Passiontide

04-03-2022Pastor's LetterRev. Gregory B. Wilson, VF

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Join us this week for our Parish Lenten Mission with Fr. Ricardo Pineda! Father Pineda will preach at Masses this weekend. The Mission begins on Sunday at 6:30pm in Old St. Mary’s. The schedule for the week, Monday – Thursday, will be: 5:30pm Mass; 6:00pm Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and confessions; 6:30pm Mission conference followed by more confessions. We will also keep confessions available as usual 4:45-5:15pm.

Please take advantage of these extra confessions with a visiting priest. Please do not wait until Good Friday or Holy Saturday for Confession. The lines are always very long! You might end up adding extreme impatience to your list... Ever more deeply now we delve into our Lenten observance this Fifth Sunday of Lent, the beginning of what is traditionally known as Passiontide. It is amazing what we take for granted until it is taken from our sight. The crucifix can become so familiar that it can run the risk of losing its incredible impact. It is the image of the total self-gift of Jesus for His bride, the Church – for you and me. This is precisely what He continues to do through the Eucharist. The Holy Cross will be solemnly unveiled during the Passion Liturgy of Good Friday. Other images remain veiled until the Great Easter Vigil when all veils will be removed, and we will see again with hopefully a renewed understanding and appreciation of Our Lord and His Saints.

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Rejoice, Jerusalem!

03-27-2022Pastor's LetterRev. Gregory B. Wilson, VF

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“Laetare, Jerusalem” – “Rejoice, Jerusalem... Be joyful, all who were in mourning!” (From Isaiah 66:10-11; Introit for the Fourth Sunday of Lent)

You deserve a break today! Here at the halfway point of our Lenten observance, we enjoy a little break from our Lenten penances on the Sunday of Joy - Laetare Sunday. The reason we do penance is to prepare ourselves to celebrate once again the greatest, most astounding part of our faith: The man they put on a cross, who died and was buried, is alive. He was seen by literally hundreds of witnesses, who then scurried around the world telling everyone they could, even to their own deaths. Why? Because that death on that cross made an atonement you and I could not do on our own. “He bore the punishment that makes us whole; by His wounds we were healed” (Isaiah 53:5). So, rejoice!

What a joy to share the good news that Anastasia Pierce, daughter of Deacon Bob and Donna, has been accepted to the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus! This active -contemplative religious Order runs several assisted living and nursing homes attached to their convents. The Northern Province, of which she is entering, has convents in Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan.

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Let It Be Done Unto Me

03-20-2022Pastor's LetterRev. Gregory B. Wilson, VF

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Starting this week, we will modify our weekly stewardship information to better the reflect the reality of our parish stewardship and to offer reporting that gives more clarity about our parish finances. Over the past several years our parish campus has expanded significantly. We have several small and large projects underway, including the projects associated with the Bicentennial Campaign from 2020. The Parish Finance Council and I thought it would be important to provide you with a more comprehensive view of our finances and these projects.

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Rivers of Blood and Tears

03-13-2022Pastor's LetterRev. Gregory B. Wilson, VF

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“Rivers of blood and tears are flowing in Ukraine. It is not merely a military operation, but a war, which sows death, destruction and misery.” At his weekly Angelus on the First Sunday of Lent, Pope Francis delivered this impassioned plea: “Above all, I implore that the armed attacks cease and that negotiation – and common sense – prevail. And that international law be respected once again!” As average citizens we often feel helpless when it comes to the world stage. However, first of all we remind ourselves that prayer is powerful. We may not detect its effects in the time we want (which is always yesterday), but Our Lord teaches us that somehow, someway, our humble prayer is moving mountains. Pope Francis continued, “Let us pray together for Ukraine: ... Let us pray together, as brothers and sisters, to Our Lady, Queen of Ukraine. Hail Mary...”

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Into the Desert

03-06-2022Pastor's LetterRev. Gregory B. Wilson, VF

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On Feb 22, with great joy we received the news that Pope Francis has appointed Rev. Jacques E. Fabre, as Bishop-elect of Charleston. Bishop-elect Fabre is a priest of the religious order of the Missionaries of St. Charles. Originally hailing from Haiti, he immigrated to New York City while he was in high school. He was ordained to the priesthood in Brooklyn, New York on Oct 10, 1986, for the Missionaries. The Bishop-elect is perfectly fluent in five languages: English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Creole. Bishop-elect Fabre will be ordained and installed as the 14th Bishop of Charleston on Fri, Apr 29. More news will be forthcoming.

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