Parish Blog

Dear Friends in Christ,

From Monday through Friday, September 16th-20th, I visited my brother Warren and his wife Marilyn in Mount Horeb, WI. Warren, as I have mentioned, has prostate cancer. Praise God, he is recovering quite well. He really has no symptoms at all, except from his medication. The cancer has regressed, and his physicians now say that when he dies, it will not be the cancer that causes his death. I am most thankful for all your prayers!

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I ask for all the faithful of our diocese to pray for the families affected by Hurricane Helene. It made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 and has destroyed many homes and taken lives, including in our own state. We should also pray for all first responders, who dedicate themselves to serving those most in need during crises, and the linemen who work diligently to restore power.

Dear Friends in Christ,

We have often heard it quoted that “the Eucharist is the ‘source and summit’ of the Christian life.” (CCC, 1324) And so it is! But we receive the Eucharist from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Therefore, it is incumbent upon all of us to grow in our love and respect for the Mass. Accordingly, it is important that I offer a few reminders concerning our actions at the Mass.

Dear Friends in Christ,

When Christ asks the disciples "Who do people say that I am?" Peter answers on behalf of them: “You are the Messiah” and lets us see his saintly tendency. But only a few minutes later, when Christ lets him see that to reach redemption, he must follow the path of the cross, he awakens in him the demonic tendency that he also carries; Christ points to him and says: “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” A saint or a devil always lies inside us.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today, the liturgy asks us to contemplate the healing of a “deaf man who had a speech impediment.” (Mk 7:32) As in other cases (the Bethsaida and Jerusalem blind men, etc.), the Lord surrounds the miracle with a series of outward motions. “He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue.” (Mk 7:33) In such miracles, the Fathers of the Church see a dramatic demonstration of the humanity of Christ.

Dear Friends in Christ,

As you read this our students at St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic School will be entering into their fourth week of school. Time is flying by! We had an Open House on Friday, August 9th and many parents came by with their children to show them their classrooms and meet their teachers. It was a day filled with excitement and anticipation.

The first day of school was Monday, August 12th and the schoolyard was filled with proud parents and enthusiastic students. It was uplifting to see the joy and spirit of our students. And…our enrollment this year is at 236, up twenty from last year!