Joyful Gratitude

The last time I was in the office of Tom Leeman, our business manager, I saw a big stack of PSA pledge envelopes on his desk. That made me happy, not because I want money—it doesn’t come to me personally—but because I am eager for all of us to participate in the diocesan Pastoral Services Appeal. Three weekends ago you saw the diocesan video for the PSA during announcement time at Mass. Two weekends ago you saw my video and heard my appeal at all the weekend Masses. Last weekend we did not add an appeal because I know you have already received the message. But if you have not yet pledged or contributed to the Pastoral Services Appeal, I urge you to do so.

I have titled this message “Joyful Gratitude.” I am more grateful to you than words can describe, and I am grateful to God for you. Together we have made our new Pastoral Center a reality, and we are putting it to good use. God has blessed us so abundantly that I believe this year’s PSA is a call to joyful, grateful giving. I’ve done my best to remind you of all the important ministries that the diocese provides to people who really count on that assistance. As we reach out to them in this appeal, I hope we do so in a spirit of gratitude, joy, and generosity. “Freely you have received; freely give.” (Mt. 10:8)

You can contribute and pledge at www.rcbo.org/psa-give-now . Please be sure to select St. Edward the Confessor as your parish, so that we can give joyful witness to the generosity of our parish community. I know that God will continue to bless us!

Gratefully yours,

Labor Day

When we think of creative people, normally we think of poets, writers, musicians, and artists of all kinds. That is appropriate, because all of these are creative people; but this is only a small part of the picture. Years ago Pope St. John Paul II wrote a landmark encyclical about the meaning of work; and in it he taught that all of us are creative, because all of our work is a continuation of God’s work of creation. Specifically, he wrote, “Man is the image of God partly through the mandate received from his Creator to subdue, to dominate, the earth. In carrying out this mandate, man, every human being, reflects the very action of the Creator of the universe."

This means that from now on, when we think of creative people, in addition to the poets, the writers, the musicians, and the artists of all kinds, we should think of ourselves when we prepare a meal or take out the trash or work in the yard or at our desk.

You are creative; and if you join the challenges of work to the Lord’s cross, your work is also redemptive. And it will bear fruit not only in this world, but in the next, where God’s work of creation and re-creation will be complete.

Gratefully yours,

Our Litany of Saints

These last few weeks, it has been great to see how many of you have submitted names of saints to be assigned to the 13 rooms that will be commonly used in our Pastoral Center and Knight Hall. I wanted a lot of people to participate, and you did not disappoint me!In all, 267 submissions were made and a total of 93 different saints were nominated. You really know your saints! I hope the process of choosing which names to submit led to some good reflections and conversations about the saints.

Looking at the number of “votes” each saint received, I am able to announce the top 13 saints. These are the ones whose names will be attached to our 13 conference rooms: St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Joseph, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Padre Pio, St. Pope John Paul II, St. Maria Goretti, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Christopher, and St. Junipero Serra.

If you voted for a saint who did not make the top 13, please don’t be discouraged. Continue your devotion to your favorite saints, whomever they may be. I do think the list of saints whose names are assigned to rooms in our Pastoral Center and Knight Hall would make a good litany of intercessors and role models as we prepare to use our new facility. May these saints, and all the saints in heaven, intercede for us and watch over us!

Gratefully yours,