Dear Friends in Christ,

Today the earthquake that shook the entire universe and turned humanity upside down is happening once again. The coming of the Holy Spirit. It's true that Easter Sunday will continue being the center of history; but if there had never been a Pentecost, Easter would only be an event of the past. The Holy Spirit makes Christ actual and contemporary in every age.

Dear Friends in Christ,

SEA Academy - There was a meeting of the Diocesan Building Renovation Advisory Committee (BRAC) on May 11th. They reviewed the design for our Science and Engineering Academy for our School in great detail. The good news is that they approved us at the 90% design stage. This means that we are on track with our plan to break ground for the Academy in late June. We extend a huge thank you to all who donated and pledged so very generously! It is truly amazing to come into a parish and see such a huge project being undertaken and to have the cash and pledges in hand. Thanks so much to our fund-raising committee, the Finance Council and all who have worked so hard and faithfully to get us to this stage. May all of us be faithful to keep praying for the success of this project. “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)

Dear Friends in Christ,

This is truly an exciting time in our parish school’s history. Soon we will begin to see construction on our new campus expansion, the Saint Mary Help of Christians Catholic School Science and Engineering Academy. With the increased physical space that the new addition will provide, we will also have the opportunity to increase our enrollment capacity! We rejoice for the ability to expand the work of one of the Church’s most important missions, educating our youth. News is spreading throughout the community of our growth, and we have seen an increased number of tours of our school and new family enrollments. Before we fill all our spots with students from the community, we want to give every opportunity to enroll our parish families first.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Just before being elected Pope, Cardinal Ratzinger warned that we live in a “dictatorship of relativism.” This philosophy basically says that everyone's personal ideas about what is true or false, right or wrong are equally valid, as if there were no objective truth or right at all. People of our modern world consider everything to be relative; they don’t believe that there could be a “truth, a way” to which they can commit their lives. In our Gospel today, Thomas doubted, but Christ gave him the clearest answer possible: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

Dear Friends in Christ,

We live in a culture filled with raucous noise. In the midst of so many voices and so much noise all around us, can we still pick out the voice of Christ saying, “I am the good shepherd?”

Jesus is the Shepherd, but also the gate of the sheepfold: the word “gate” implies an entrance. In a word full of urgent, existential questions, Jesus is the answer that gives meaning to our existence, the teacher that teaches us authentic truth. He is the only gate that leads to happiness and life. “He who enters through me will be saved,” he says so clearly. To enter by this door means much more than passively holding our baptismal certificate, the sacrament signifying our entrance in the church; it means hearing his voice and following him.

Dear Friends in Christ,

The source and summit of our Catholic faith is the Most Holy Eucharist. With that in mind, the USCCB is promoting three years of Eucharistic renewal within our parishes and missions. Here at St. Mary Help of Christians, we are fortunate to be one of six parishes to host a special event of the National Eucharistic Revival. A Eucharistic Revival Mission Night is coming to us on Friday! Specifically, Friday, April 28th from 6:00-7:30pm at Old St. Mary’s following the daily Mass.

Dear Friends in Christ,

The Lord Jesus, the Risen One is coming today to open our eyes, just like He did for Thomas, so that we can have a new perspective on our lives. His Spirit enlightens us and strengthens us with a new life that fills us with joy and peace. “If then you were raised with Christ,” says St. Paul, “seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” (Col 3:1-4) Christ rose from the dead, but He did not stop there: he promised that each of us would also one day rise again. St. Paul teaches us that our faith allows us to wait hopefully for our own resurrection, and this hope will give us the spiritual strength necessary to break the bonds of sin.