Today we celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven. Until several years ago, this feast was celebrated 40 days after Easter which made it Ascension Thursday. Most of the dioceses in the United States changed the celebration to the 7th Sunday of Easter so that more of the faithful would be able to celebrate the feast by going to Mass. Our Lord’s ascension into heaven marks His parting words to the apostles to go spread the Gospel to every land and nation. As He told them He also tells us that we too must be ready and willing to spread the Good News, that is, to evangelize by witnessing to our faith in the world today.
Next Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles. At this time, they were given the fullness of the Holy Spirit along with the gifts that the Spirit brings. We have received those same gifts at Baptism and Confirmation. On this Feast of Pentecost, we pray and reflect on how we use the gifts we have been given and pray that the Holy Spirit guide and strengthen us so that we may generously give of ourselves to God and others. Please remember to wear something RED in honor of this feast.
The Feast of Corpus Christi is on Sunday, June 7th. We will again have an outdoor procession with the Blessed Sacrament after the 10:30AM Mass, weather permitting. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to gather and publicly express our devotion to and our belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Please plan to join us for this very special time of prayer.
On May 9, the children of the second grade received our Lord for the first time in Holy Communion. It was a very important day in their lives and in the lives of their families. We congratulate these children and pray that they may always remain close to Jesus and know that He is always with them. May they always treasure this most precious gift of Jesus in the Eucharist and never allow anything or anyone to stand in the way of their receiving Him each Sunday as they come to worship Him at Mass.
I am very grateful to the dedicated catechists who prepared the children for this special day: Abby Cook, Director of Religious Ed, Lisa Kelley, Brooke Burton, and Sara Anthony, our second-grade catechists. Also, to all the priests and deacons who celebrated the liturgy with us and to the altar servers, musicians, and cantors who made our prayers so very beautiful and holy. May God bless all of you for your efforts.
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS. The Feast of the Sacred Heart this year is on Friday, June 12. Since the Feast of the Sacred Heart occurs on a Friday, we are permitted to move the celebration to the weekend because it is our patronal feast. So, we will celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the weekend of June 13 and 14 at all the Masses. Following the 5 PM Mass on Sunday, June 14, we will hold our parish picnic on the school grounds. The Family Life Commission and the Parish Council will be working to plan the event, but more help and ideas would be most welcome. So, if you would like to help plan this parish gathering, please call the parish office as soon as you can. Those attending the Parish picnic please bring a covered dish along to share.
The celebration of the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Ordination of Deacon Jon Woost was a beautiful and prayerful gathering for our parish family as well as for Deacon Jon’s family and friends. I am very grateful to Bishop Michael Woost for celebrating the Mass as well as the priests who con-celebrated among them, Deacon Jon’s two brothers, Fr. David Woost and Fr. Tom Woost, all the deacons who were present, and of course Deacon Jon’s wife, Carrie.
I am also very grateful to our parish choir, directed by Melissa Busson and Eric Pandrea, our music director. Thank you also to our excellent altar servers, the Knights of Columbus and our ushers. Finally, thank you to our Altar and Rosary Society for providing the very enjoyable reception after Mass for Deacon Jon and his family. God bless all of you for making this a special and prayerful celebration for our Sacred Heart Community.
