So many emotions are stirred up as we come face-to-face with the reality that racism is an ever-present reality in our country. For those who do not feel its impact on a daily basis, we may have become oblivious to its insidious impact on the lives of people of color. It is an evil that we cannot ignore.
Way back in 1979, the bishops of the United States issued a pastoral letter on racism – Brothers and Sisters to Us: U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral Letter on Racism in Our Day. At that time, they said clearly: “Racism is an evil which endures in our society and in our church. Despite apparent advances and even significant changes in the last two decades, the reality of racism remains. In large part it is only external appearances which have changed.” It is sad that those words are still true today!
The bishops also said: “Racism is not merely one sin among many; it is a radical evil that divides the human family and denies the new creation of a redeemed world. To struggle against it demands an equally radical transformation, in our own minds and hearts as well as in the structure of our society.”
It is not one or the other: we each need to engage in a careful self-examination to detect the traces of racism that exist in our own hearts and minds. Likewise, we need to join with others to closely examine the need for structural change in our society and commit ourselves to the eradication of racism.
Our young people are speaking out. You can view the short video they prepared on this topic. Also, read Bishop McElroy’s statement on “Finding Grace within Our Republic of Suffering.” Also, the national office of The Knights of Columbus is circulating a novena to the Holy Trinity for national unity and an end to racism. They suggest that we pray this prayer for nine days beginning on Trinity Sunday, June 7. Let us unleash the power of prayer against this evil which permeates our society.
Pastoral Center Communication-What to Expect when you return to Mass
Daily Mass
As you know, we will begin having Masses on weekdays on Monday, June 8. In addition to our usual morning Masses at 7:00 and 8:00, we have added an evening Mass at 7:00 pm. On Mondays and Wednesdays, the evening Mass will be in Spanish. On Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, the evening Mass will be in English.
For the morning Masses, we are asking participants to sit on one side of the church only. This will help us by eliminating the need to clean the whole church. For the 7:00 am Mass, please sit on the right side (tabernacle side). For the 8:00 am Mass, please sit on the left side (choir side). We will see how many people attend the evening Mass and probably limit the seating area as well.
One of the reasons for adding the evening Masses is to provide more opportunity for people who might prefer to attend Mass on a weekday rather than on weekends when the crowds will be bigger. We will assess the weekday and weekend Mass schedules after a few weeks of experience.
Your Contributions
Throughout the time during which we have not had public Masses, many of our parishioners have continued to send or bring their contributions to the parish. Many have begun using online giving. I am so grateful that so many people have continued to contribute. It has been very helpful to the financial situation of the parish. While our income is down significantly, the generosity shown by so many has enabled us to maintain the parish complex, keep current with our bills, and pay our dedicated staff. Thank you all, very much!
As we begin to celebrate public Masses, we will not be passing the collection basket (for obvious reasons). There will be specially marked containers near the entrance to the churchor near the gate to the field into which you can place your offerings. Of course, you can continue to mail us your contribution or drop it off at the office (8:30 am – 12:30 pm). Online giving remains a good option as well. Thank you for supporting your parish.
Fr. Ron
Volunteers STILL Needed
In order to safely celebrate Mass together and gather in a respectful and holy manner, we are in need of some people who can serve as Ministers of Hospitality (ushers). Their role will be to help people find seats while observing social distancing. They can also answer questions people might have. Due to our concern for the health and safety of “vulnerable persons,” these volunteers need to be under 70 years of age. Those who volunteer will be trained by Fr. Ron either in person or through Zoom. We have many Masses and we will need many volunteers.
We also need additional Special Ministers of Holy Communion. Again, these people need to be under 70 years old and Fr. Ron will provide the training.
Please let Fr. Ron know as soon as possible if you are able and willing, to serve in either of these ministries (rbagley@stpatrickcarlsbad.com)
Scam Alert of Email and Texts from Fr. Ron Bagley
Once again, an email scammer is trying to take advantage of our parishioners. The person sends an email to parishioners claiming to be Fr. Ron, and asks for gift cards or cash or asks for some favors. Fr. Ron will never make such requests of parishioners. Another indication that it is a scam is to look at the email address of the sender. It will have Fr. Ron’s name in it but it is not his email. Please delete these emails and block the texts immediately as such a request will never come from the parish through an email or text.
The Care of Our Common Home
Five years ago, Pope Francis gave us a very important teaching on our responsibility as Christians to take care of our “common home,” the Earth. The encyclical is called Laudato si’ which are actually the first words of the Canticle of Creation written by St. Francis of Assisi. This short video summarizes three key points made by the Holy Father.
