From Father George's Desk 9/20/2026

All of us, regardless of our life vocation (clergy, religious, laity), career, or family life, are called to lead lives of good Christian stewardship.  In their pastoral letter, Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, our bishops remind us that, “We are also obliged to be stewards of the Church—collaborators and cooperators in continuing the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, which is the Church’s essential mission.  This mission—proclaiming and teaching, serving and sanctifying—is our task.”  In other words, God has entrusted the care of the Church and the world in this age to us.  He has given us time, talent, and treasure and He calls to put those gifts to use in proclaiming the Good News and in building the Kingdom.  When we exercise good stewardship we are offering the Master the produce of his       vineyard.  As people in the world but not of the world [see John 15:19], Christians are called to bring the gospel to bear as we grapple with the issues of our day.  Whether     addressing vexing world problems of peace and justice or dealing with the daily reality of our own lives and of our relationships with those around us, we disciples must “keep on doing what we have learned and received and heard and seen” [Philippians 4:9].

Next weekend we will be taking the annual Diocesan Seminarian and Clergy Education Collection.  This is part of the responsibility for priestly vocations that all of us in the Church share: to ensure that there are adequate financial resources available to cover the costs of tuition and other fees for our seminarians, who are preparing for lives of priestly service, and to help provide for continuing education and ongoing formation opportunities for the priests of the diocese. 

Another part of our common responsibility is to pray for and support more vocations to priesthood, permanent diaconate, and religious life.  Please remember to pray daily for vocations and promote them within our parishes and families. Thanks to the nurturing environment already present here, one of our own Holy Family parishioners, Thomas Oldenburg, is in the third year of the Discipleship Stage of the priestly formation program for the Diocese of Greensburg and another young man who was nurtured and matured in the faith at St. John the Evangelist, Brother Casimir Stynchula, professed simple vows at St. Vincent Archabbey this summer after completing his novitiate. Please keep Thomas and Brother Casimir in your prayers as well as the other seven men who are currently in seminary formation for our diocese: 

 Mario Porreca from St. Anne Parish, Rostraver

 Tyler Randolph from Immaculate Conception Parish, Irwin

 Dale Hyland from St. Margaret Mary Parish, Lower Burrell

 Ryan Scavnicky from Immaculate Conception Parish, Irwin

 Joseph Kudla from St. Anne Parish, Rostraver

 Andrew Kurta from St. Anne Parish, Rostraver

 Anthony Pouliot from Immaculate Conception Parish, Connellsville

During my years as a seminarian, I was always profoundly grateful for the prayerful support of people all around the diocese.  I can assure you that these men do appreciate your prayers.

On Monday the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Matthew, apostle and evangelist.  We have little biographical information about Matthew, beyond the fact that he was a tax collector.  Tradition says he began preaching in Judea and then went on to Ethiopia, Persia, Syria, Macedonia, and possibly even Ireland.  The Church fathers of early centuries considered the Gospel of Matthew to be the oldest written gospel, which is why they placed it first in the New Testament.  More recently, biblical scholars have concluded that Mark’s gospel is older than Matthew’s (actually, both Matthew and Luke borrowed extensively from Mark in writing their own gospels). Matthew the evangelist draws not only on Mark’s gospel account, but several other sources as well in writing a gospel account originally intended for an audience made up primarily of early Jewish Christians.  While the Gospel of Matthew provides us with images of Jesus as healer and miracle worker, the primary image that    emerges is of Jesus the Teacher.  It is Matthew’s gospel which gives us the Sermon on the Mount, which begins with the version of the Beatitudes that we are most familiar with and the words of the Our Father we pray day in and day out.  It is only Matthew who tells the story of Magi at Jesus’ birth and who gives us the account of Jesus proclaiming Peter the rock upon whom the Church will be built.  St. Matthew, pray for us!