Pastor Notes March 12, 2023
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We welcome Bishop Nickless to our parish this Sunday for the Sacrament of Confirmation. May he find a spirit of hospitality and hopefulness within our parish and the Eucharist. Our teenage students will be sealed with the Holy Spirit as the Bishop anoints them with the Sacred Chrism, the oil received at baptism with the ordained minister’s words, “God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from sin, given you a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and welcomed you into his holy people. He now anoints you with the chrism of salvation. As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet, and King, so may you live always as a member of his body, sharing everlasting life.” As Bishop Nickless calls each person forward to be Confirmed he anoints them with the simple rite: “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Each student will have chosen a saint name prior to Confirmation; a canonized saint of the Catholic Church whom reflects a certain background or admired virtues; or whom reflects the respected name of a godparent or some other family member, or close friend; or whom is a patron saint of certain cause or characteristic. (St. Sebastian is a name commonly chosen because he is the patron saint of athletes.) In recent years the following Saints were more popular than others by those who received the Sacrament of Confirmation. For boys: Patrick, Francis, John, Anthony, Joseph, Michael, and Christopher. For girls: Theresa, Elizabeth, Clare, Catherine, Rose, Mary, and Cecilia. Like the name of the student’s sponsor, the chosen saint name is recorded in the Sacramental records. Succinctly, the chosen sponsor is a person who is Catholic, Confirmed, and faithful to the teachings and values of our Church. Hopefully the chosen person encourages the student’s faith, inspires a connection to the Catholic Church and the Eucharist, and reflects a Christian character. to embrace and actively practice the Catholic faith both before and after Confirmation. During the Sacrament, the sponsor presents the student to the Bishop by laying on his or her hand on the individual’s shoulder as the Sacrament is Conferred.
As one of the three Sacraments of Initiation, Confirmation brings forth the power of the Holy Spirit within an individual’s life as touched on by Pope Francis: "We can study the whole history of salvation, we can study the whole of Theology, but without the Spirit we cannot understand. It is the Spirit that makes us realize the truth or–in the words of Our Lord–it is the Spirit that makes us know the voice of Jesus." As our Church emphasizes, the Sacrament of Confirmation seals the baptized person with the gift of the Holy Spirit, strengthened to serve the mission of Christ Jesus. A call to holiness, not in some idyllic perfect way of life; rather, as St. Therese of Lisieux explains, “holiness consists simply in doing God’s will, and being just what God wants us to be." Congratulations to the students/candidates who received the Sacrament of Confirmation this Sunday. Thank you parents for supporting their faith and our Catholic values in everyday life; and thank you sponsors who believe in the Christian dignity of those who “were sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Though the 4:00pm Saturday evening Mass will be discontinued in line with the diocesan policy of one Vigil Mass/one priest, our other three weekend Masses will remain the same through Easter. With caution, we may adjust the Mass times following Easter depending on the needs of the parishioners. If you have suggestions as to alternative Mass times please contact the office, or
let me know. If times are changed we do so with the understanding they will remain the same for the foreseeable future. Whatever the times of the weekend Masses, if altered, we must share in
the opportunity to receive the Eucharist, participate in our common prayers and Sacramental life, and open ourselves to the blessing above that of mere convenience.
Fr. Pascal extends his gratefulness for our hospitality and generosity last weekend. He believes sincerely in his ministry with Cross Catholic Outreach having served in the Philippines, Angola, Cameroon, Puerto Rico, and next month leaving for an extended period of mission work in Dominican Republic. His message and witness of our Catholic faith can be an integral part of our Lenten journey of fasting, prayer and almsgiving. His mission stories remind us of the universality of our Catholic Church.
God Bless, Fr. Tim
FYI: “Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.” (W. H. Auden, poet)
