Bulletins
July 14, 2013
Download the Bulletin as a PDFThis past weekend when the Little Sisters of the Poor from Richmond were visiting St. John the Beloved, I was visiting St. Mary of the Angels Church in Chicago&hellips; where the local Little Sisters of the Poor were making their annual visit to beg for assistance. Providence is beautiful.
The good fathers at St. Mary of the Angels were kind enough to allow me to offer a Sunday Mass. What a wonderful experience of the universality of the Church to travel half way across the country and land in a parish so similar to home!
My stay in Chicago had been extended a few days after a week-long conference which I attend every summer. The attendees were priests with whom I either was classmates in seminary or have become friends in the meantime. The presentations were made by Fr. Fred Miller, who teaches at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Father Miller shared with us chapters of a book he is about to publish on the spirituality of the priesthood. The parable of the Good Samaritan, in which Our Lord mentions a priest as an example of what not to do, offers a good reminder that it is impossible to be priestly without being godly. Moreover, it is impossible to be Christian without a commitment to becoming holy.
o, it was good to go and it is great to be back. There is much to do and lots to BBQ. Be sure to mark September 20, 21 & 22 on your calendars for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of St. John having been established as a Mission. We will needs lots of volunteers!
In the near term, please try to come to the Panel Discussion this Sunday afternoon entitled "Religious Liberty in the United States and the HHS Mandate: Updates and Strategies". That will take place at 4:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall.
In a few days the Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. On July 13, 1917 Our Lady allowed Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco to catch a glimpse of hell. She would later on appear to them as Our Lady of Mount Carmel. As ubiquitous as the Brown Scapular is, not many of the faithful are actually enrolled in it. Wearing it as a blessed sacramental is quite different from wearing it as an outside sign of a Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When so much is at stake for the salvation of souls and our civilization, these would be good days to become reacquainted with the full import of the Brown Scapular. A good place to start is "The Spirit of Carmel" and The Catholic Encyclopedia.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us!
God bless you.
Fr. Christopher J. Pollard
