From Father George's Desk 9/21/2025

As we hear in today’s gospel reading, after presenting the parable of the dishonest steward, St. Luke includes several sayings of Jesus on the topic of stewardship.  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 second 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, Adam Stynchula, entered his novitiate year at St. Vincent Archabbey this summer, taking the religious name Casimir. 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

 Matteo Arcara from St. Paul Parish, Greensburg

 Ryan Scavnicky from Immaculate Conception Parish, Irwin

 Joseph Kudla from St. Anne Parish, Rostraver

 Andrew Kurta from St. Anne Parish, Rostraver

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.

October 4 is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. Because this most beloved saint had a great love of and respect for all of God’s creation (the classic hymn All Creatures of Our God and King and the contemporary Marty Haugen hymn Canticle of the Sun are based on the Canticle of the Sun, which St. Francis wrote 800 years ago), he is the patron saint of animals and of ecology. Our parishes will honor St. Francis, with the customary of the Blessing of Animals on Sunday, October 5 at Noon in the area around near Our Lady’s Garden at St. John.  While dogs and cats usually make up most of the attendees at this celebration, all critters are welcome.

Finally, a big thanks to the Holy Family social committee and everyone else who helped with last Sunday’s Holy Family Parish Picnic.  God blessed us with perfect weather and the food was delicious and abundant!