Pastor's Letter-- July 12, 2020

This weekend I am away for a family wedding and vacation. I pray that my housemates, Fr. William Orbih (of the diocese of Abuja in Nigeria) and Seminarian Brian, will take great care of the liturgy and your sacramental needs while I am away. I am looking forward to my cousin’s wedding (pray for her and her husband) and the week together in the mountain region west of Denver. What a joy to see such beautiful examples of the Lord’s handiwork. When I was younger, I used say that would be my favorite place to live if I had a choice. Now that would require me moving my entire parish to Colorado, so I guess I have no choice but to stay here with you and thank God that my biggest worries are not bears or snakes or crocodiles or hurricanes or earthquakes, but mosquitos and tornados. I do love my home and promise to come back. You will see me here next weekend for all the Sunday Masses as usual (including Saturday 5:30pm).

July 12th is the celebration of the married saint parents of our patroness! Only about five years ago, Louis and Zelie Martin were first married couple canonized “as a pair” we might say, and our parish hosted an unbelievable celebration for the wondrous occasion, including a multiple-course French dinner and a reenactment of the wedding day of these beloved saints (married July 13, 1858). Bishop Rhoades was able to acquire relics of the saints through a petition that was granted, and he graciously has given those relics to our parish to be available for public veneration. The relics can be found in the chapel area (the right section of our current church worship space) before the kneeler. Also housed in the wood-framed glass box are the relics of Therese and of the true Cross of Our Lord’s crucifixion.

When you go to kneel before the relics of Louis and Zelie, please offer a special prayer for married couples, including but not only newlyweds, for indeed marriage is never an “easy" vocation. It always demands 100% of our heart, and real sacrifice, but also brings great reward, as new life on Easter Sunday follows the self-gift of Good Friday. Marriage is the source of the family, and thus we need to keep praying for good healthy, holy, marriages if we want good, healthy, holy families and children - who will one day be adults - trained in the school of love.

Know that you are in my prayers while I am with my family! Pray for our safe return home.