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Pastoral Reflection

by Fr. Michael S. Murray, OSFS

“You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world…The tide has turned! The free men of the world marching together to Victory!”

-   Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, June 6, 1944

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy, a turning point in the struggle to free Europe from the tyranny of National Socialism during World War II. Of the 150,000 soldiers who waded ashore at Normandy that fateful day, close to 6,000 servicemen were wounded; 4,500 would never return home.

We Christians are engaged in a “great crusade” of our own, that is, to give witness to the power of God’s love in our lives through our daily efforts to fulfill Jesus’ command to “love one another.” In contrast with the extraordinary efforts that landed ordinary citizens to the foreign sands of Omaha, Sword, Gold, and Juno beaches, our hopes and prayers as liberty-loving people get played out in our commitment to “Living Jesus” in ordinary, everyday ways right here at home in our little corners of the world.

As we recall the great sacrifices that were made eighty years ago by the “Greatest Generation” of many nations to ensure the promise of a free world – as well as the countless sacrifices that preceded and followed it – let us take to heart these encouraging words from St. Francis de Sales as we do our part to strengthen the tide(s) of love:

“Our life on earth is a journey to the heavenly life to come. We must march on as a band of brothers and sisters, companions united in meekness, peace and love. Practice the little, humble virtues that grow at the foot of the cross: helping the poor, visiting the sick, taking care of your family and everything else that comes with efforts such at these.”



It is common to see two flags associated with Juneteenth. The Pan-African flag, created in 1920 by Marcus Garvey and members of the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), was a response to racism. It illustrates the history and pride felt by those of African origins. Three vertical stripes have the following symbolic meanings:

Red is for the bloodshed in the struggle for liberation that unites people of Black African ancestry; black represents Black nationalism, and green symbolizes the natural abundance of Africa. As they gained independence, many African countries created flags that were inspired by the UNIA flag.



As an emblem of Black pride, the Pan-African flag became popular during the Black Liberation movement of the 1960s. It is seen at many Black civil rights gatherings, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month celebrations, and Juneteenth events.

In 1997, activist Ben Haith created the Juneteenth flag to celebrate Black emancipation in the U.S. He chose red, white, and blue to emphasize that the formerly enslaved and their descendants are first and foremost Americans. In 2000, the date June 19, 1865, was added to reflect the date that General Order No. 3 was issued in Galveston, Texas. It includes three symbols:

• A five-point star that represents Texas, where the last remaining enslaved African Americans learned that they were free, as well as freedom in all states.
• A bursting star inspired by a nova, that represents a new beginning for the African Americans who were freed in Texas.
• An arc dividing the red and blue colors of the flag represents a new horizon and the opportunities and promise for African Americans.

Juneteenth festivities include community and family picnics and festivals, fireworks, and speeches by community leaders, much like the Fourth of July. It is sometimes called the Black Independence Day. The color red, seen in both flags and representing bloodshed in the name of freedom, is seen in many aspects of Juneteenth. In the Juneteenth flag, it represents the blood-soaked ground and the blood shed by enslaved people. 

Red signifies strength, spirituality, life, and death in West African countries. Red drinks at Juneteenth celebrations have links to the fruits of two native West African plants: the kola nut and hibiscus. The kola nut, typically white or red, was and still is served to guests as a snack to chew, used as a water purifier, or steeped for tea. When crushed into a powder, then added into water, the kola nut creates a reddish-brown refreshing drink. The flowers of the hibiscus, too, were often stewed to make a reddish-purple tea called bissap and provided to guests. Today’s traditional Juneteenth drinks include red lemonade, red fruit punch, and red carbonated drinks.

Traditional Juneteenth foods are barbeque or grilled meats, watermelon, red velvet cake, greens, black-eyed peas, and teacakes. Many of these foods had their origins in Texas, which has a long history of Juneteenth celebrations.

Juneteenth celebrates more than the hard-fought freedom of enslaved people; it celebrates the resilience of Black Americans. It is important for all Americans to celebrate this holiday together to recognize the struggles and achievements of the Black community.

St. John Neumann will celebrate Juneteenth on Saturday, June 8 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Festivities include food, games, stories, music, and activities for all ages. Please join us for this significant and enjoyable event!



The General Roman Calendar, promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969, is rich with various liturgical days celebrating holy men and women of the Church as well as significant events in Christian history. Through these celebrations we pause to recognize their wisdom and witness of Christian life, serving as both intercession and inspiration since the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen in the year 34 A.D. Commonly, we refer to the saints’ days as feasts, but there is differentiation between the celebrations. A solemnity is the highest-ranking celebration, of which there are 24 celebrated in the Church each year (celebrated with six candles lit on the altar for distinction). Just below solemnities are feast days - several of the apostles have designated feast days. Finally, there are memorials and optional memorials, which account for most of the liturgical feasts, usually corresponding with the date the saint died, passing into eternal life. Our June calendar is filled with celebrations of several notable saints as well as four solemnities.

Beginning on June 1, we celebrate the memorial of St. Justin the Martyr, an early saint of the Church. June 3 is dedicated to the memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and companions, martyred under the violent and corrupt rule of King Mwanga in 1886. June 5 is the memorial of St. Boniface, known as the “Apostle of Germany” due to his extensive evangelization through Bavaria during the Dark Ages. The memorial of St. Barnabas, disciple of Jesus and companion to St. Paul, is celebrated on June 11. On June 13, we celebrate St. Anthony of Padua, a hugely popular saint affectionally called the “Hammer of Heretics” and commonly invoked to find lost things (“St. Anthony, please come around…”). St. Aloysius Gonzaga, whose servant’s heart led to his own death at the age of 23 after caring for victims of Rome’s plague epidemic, is memorialized on June 21. Finally, on June 27, we observe the memorial of St. Irenaeus, a Father of the Church who supported the papacy in the second century and helped establish our belief in the Eucharistic Presence.

