I want to start by wishing everyone, especially the veterans of our parish, a very Happy Memorial Day! We owe the freedom we enjoy, and often take for granted, to those who sacrificed so much to defend it over the years. On Memorial Day, take a moment to say a prayer for those who died defending our country, and to thank the veterans you know.

Recent events remind us of just how precious our freedom is. Many of you may be aware of the recent arrest of Cardinal Joseph Zen – the 90 year old retired Archbishop of Hong Kong. He was accused of collusion with foreign agents against the security of the Chinese State. His real crime, of course, is that he is an outspoken Catholic priest who is critical of the lack of freedom, religious and otherwise, in China.

Holy Mass will be offered in our Church on Memorial Day at 6:45 and 8 AM. While not a holy day, Memorial Day is a good day to come to Mass and pray for the souls of all those who died defending our freedom.

I had a truly good time watching a play at our parish school last Friday evening. The students put on a play about the Life of Christ. The script was taken from the Gospels, and the actors did a great job bringing the story of Jesus to life! That we can maintain and educate our children in schools that teach and reinforce our faith is yet another freedom for which we are truly grateful. Thanks to all the students, teachers, parents, and everyone else whose help made the Life of Christ play so wonderful.

I am very happy to tell you that our Bishop has assigned a seminarian to reside at and work in our parish this summer. Randy Gamboa will join us this weekend. He will remain in our parish this summer, and be with us for certain weekends in the Fall and Spring – as well as at Christmas and Easter.

Our parish has a reputation for welcoming seminarians and supporting them with our prayers. This is a good reputation to have, and I know we will live up to it when Randy arrives. Please take a moment to introduce yourself to him, and keep him in your daily prayers.

Next Sunday is Pentecost Sunday – the day when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and empowered them to preach the Gospel and establish the Church on earth. These days of this week – between the Ascension and Pentecost – have been observed as a special time of prayer since the very beginning of the Church. Please take this to heart, and pray that God will open your heart to the Holy Spirit’s inspirations and gifts. May the Holy Spirit, Who empowered the disciples to preach the Gospel as Jesus’ commanded, empower each of us to fully live our Catholic Faith each day.

Please also pray for me, at least one Hail Mary a day. I pray for you daily, and am always grateful for your prayers. Let’s also remember to pray for our fallen service men and women on this Memorial Day, and for peace!

Have a Great Week!

Fr. John

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