Dear Parish Family:
Welcome to the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ! This annual commemoration of the Holy Eucharist is a reminder that like our ancestors of old, who were saved by God, God continues to rescue and feed us! Let’s renew our love for the Eucharist by remembering that every Sunday, we fulfill the command of the Lord to “Take and eat and Take and drink.” The Eucharist is all about real presence and communal sharing with Jesus Christ and one another!
As we approach summer, many of you will be going on a road trip. With the escalating cost of fuel, it might be a shorter trip than in the past. While I was growing up, our family made three road trips a year to visit our grandparents, (my dad’s parents) in Lorain Ohio, the place of my birth. My grandparents, affectionately known to my three brothers in the Kostelnik clan as Mimi and Poppa always threw open the door and their arms when we arrived! Planning for our summer excursion started a week before as we stuffed the back of the Ford station wagon with every toy and game imaginable: card games, board games and of course GI Joes!! The summer road trip started from our home in Saint Clair Shores, Michigan, a suburb outside of Detroit. It was a three hour drive down Interstate 75 through Southeastern Michigan, and then a drive along the Ohio Turnpike. Three restless elementary school boys in the back of the car and after 20 minutes, we began the endless litany: “Are we there yet?” “Are we there yet?” More about my “Summer Road Trip” in a future summer bulletin!
For those who attend the Sunday Mass on the Grass, you may have noticed the new Succulent Garden located adjacent to the PLC and the field. The variety of plants and colors are stunning, and a big parish thank you to Cheryl Mantong for the idea, vision and creation of the new garden. You can reach her at Cheryl’s Stunning Succulents! Thank you Cheryl and team for bringing beauty to our St. Joe’s Campus!!
As our nation prepares to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, the Bishops of the United States will concentrate our country to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11. Archbishop Gomez, in a letter to the faithful said, “The devotion to the Sacred Heart, reminds us of the boundless love and mercy of Christ poured out for the salvation of the world. In consecrating our nation to the Sacred Heart, we seek to renew our alliance upon God and trust our country to the love and care of Christ, and call the faithful to deeper conversion, reparation, charity, and missionary discipleship. In a time marked by division, uncertainty, and suffering, we entrust our nation, anew to the heart of Jesus, praying that his love may heal wounds, strengthen families, inspire holiness, and guide our country in truth and justice.” All are invited to join the faithful on Friday, June 12 for the 12:10 Mass at the Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels as Archbishop Gomez celebrates the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. For resources, prayers and reflections or guidance to make the Sacred Heart Novena, please go to the Archdiocesan website lacatholics.org where you will find daily posts.
Next weekend, The Archdiocese will offer a special collection for the Priest Retirement Fund. Your special gift to this fund is a meaningful investment and true blessing for the care and comfort of the spiritual Fathers as they enter the later chapters in life, (yours truly will be there in a few years)! Many of you received a mailing and there are also envelopes available in the church. Thanks for remembering all the Priests who have served you in the past and will attend to your spiritual needs in the future.
Gratefully in the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Msgr. Kevin