The Blessed Virgin Mary has multiple feast days designated to honor her as the Queen Mother. While memorial days are usually for other canonized saints, June 8 is the memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On this day, we focus on Mary’s pure and loving heart, that joyfully embraced her role as the vessel for Incarnation.

In addition to the copious memorials in June, we also celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ on June 2 and the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 7—coupled with the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary to signify her role as a channel to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On June 24 is the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, and finally rounding out the month, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29th. St. John the Baptist, St. Peter, and St. Paul all celebrate solemnities this month that are in addition to their other feast days (the memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist on August 29, feast of the Conversion of St. Paul on January 25, and the feast of the Chair of St. Peter on February 22).

Of all these fascinating June feasts, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist is particularly intriguing because it is one of only three nativities (birthdays) celebrated in the Church - the other two are Jesus and Mary. The birth of St. John the Baptist was first prophesized by Isaiah, “A voice cries out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” St. John the Baptist recognizes the Lord in utero; when John’s mother, Elizabeth, was six months pregnant, her cousin, Mary came to visit, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb.” (Luke 1:41)

Few, if any, have embraced the virtue of humility as John the Baptist did. John emerged from the desert preaching repentance, baptizing in the Jordan River, solely as the messenger to usher in the public ministry of Jesus: “I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him. He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason, my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:28-30)

Born six months ahead of Jesus, whose nativity is celebrated just after the winter solstice, St. John the Baptist’s birth follows the summer solstice (which occurs between June 20 and 22). In this way, the alignment of nature’s cycle with the solemnity mirrors the increasing of Jesus and the decreasing of John. Christ, universally symbolized by light, is born on the increasing days, while John the Baptist enters the world as the days decrease. Since the fourth century, starting at sunset on June 23, St. John’s Eve and St. John’s Day have been celebrated, traditionally recognized as “midsummer’s eve” in northern Europe. (On the Julian calendar, summer solstice was June 24.) Throughout the world, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist has been celebrated in conjunction with the summer solstice for centuries. Along with many other regions, Brazil, Denmark, Canada, England, Ireland, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and even the New Orleans-area of the United States have long-held traditions of celebrating this feast. A key component of the varying customs is fire to symbolize John the Baptist’s role as the burning light preparing the way for Christ. Community bonfires for purification, church services and processions, feasts, and special blessings are all traditional elements of observing the Nativity of St. John the Baptist and summer solstice.

Clearly, June is a vibrant liturgical month. With all the feasts, it will be easy to find a Church tradition to embrace. If you have never celebrated the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, perhaps it is time to gather friends and light a bonfire - go ahead and make some s'mores and have a proper celebration for the saint who lit the way for our Lord and then faded away leaving Christ to shine for us. Happy June!



In June 2022, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) began a three-year focus on the Real Presence in the Eucharist, which they named the National Eucharistic Revival. Year one focused on diocesan revival. Year two, taking place now, focuses on Eucharist devotion at the parish level. Year three will focus on “going out on mission” to renew the world. The Revival is the joyful, expectant, grassroots response of the Church in the United States to the divine invitation to be united once again around the source and summit of our faith in the celebration of the Eucharist.

National Eucharistic Pilgrimage

Pilgrims will collectively carry the Eucharistic Lord 6,500 miles passing through major cities, holy sites, and countryside along the way. There are four routes of the pilgrimage that started on Pentecost weekend and will converge and end in Indianapolis at the National Eucharistic Congress on July 17, 2024. The routes are coming from all four corners of the United States. They will start in the following cities: Mississippi Headwaters, Lake Itasca, MN (Marian Route - North), New Haven, CT (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Route - East), Brownsville, TX (St. Juan Diego Route - South), and San Francisco, CA (St. Junipero Serra Route - West). On June 1, the northern route pilgrims will be in Rochester, MN; the eastern route pilgrims will be in Philadelphia, PA; the southern route pilgrims will be in Houston, TX, and the western route pilgrims will be in Hyde Park, UT.

National Eucharistic Congress

The 10th Eucharistic Congress is a three-day event held on July 17-21, 2024, which will include daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, Confession, and Impact and Revival sessions. Speakers include Bishop Robert Barron, Sister Miriam James Heidland, Fr. Michael Schmitz, Chris Stefanik, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, and others.

For more information, please visit: https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/.

June Intention for Prayer and Action

For June, the Pope's intention is for migrants fleeing their homes: "We pray that migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys full of danger and violence, find welcome and new opportunities in the countries that receive them.

According to the United Nations, a migrant is "someone who resides in a foreign country for more than one year, regardless of the reason they moved or the means of transportation they used." Migrants could be refugees, who flee their country due to imminent threats to their freedom or lives; internally displaced persons, who are forced to abandon their home location, but do not cross out of their home nation, or economic migrants, who have chosen to leave their country to seek a better livelihood and future for their family.

In 2023, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency, more than 110 million people worldwide were displaced from their homes. June 20 commemorates World Refugee Day, and this month Pope Francis asks the faithful not only to pray for migrants, but to take action. He proposes that we welcome migrants by expanding opportunities for them to safely and legally migrate. Work to protect migrants by defending their dignity and rights. Promote potential for migrants by enabling them to work and achieve and integrate communities by embracing interculture opportunities. The Holy Father asks for our commitment to reject the view that migrants are a threat or to be fear, and instead work to welcome them, comfort them, and work for their dignity.

Source: May 30, 2024, Aleteia article, "Pope's June Intention: Whoever Welcomes a Migrant, Welcomes Christ."