From Father George's Desk 7/13/2025

We have several work projects going on around our parishes; some are planned and some are not…

• At St. John we are putting our DLA dollars to work.  At the end of June, our church’s crucifix was taken out to be repainted.  The estimated time for the work is four to six weeks, so we should have it back sometime next month.  This year’s parish share of the Diocesan Lenten Appeal is funding this project. We finally got the repairs to our main doors underway just   before the Fourth of July.  As I write this column, most of the work has been completed but are still a few more things to wrap up the repairs.  We are still looking for a vendor to install an automatic door opener.  Work on the doors is being funded by our 2024 DLA parish share.

• At Holy Family, I returned from vacation last month to an unwelcome surprise.  Most of the plumbing in the rectory is still original from when the rectory was built.  One of the copper pipes supplying an upstairs bathroom developed a pinhole leak which damaged the living room ceiling and part of the wall. As I write this, the plumbing is being repaired.  The cost of this work will be an extraordinary parish expense. The replacement of the ceiling, wall, and flooring in the rectory living room is being covered by our diocesan insurance, minus our $1000 deductible.

• Another unpleasant surprise appeared at Holy Family early in the week of June 23 when part of our church’s air conditioning system failed. The good news is the problem turned out not to be as serious, costly, or lengthy to repair as initially feared. We got the unit back up and running at the beginning of July. 

We have several more small projects in the pipeline at St. John in the coming weeks, including a few painting projects and crack sealing in the parking lot.  We are also hoping to be able to get going very soon on this year’s DLA project at Holy Family: repointing and repair of leaks in the stone work of the church.

As we have been advertising in the bulletin, we are going to be introducing the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism at Mass.  This is already the norm at many parishes in our diocese.  The Order of Baptism of Children explains: “To illustrate the paschal character of Baptism, it is recommended that the Sacrament be celebrated at the Easter Vigil or on a Sunday, when the Church commemorates the Resurrection of the Lord.  Furthermore, on a Sunday, Baptism may be celebrated also within the Mass, so that the whole community may be able to take part in the rite so that the connection between Baptism and the Most Holy Eucharist may stand out more clearly.” [#250] Celebrating Baptism within the Sunday Mass is a powerful teaching moment for all the baptized, reminding us of our common baptismal call.  It is also an occasion of great joy as we celebrate and welcome new life into the Church. 

On September 6 we will be introducing a quarterly Anointing Mass, which will alternate between our parishes.  These Masses will not only provide more chances to celebrate the Sacrament of Anointing of Sick but also   presents a wonderful opportunity raise the awareness and understanding of the sacrament.  Over the coming weeks, Deacon Mike and I will be providing some short catecheses about Anointing of the Sick.  All too often we think this sacrament is only for those at the point of death, however, “This sacrament gives the grace of the Holy Spirit to those who are sick: by this grace the whole person is helped and saved, sustained by trust in God, and strengthened against the temptations of the Evil One and against anxiety over death. Thus the sick person is able not only to bear suffering bravely, but also to fight against it. [Pastoral Care of the Sick #6] Watch for more information in the coming weeks.

We’ve also got a couple of fun summer activities coming up soon...the next St. John Pot Luck will Sunday, August 3 at 1:00PM in the parish hall...and the Holy Family Parish Picnic is set for Sunday, September 14 at Legion Keener Park.  Watch for more details!

Finally, on Monday the Church honors St. Kateri Tekakwitha.  She was born in 1656 in what is now northern New York State of a Catholic mother and pagan father.  Orphaned at the age of 4, her father’s family prevented her from being baptized. As a young woman she was finally able to receive instructions in the faith from Jesuit missionaries and was baptized when she was 20 years old, taking the Christian name Kateri, for Catherine.Kateri cherished time spent in the woods walking and kneeling for hours in prayer. But she was harshly punished for refusing to work on Sundays and for refusing to marry. Punitive beatings and mockery were constant.  She soon took to the religious life and was allowed to open a small convent.  Kateri died in the spring of 1680, at the age of 24. The “Lily of the Mohawks” was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1980 and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.  She is invoked, among other things, as a patroness of the environment and ecology.