Pastor's Column for September 22, 2024
Dear Parishioners,
It was great to hear the choir members lead us in our praise of God last Sunday at the 11am Mass. And we continue to appreciate the great liturgical music provided by Angela & Devin, incorporating the viola and the bells along with the beautiful sounds of the piano & organ. Devin repaired & cleaned the bell system & it was the first time I’ve seen them so I’m glad we are able to make good use of them again after they have been in storage for so many years. We even had parishioner Andrew Dobay play on his saxophone a few weeks ago. I know that Angela, our Music Director, would like to extend another invitation to those who would be interested in singing in the choir to come see her, and Devin as well to those who would be interested in learning how to play the bells. They are both willing to teach beginners so please don’t hesitate to speak to them.
You’ll notice a new religious symbol that has been placed on our altar of repose (the tabernacle altar). It is the symbol of Christ as the victorious Lamb of God. It matches the wooden symbols we have of the 4 evangelists or gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John) on front of the pulpit and the symbol of the pelican on the front of the altar of sacrifice. The pelican has long been a Christian symbol used for the Eucharist as it was believed that in time of famine, the mother would pierce her breast so as to feed her young with her own body and blood, an obvious reference to the Eucharistic Christ. And again, John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God, for John was the son of a temple priest who was all too familiar with the priestly role of offering a lamb as a sacrifice on the temple altar. These symbols (also used on the altars and pulpit of the seminary and our cathedral downtown) will be highlighted with gold to bring out some of their details.
The young adult ministry will have met for dinner for the 3rd time as you read this. These monthly gatherings at a nearby restaurant allow them the opportunity to meet and talk with others in their 20’s and 30’s and so we extend this invitation to anyone in this age group who would be interested in joining us. It’s a great way to be encouraged in faith and to get to know others who are serious about their relationship with the Lord.
It’s been wonderful to walk through the halls of our parish school again and to see the faces of so many children who are growing in body, mind and in the spirit of faith. We had our first all school Mass last Friday & I couldn’t believe how well behaved they were. The 8th graders join us for Mass on Friday mornings. The students are always asking me when we’re having church again so I know how much they look forward to that experience, which for many of them, is sadly few and far between. I will be reaching out to the 2nd and 8th grade parents to give them information about our sacramental program which takes place on Sunday mornings from 9:30am until 10:45am, after which they join us for the 11am Mass. This Faith Formation is for those preparing for the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation, as well as for all those who do not attend a Catholic School. My sincere thanks to Joanne Deranek and to all who assist her in catechizing our young people.
Fr. James P. Schmitz