Generous Grant for Showers of Blessings
Even though the Fr. Moore Center has been closed for the last several months, the volunteers who staff Showers of Blessings have been hard at work making sure that our brothers and sisters in need have food to eat. They have joined with volunteers from other churches in Carlsbad to provide excellent service to those who lack food and shelter.
I am also pleased to announce that our Showers of Blessings has been awarded a grant of $10,000 from The San Diego Foundation. The well-deserved award was presented earlier this week. This large donation will enable Showers of Blessings to continue their generous outreach to our brothers and sisters who lack a place to live. Congratulations to all of our volunteers.
Catholic Trivia”... not because they are trivial but because these might be things that not everyone knows. Test your knowledge by reading the five questions, remember your answers (or jot them down), then click the link below to find the answers.
Which 17th century saint at the time of his canonization was given the recognition of being called “founder, apostle and doctor of liturgical devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary”? (Hint: his picture is in our church)
Who is the Native American saint whose feast day is celebrated on July 14?
In the liturgical calendar of the Church, what do we call that time outside of the seasons Advent-Christmas and Lent-Easter?
Which pope was the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina when he was elected pope?
What is the symbolism of burning incense during liturgies and ceremonies?
I realize that some of you are experiencing budget problems of your own at this time and I am not asking to cut yourself short. But please keep in mind the needs of our parish during these uncertain times.
Those of you who use weekly offertory envelopes, please enclose your giving into the special mailing envelope that comes in your packet
Many of you pay your bills using online banking bill pay, you can choose St. Patrick Church to receive donations to Sunday Collection this way
This may also be a time to consider using Online Giving as a way of contributing to the parish during this time. https://www.osvonlinegiving.com/58
Paul urges the Corinthians to live in peace with one another and with God.
Gospel Reading
John 3:16-18
God sent his Son into the world to save the world.
Background on the Gospel Reading
This week we return to the liturgical season of Ordinary Time. This Sunday and next, however, are designated as solemnities—special days that call our attention to central mysteries of our faith. Today on Trinity Sunday we celebrate the mystery of the Holy Trinity, one God in three persons.
Today’s Gospel is from the beginning of John’s Gospel. The passage we read follows Jesus’ conversation with a Pharisee, Nicodemus, about what it means to be born of both water and the spirit. Nicodemus approaches Jesus at night and acknowledges Jesus as a teacher from God. Jesus tells him that only those who are born from above will see the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus misunderstands and questions how a person can be born more than once. Jesus tells Nicodemus that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. Jesus is essentially explaining Baptism, which we celebrate as a sacrament today. Yet Nicodemus, we are told, still does not understand what Jesus is saying. Jesus continues by testifying to the need to be born from above so that one might have eternal life.
After the dialogue with Nicodemus, the author of the Gospel offers his own explanation of Jesus’ words. This is what we read in today’s Gospel, John 3:16-18.
In the context of today’s focus on the mystery of the Holy Trinity, the reading calls our attention to the action of God, who reveals himself in three persons: God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God the Father, out of love for the world, sent his Son into the world in order to save it. Through the death and resurrection of the Son, we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. As three persons, God acts always as a God of love; he does not condemn the world but acts to save it.
The Gospel also calls attention to the response that is required of us. God’s love for us calls us to respond in faith by professing our belief in God’s son, Jesus, and the salvation that he has won for us. This profession of faith is a sign of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
General Absolution
Many people have expressed a concern about the fact that they have not been able to go to confession in these months of quarantine. They have asked if it is okay to receive Holy Communion without confession first. Since we will not be able to immediately resume our regular schedule for confessions, we are able to offer an alternative.
In the Rite of Penance of the Catholic Church, there is an extraordinary form of absolution of sin that is to be used only in exceptional circumstances. It is called general absolution. It is a way of celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation without individual confession. Yet the person’s sins are forgiven and the graces of the sacrament are given.
Bishop McElroy has extended to all the priests of the Diocese the special delegation and permission to use this extraordinary form of absolution. We are indeed living in a time of exceptional circumstances. With a particular concern for not exposing our priests to contact with large numbers of penitents who seek forgiveness, we will use this faculty to give general absolution.
On the first two weekends of public Masses (June 13-14 and June 20-21), the priest presider at each of our Masses will use the form of general absolution at the beginning of the Mass. He will briefly explain what is happening and invite you to dispose yourself to receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
You should prepare for general absolution in the same that you would prepare for confession and individual absolution. Before coming to church that day, spend some time reflecting on your own need for God’s forgiveness and on God’s great mercy. Make an examination of conscience and recall the specific sins for which you need to be forgiven. When the priest at Mass invites you to recall your sins, confess them to God in the quiet of your heart. The priest will then give you absolution along with the others who are at Mass.
Once we are able to schedule times for individual confession, you can go to individual confession again. However, since you have already been absolved, you do not need to repeat your sins again.
