Happy Father's Day to our fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers who are with us as we share in the Eucharist this day. May St. Joseph, patron saint of fathers, watch over and inspire all fathers in sharing the faith with their families in our parish community.
The
Phase Four and More for St. Mary's
is well underway. Together, we will do all we can to adjust to the inconveniences and disruptions that the project brings to our familiar routine at St. Mary's. The construction workers were on campus early this past Monday morning. Shortly after they started, the electricity was cut off to the parish rectory - the power line was cut by accident. We adjusted without power for a good part of the day. Let's pray that such interruptions are minimal as the project moves forward.
This weekend is going to be the most disruptive to our use of the
Green Bay Parking lot for those coming to Mass and praying at St. Mary's this summer.
The Green Bay Parking lot will be closed Monday through Friday. The plan is for the parking lot to be open all future weekends, this weekend being an exception because of the underground work being done for the project. Thanks for your understanding and for your patience. When the Green Bay lot is open, we are asking that the traffic flow be One Way for the safety of all for the duration of the project.
We will share updates at Mass, in the bulletin, and on the Parish website with any and all instructions and signs that will be posted across campus indicating traffic flow - both vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow - during the period of construction. Please remember in your prayers the project's successful completion.
As a member of the Catholic Church I try to follow the example and leadership of Pope Francis as he leads and shepherds the Church. From his regular Papal Audiences in Rome, his travel to foreign countries, and his Tweets, his ministry is recorded and shared in forms of media.
One recent story caught my eye and spoke to my heart about Pope Francis. The news article stated that, "Pope Francis lamented what he called a "culture of insults" enabled by social media and warned against nationalism and other "exclusivist ideas" that he said contrasts with a Christian message to foster harmony."
In his homily on Pentecost Sunday in St. Peter's Square he decried that "the more we use social media, the less social we are becoming." Pope Francis also said, "In today's world lack of harmony has led to stark divisions." He warned of the temptation to cling "to our little group, to the things and people we like", concluding that "it's only a small step from a nest to a sect, even within the Church."
Last week I attended the silver jubilee Mass of Thanksgiving of Bishop Ron Hicks. Also celebrating were his two classmates that are bishops and twenty-six priests and many religious and laity. It was a beautiful celebration. In his homily he quoted author James Joyce,
a very imperfect Catholic, who called the Catholic Church "Here Comes Everybody."
May our use of social media for information, communication, and contact with loved ones and "likes" build up the Church, the "Body of Christ".
Today, on the feast of the Most Holy Trinity, may we grow, pray for, and always work in the Church, in community, as God's holy people being people of hope for "hope does not disappoint" as we hear in Paul's letter to the Roman's this Sunday!
God bless you and your loved ones in these renewing days of summer!
