart. St. Joseph loved freely creating the tranquility of order in the Holy Family. Looking forward to the month of May, as we celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph, the worker, I would like us to dedicate our families to St. Joseph and I invite all families to consecrate their lives and their homes to St. Joseph at one of our weekend masses on May 1st/2nd. During this year, let us grow in the knowledge of St. Joseph and by imitating his life, empower ourselves to be a tool of patient endurance so that by our lives, others may better understand the gospel values which help us to place our trust in God.
I write this bulletin during the snowstorm of Monday, February 1st. It is certainly a very beautiful scene out there as the snow plies up on the grounds of St. Luke Parish. A snowstorm reminds us to calm ourselves and to see in nature the beauty of God’s creation. We certainly keep in mind, however, those who must travel, every worker and those who keep our roads and driveways clear.
Fr. Alex and I leave for Upstate New York Sunday afternoon and return on Thursday. Just to get a little break; somewhere quiet and safe before Lent begins. I look forward to getting away a little bit and while it is impossible to travel very far these days, I am sure there will be beautiful walks and sites to see in Cooperstown. Thanks to Fr. Hubert and the staff who will be holding down the fort during my vacation.
Fr. Owen