To My Spiritual Family of Holy Redeemer and St. Anthony,
A Focus on Pastoral Planning: This weekend, throughout the Diocese of Erie, prayers are being lifted heavenward for the Pastoral Planning process that has been taking place throughout the 13 counties of our diocese. Although we will hear the regular Sunday scriptures at Mass, the prayers and petitions will be seeking God’s guidance as changes are made in parishes throughout our area. To emphasize this need for divine guidance, we’ve placed the bishop’s Pastoral Planning prayer on the front cover of the bulletin. I keep a copy of this prayer in my breviary. The bishop is asking that we all pray it on a regular basis. Pastoral Planning has been ongoing in the Diocese of Erie since 2014. A good number of our brothers and sisters have already experienced significant change in their parishes and in their local Catholic communities. In my hometown of Bradford, for example, there were 3 parishes and 2 Catholic schools as I was growing up. Now there is a single parish and no schools. In the parish communities of Dubois and the Moshannon Valley, there have been really significant mergers and changes in the last few months. Currently, among the numerous parishes in Erie County, they are working through a series of substantial and difficult change proposals. No doubt, even more of these changes are on the horizon. Please do not be dismayed, though. Bishop Persico’s goal for this process is clear: “To provide vibrant communities of faith for future generations.” The Church has been around since Jesus founded her some 2,000 years ago. She will still be around when the Lord returns in glory. All will be well. I assure you!
A Wild & Wonderful Week Ahead: You may be wondering why there are no Masses scheduled here in the parish this week, so let me explain. Monday, I will be in Oil City for the wedding Mass of a young man from Brazil and his Pennsylvania bride (whose family I have been close to for decades). Thursday through Sunday, Jennifer Wortman, a tremendous group of adult chaperones, some 30 of our Warren County teenagers, and little old me (emphasis on old) will be in Indianapolis to join 12,000 of folks from around the country for the National Catholic Youth Conference. This promises to be a deeply meaningful and grace-filled adventure. No doubt, God has some great things in store for our kids and for us chaperone peoples. I know from past experiences that NCYC is a wildly wonderful festival of God’s magnificence! Nevertheless – and also based on past experiences – I know that trying to keep up with our youth for 4 days is an exhausting undertaking (and let’s not kid ourselves, the 20-some hours on a bus over those days doesn’t do much good for those of us with 60-year-old spinal columns. With all of this on the docket, I’m taking Tuesday and Wednesday off to catch my breath and to do some preemptive napping. Please keep us all in your prayers as the days of NCYC unfold. You all will be in our prayers!
Let the Fire Fall: Finally, we wish to welcome our 9th grade Confirmation candidates and their sponsors to Mass at Holy Redeemer this Sunday. Our OCIA candidates will also be here with us at 8:15 am and we warmly welcome them. The 10th graders and their sponsors will be gathering at St. Joseph. To be a sponsor for one of our young people is a great honor. Sponsoring a youth for Confirmation is also a great responsibility. Sponsors should be men and women who actively fan the flames of the Holy Spirit. Their own lives should be marked by fidelity to Christ and personal holiness. Their love of God and love of neighbor should be evident to all. Each young soul preparing for Confirmation is a soul created by God for greatness. May the sponsors of these young men and women be true spiritual arsonists, burning with the Spirit themselves, and anxious to ignite that Fire of Love in others.
Mary, Mother of the Redeemer – Pray for us! Our Lady of Guadalupe – Pray for us! St. Anthony – Pray for us! St. Joseph – Pray for us!