Pastor's Column for November 17, 2024
Dear Parishioners,
I am enjoying my vacation so far. It’s good to have the time to get things done without having to rush or be on a timeline. Of course I still do a bit of work on vacation (like this column for example), but it gives me pause to think of you as I continue to remember you in my prayers daily.
Before I actually started my time away last Monday, I did celebrate the funeral Mass for Francine Simonski. I had her husband’s funeral about 3 years ago. They were married for 51 years and had 2 daughters & a son. Fran was a person of faith who attended Mass regularly until she became ill in 2020. Her daughters attended Catholic school and she was a playground monitor & was active in PTU. So please say a prayer for her and also one for the students from St. Ignatius High School who were there to act as pall bearers.
I have been keeping in touch with Deacon Pat and Joan and they are both grateful for your prayers and concern. Deacon Pat will continue with his therapy and again we are thankful that there does not seem to be any permanent damage as a result of the stroke. Hopefully you will see him soon so you can express your prayerful support personally.
I’m afraid there is not good news to share with you however concerning one of our former pastors, Father Ned Weist. He recently learned that he has cancer. I spoke with him to assure him of our prayers for him as well and of course he is very grateful for that. Fr. Ned was a great pastor whose kindness continues to be remembered by those who were here under his leadership. I would get a phone call from him (and he would call other priests as well), letting me know what a great job I am doing, telling me that he watched our livestream Masses or read our bulletin. He is so good about building people up and that encourages me to try to do the same, especially since that is something I don’t do often enough. Father retains his sense of humor and continues to live with acceptance of his fate through his ever constant faith. If you don’t know him, I’m sure that others who do will tell you the same. So please keep him in prayer as often as you can. Let us express our deep gratitude to him for all he has done for our parish and our Church. I will continue to let you know how he is doing and we will provide a way for you to send him a card or a note if you wish to do so.
There are several parishioners who are also affected by cancer. I have their names on the lock screen of my phone so that I can remember to pray for them throughout the day. I don’t want to share their names with you due to privacy but I do ask that you keep them in prayer as well. I would even encourage you, when you read the bulletin each week (which I hope you do, either when you come to Mass or online at our website) to pause for a moment when you see the list of the names of people who have asked for our prayers. Pause and say a Hail Mary or even just a short prayer such as, “Divine Physician, heal everyone on this list in the manner you will.” I know that this column is full of requests for your prayers but so many are in need of them, and someday we all will be in need of the prayers of others so give that moment of your time as we hope others will do that for us. Of course this month we add to that long list our prayers for those who have died, especially parishioners who have died this past year and whose names are displayed on the table in front of the baptismal font. There is also the list of people whose names are on envelopes in the basket on the altar during Mass. We join our prayers to those of the saints who continue to intercede for us until that day when prayers will no longer be needed.
Fr. James P. Schmitz
