Happy Sunday!

This past week we celebrated the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ pontificate. He was elected Pope on March 13, 2013. One of the most exhilarating moments of my life was being present in St. Peter’s Square that night. I was in my first year at the North American College in Rome. The seminary had moved evening prayer up once the election began so that we could be in St. Peter’s Square by the time the evening smoke came from the little chimney stout on the Sistine Chapel. The smoke would be black if no pope had been elected and white if there was a new pope. I was standing right in the middle of the square when white smoke came up. The whole piazza started cheering and everyone rushed forward to be as close to the balcony as possible. The balcony is a balcony on St. Peter’s Basilica, situated right above the main entrance to the basilica. Immediately below it is an image of Jesus handing the keys of the kingdom of Heaven to St. Peter.

Happy Sunday!

This Sunday we celebrate the 3rd Sunday of Lent and hear from the Gospel according to John about the woman at the well. St. John always has great profundity in his writings and invites the reader to contemplate the mysteries of redemption by plunging into the words of Jesus. The scene is set up with Jesus experiencing thirst after his journey. His disciples have gone to town to look for food and he meets a woman coming at midday to draw water. This was an unusual circumstance since it was most typical to draw water in the morning before the heat of the day. But this woman is ostracized from the community due to her choice to live in adultery. Jesus as always sees through her sinfulness to invite her to live in freedom. One’s sin is never their identity.

Happy Sunday!

This weekend our high schoolers are on retreat in Prescott, AZ. Our youth minister, Mac Coomer, has done a great job with our teens this year and we’re grateful about 30 teens are together this weekend to grow closer to the Lord. Please pray for a safe journey back to Phoenix today and continued fruits from their weekend away.

On Friday we had our second Fish Fry of the year. Thank you so much to everyone who helped and everyone who came and enjoyed a wonderful meal! It seems like it gets better every year! We are always in need of volunteers to help the operation go smoothly and run efficiently. If you are interested in helping we would be glad to have you. As a reminder, all volunteers need to be up to date on their Safe Environment Training. If you have questions about that please feel free to contact the parish office.

The Spirit leads Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the devil, and we hear this: “He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry.” Seems like a questionable battle preparation plan. When I fast, I usually feel grouchy at best, and at worst, like I might pass out from longing for a hamburger. Isn’t it better to be well-fed and fully hydrated, especially to face spiritual struggles? Why fast?

Happy Sunday!

Our painting of the church is nearly complete. We expect the finishing touches to be done by Tuesday in time for Ash Wednesday. With the finishing of the painting, we will have completed a major phase in our parish beautification project. The main pieces left after this will be the murals of St. Joan of Arc, the angel images around the stained glass, the extended wood paneling, and some stenciling around the church. The murals will likely not be completed until around Christmas.

Happy Sunday!

Another week gone and our painting is coming along very nicely! It’s incredible to see the simple transformation our parish is undergoing with a fresh coat of paint and a new color scheme in different areas. You might notice most acutely in the narthex. As the painters continue their work in the church you’ll of course notice the difference in the ceiling. Please pray for a successful completion of this project before Ash Wednesday.