You are just, O Lord, and your judgement is right – thus the Entrance Antiphon reminds us of the Lord’s righteousness. We walk in a new pastoral year with confidence in the Lord and with refreshed eagerness. During last 14 months in our parish many good things have been accomplished and initiatives undertaken both material and spiritual: new liturgical books, vestments and vessels, new lights in the church, air conditioning, new sidewalks, the children’s liturgy, preparation for First Communion, a series of talks about our faith, the Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament on Thursdays, First Friday and Saturday devotions, and the annual celebration of our patron saint. Also five adults received the Sacraments of Christian Initiation at the Easter Vigil.
Each year brings new challenges and opportunities. This year I would like to continue the good initiatives we have already begun and to undertake new ones. First of all, I wish us to live the course of the liturgical year and in that way to experience and treasure the beauty of the liturgical celebrations (memorials, feasts and solemnities of the Blessed Virgin and Saints) . Secondly, in 2020 we will hold the 130th anniversary of our parish.
I would like to invite everyone to get involved in making our parish flourish. To get preparations for the next year underway, I invite parishioners to attend a parish pastoral meeting on Thursday, September 19th at 7:30 pm in the parish hall. Before we begin discussing what we may do this year we are invited to pray during the Adoration and Mass on that evening. It is truly important to entrust to the Lord what we are going to do so that the Holy Spirit may guide us.
This Thursday, September 12th, we will observe the memorial of The Most Holy Name of Mary. On Saturday, September 14th, we will hold the feast of The Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Both of the celebrations are connected with interesting events: The Battle of Vienna in 1683 and the finding of the Holy Cross in the 4th century.
Mary, Holy Mother of God – pray for us!
God bless,
Fr. Peter