Dear Parishioners,
This weekend we celebrate the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. This weekend is the National Observance of Respect Life Sunday. We will hear Jesus use the image of the mustard seed. The mustard seed is tiny – not much larger than a grain of sand – yet when planted and nurtured, it grows into a large, strong tree. It takes time, though. As we look around, may we ponder how all of us were once the size of a mustard seed, but now, loved and nurtured, we have frown in body, mind, and spirit.
Respect Life Month: Each October the Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Month, and the first Sunday of October is observed as Respect Life Sunday. As Catholics, we are called to cherish, defend, and protect those who are most vulnerable, from the beginning of life to its end, and at every point in between. During the month of October, the Church asks us to reflect more deeply on the dignity of every human life. Of course today (Sunday) we will have the annual “life chain,” here in our parking lot. It can be a powerful way of witnessing to our desire to respect all life. I would ask that you go to https:// www.respectlife.org/respect-life-month to get more information from our Bishops and to respect all life!
Next weekend will be the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time. I think that we all know this but the word “Eucharist” means “Thanksgiving.” The Greek word eukharistia is used to describe what Jesus did before sharing His Body and Blood at the Last Supper. Next weekend, as always, we will give thanks to God for all the blessings we have received and continue to receive, especially for Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, whom we receive in a special way in the Eucharistic Banquet.
Missionary Plan of Cooperation: Thank you for the generosity already shown to the Dominican Province in Nigeria. At press time we have already received $2951.00. Thank you. We certainly will continue to accept donations for the Dominican Friars in Nigeria.
Adult Faith Formation: This new effort to help us all grow in the faith will continue on October 11th, after the 9:30 Mass until 11:15. The meeting will be in the Cry Room / Chapel until the Msgr. Schneider Hall renovation is completed (first meeting there is tentatively planned for November 10th). We will meet on the Second and Fourth Sundays. I hope that some of you will be able to attend and learn more about our faith.
Confirmation for our 8th graders will be celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Robert Hermann this coming Wednesday, October 9, with a special celebration of Holy Mass at 7:00 p.m. All are invited to at- tend. It is a rather small class (only 19!), so there will be plenty of room. There will be a reception for all following the Mass. Because of the construction, the reception will be in the School Cafeteria. Regarding Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament, it will end at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 9th. We obviously can’t have exposition during the celebration of Holy Mass and the Sacrament of Confirmation. (Please note that PSR is cancelled for this coming Wednesday because of Confirmation.)
Mass Changes: Last week was the beginning of our new morning Mass Schedule. I repeat this again in the event that you missed it last weekend. I particularly want to point out the scheduled weekday Masses for our neighboring parishes.
On Monday to Friday we will only have the 6:30 a.m. Mass, except on Wednesdays, during the school year, when we will have an all school Mass at 8:15 a.m. There will be other days during the school year when we will also have an 8:15 a.m. Mass. Please note the bulletin for those special dates. (Also please re- member that in addition to the daily 6:30 a.m. Mass, I will also have a Nursing Home Mass each Tuesday afternoon around 2:00 p.m.) Effective yesterday, there will no longer be an 8:00 a.m. Mass on Saturday mornings. (There will be an 8:00 a.m. Mass on All Souls Day, November 2.) The Rosary will still be prayed each weekday morning, around 7:30 a.m., except on Wednesdays, when the Rosary for the school, its stu- dents, faculty, and staff, will continue to be prayed at 7:45 a.m. ALL are welcome!
I looked up the Mass times from our neighbors, via https://www.archstl.org/find-mass-times. So that you don’t have to look them up, the weekday Masses at our neighboring parishes are:
Incarnate Word: Monday – Friday: 7:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Saturday: 8:30 a.m.
Saint Anselm (Saint Louis Abbey): Monday – Thursday: 6:30 a.m., 7:30 a.m., and 5:45 pm. Friday, 6:30a.m. and 7:30 a.m. (No 5:45 p.m. Mass) Saturday: 7:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m.
Our Lady of the Pillar: Monday – Friday: 7:30 a.m. Saturday: 9:00 a.m.
Holy Spirit: Monday – Friday: 6:30 a.m. Saturday: 8:00 a.m.
Saint John Bosco: Monday – Friday: 7:00 a.m. No Saturday morning Mass.
Saint Richard: Monday – Friday: 8:15 a.m. No Saturday morning Mass.
I hope that helps.
There will be Perpetual Help devotions after the 6:30 a.m. Mass on Tuesdays and the only day with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament between Masses will be on Wednesdays, and only during the School Year. Masses that have been previously scheduled for 8:15 Monday – Friday or Saturday 8:00 a.m. will be celebrated by either Fr. Kristian Teater or Fr. Donald Henke at Kenrick-Glennon Semi- nary.
The Renovation / new elevator programs are moving along on schedule. We should be able to have occu- pancy for the hall by the middle of October and the elevator is still on schedule to be finished by the middle of November.
Please let us all pray for the Confirmation candidates. May we simply pray, “COME, HOLY SPIRIT.”
Faithfully yours, Fr Joe Weber