An Act of Spiritual Communion
My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.
Comunión Espiritual
Creo, Jesús mío,
que estás real
y verdaderamente
en el Santísimo Sacramento del Altar.
Te amo sobre todas las cosas
y deseo vivamente recibirte
dentro de mi alma,
pero no pudiendo hacerlo
ahora sacramentalmente,
ven al menos
espiritualmente a mi corazón.
Y como si ya te hubiese recibido,
te abrazo y me uno del todo a Ti.
Señor, no permitas que jamás me aparte de Ti. Amen
Fathers Day Novena of Masses
Soon Fathers’ Day will be here: a special time to honor our fathers, pray for them and thank God for their presence in our lives. As is our custom, we will have a Novena of Masses for Fathers, living and deceased. In order to remember the special Dads in your life, just send us the names on a piece of paper or an envelope. Indicate if each Dad is living or deceased and include an offering of any amount. Put your names in our donation boxes at Mass, mail it to the office or drop it off during office hours (8:30 am – 12:30 pm). All of these papers and envelopes will remain on the altar during all the Masses in the church during the month of June.
Easter Bible Study Completed
Fr. Ron has completed the video Bible Study of Easter narratives from the four gospels. The eighth and last session was uploaded to our YouTube channel on Pentecost Sunday. The entire series of 8 sessions will remain on our YouTube channel. You can access them HERE or the link on our parish website.
Leyendo atentamente el episodio de la Torre de Babel (Gn 11) nos damos cuenta que Dios había creado la humanidad en armonía y con capacidad de entenderse, pero el orgullo y la prepotencia corrompieron la mente y el corazón humanos y fue como quisieron construir una torre para estar al mismo nivel de Dios. Entonces Dios confundió sus lenguas, de tal modo que eran incapaces de entenderse unos a otros, aún hablando el mismo lenguaje. Pentecostés es la otra cara de la moneda (Hch 2): gentes de todos los países se congregaron y todos oían a los Apóstoles hablar en su propio idioma. El texto no dice que los Apóstoles hablaban a la vez todos los idiomas para que la gente los entendiera, lo cal es inconcebible. Lo que sucedió fue muy sencillo: los Apóstoles recibieron del Espíritu Santo el inmenso regalo de poder hablar en un lenguaje tal que toda la gente de países distintos los pudo entender, y fueron capaces de proclamar las grandezas de Dios.
En la experiencia diaria, es fácil conocer personas que hablan con mucho amor, ternura, sencillez, gozo y unción: todo mundo los puede entender. En cambio, hay muchas personas también que hablan tan complicado y de modo tan arrogante y petulante, que nadie o casi nadie les entiende nada. Pentecostés es la fiesta que une a gente de todos los países en el mismo idioma: el amor que es comprensivo, servicial, que no tiene envidia, que no hace cuentas del mal, todo lo soporta todo lo tolera… (1Co 13). Ese es el idioma que todos los bautizados debemos aprender.
Padre Carlos
From the Religious Education Office
Family Prayer on Trinity Sunday
God, our Father, you created the family to be the image of the love and communion revealed to us in the Blessed Trinity. We commit ourselves to model that love and communion in our daily lives and in all our relationships.
Guide us on our journey as we read and reflect on your holy word. By your word, we are transformed, so that, by our witness, we may become leaven for the transformation of the world.
May the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us through our Baptism, shine through our interactions within our family and through our encounters with others.
May all our families in their different shapes and sizes become hearers and followers of the word, so that our parish family might mirror your love and communion, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
June is the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Online Giving users - set up your Sunday Donation here
You can also make donations using your smart phone when you download the Online Giving app in the Apple or Android stores.
If you are not a regular financial supporter of St. Patrick Church, please consider making a donation by using Online Giving.
If you have other members of your family or your friends who would like to be on our email list, just let me know or write to Mary McLain at mmclain@stpatrickcarlsbad.comWe will be pleased to add them.
We have opened a YouTube channel where we have daily and Sunday Masses as well as Fr. Ron's new Bible Study posted for the parish called St Patrick Church Carlsbad that you can subscribe to.
3821 Adams Street
Carlsbad, California 92008
760.729.2866
The church is open for private prayer every day from 7:00am - 11:00am, however the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe is closed.
Our parish offices are open once again, Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm.
During this time of inactivity, we will use our parish email system to communicate with parishioners to offer spiritual reflections and make announcements.
In case of an emergency, you can always reach us by phone. We will be checking regularly for messages and respond as soon as possible. If need be, the answering service can get in touch with one of our priests quickly.
If you know someone who does not receive our emails, please forward this to them, or have them reply to this message.
To email a priest at St. Patrick Church click the link below:
