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All teens and young adults are invited to come together on Thursday, June 20th, at 7:00 pm in the OLR cafeteria to learn about stewardship, play in a hearts tournament and enjoy pizza with Fr. McCullough (and maybe Fr Lambert). Click title for more information.

Join the WWPR for the 4th Annual Feast of Corpus Christi Procession on Sunday, June 23 at OLR. Immediately following the 11:30 am Mass Click title for full article.

I always thank God for growing up in Christian family. I thank God for each of my parents and grandparents. As a boy, I learned so much from my father and my grandfather. Now I see how much they both strived to actively live their faith. Their way of life was of great influence in my vocation journey. My grandpa, Jean Baptiste, worked with missionaries in building the churches in the area. He also dedicated his time in serving the poor through the “parish caritas.” It was not only by spending his time working at the parish that got him a nick name “padre” (same word used to call a parish priest), but also the fact that he blessed children making a sign of the cross on their forehead anytime they greeted him. I cannot count all the many times he said these words of blessings on me: “May the God of our ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, bless you and keep you safe. And I give you the paternal blessing. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Click title for full column.

"My brothers and sisters in Christ, Greetings from the Holy Land! I have been visiting the sites here in Palestine and Israel since we landed here on Pentecost Sunday. For the past five days we have been in and around Jerusalem, and tomorrow we will head to Galilee to visit some of the places of Jesus' early life and ministry. The days have been very warm and have seen a lot of walking, but I cannot begin to express what a joy it has been to celebrate the sacraments here in the birthplace of Our Lord and His Church. I visited here five years ago as a seminarian, but being here as a priest and a pastor is a special grace, and I have been praying for you all immensely. At the sacrifice of the Mass I have especially remembered Fr. Lambert, the deacons and staff, and all those I serve or have served as a priest. Click title for full update.

As you guys read this here in our region, I will be well on my way to the Holy Land for a pilgrimage, and I would appreciate your prayers as I will also be keeping you all in prayer while visiting some of the sites we read about in the bible every day. My mom would appreciate your prayers for safe travels, and I would especially appreciate your prayers that I survive the heat while wearing a cassock in sunny Jerusalem… Click title for full column.

Off the top of my head, it’s harder to think of a group that is better trained to respond to verbal cues than Catholics. So many of the responses at Mass are triggered by cues from the celebrant to which the people automatically respond. “Forever and ever” elicits a quick “amen.” “The Lord be with you” gets a prompt “and with your spirit” (as long as you’ve been to Mass consistently since 2011). One of the difficulties as a celebrant is that the preface dialogue usually contains one “through Christ our Lord” that doesn’t require a response, so I have to find a way every time I have Mass to communicate with verbal cues that the congregation shouldn’t say anything that time. It’s not one of the greatest challenges of the priesthood, but I do think about it often… Click title for full column.

St. Matthias Fish Fry Volunteer Party All St. Matthias Fish Fry Volunteers are invited to: Fish Fry Volunteer Party this Friday, May 31 at 6:00 pm, Lonsway Hall. Click on title for more information.

When I sit down to write a column each week, my primary goal is to pick one theme and develop it. I am of the opinion that generally there just isn’t enough space to hit several topics. However, there seems to be just too much going on in a short time for me not to address a few important things this week, so here we go: Click title for full column.

The shortage of priests we are living through right now has had many effects on the Church and in our lives. Some are obvious, like the sharing of Pastors between parishes and changing Mass schedules. Others are unseen, but perhaps even more difficult. One of those effects I live with is the increasing isolation of parish life due to living on my own. Moving in at St. James marked the first time in my life I lived by myself, and the difference is palpable. We are made for communion, and isolation is dangerous, even for priests. This is the first age in many years, perhaps ever, when priests are more often than not living and working on their own. Click title for full column.

One of the first procedures that public speakers learn is not wasting their best material. It makes no sense to give a real barn-burner of a speech if you only have four people to hear it. Then if you try to use it again in front of a bigger crowd you can be accused of recycling material and being unoriginal. It’s why I’m hoping that the good people of this region have a short memory, because I’m not terribly old, haven’t had a particularly interesting life, and therefore only have so many “homily-worthy” stories. Click title for full column.

On Saturday May 11, we will hold a potluck dinner in Lonsway Hall in honor of the Feast Day of St. Matthias.  Dinner will commence at 5:30 pm following the 4:30 pm Mass.  Please come join your fellow parishioners for an evening of good food and good company.  Click title for full article.

The annual Marilyn Bushelman Flower Sale to benefit Right to Life will be held both Saturday & Sunday, May 11 & 12 before and after each Mass at St. James. Click title for full article.

One of the near universal things about coming of age, whether here in this country or virtually anywhere else, is the desire to fit in. But one of the most amusing things as an adult is looking back and reflecting on what it took to fit in during a particular epoch of popular culture. For some, I imagine it was bell bottom jeans. For another age, poodle skirts were a thing (I guess, but then I’m thirty, so who knows?). In the glorious 90’s, it was the Starter jacket. If you didn’t have one, your social status plummeted. One at least had to have a knock-off and then hope that no one noticed. Click title for full column.

Today is the deadline to reserve your seats!!!! Power of the Purse 2019, sponsored by the St. Ann Society, is Tuesday, May 7 at St. Matthias. Doors open at 6:00 pm with Dinner at 6:30 pm. Back by popular demand, our purse raffle, including Coach, Michael Kors, Vera Bradley... Click title for full article.

One of my great consolations as a pastor is not having to make up my own vision for the parish. Sure, on the one hand there are many responsibilities, decisions to be made, and Lord knows there are a thousand mistakes lurking around any given corner. If I ever go a week without doing something stupid, I will be sure to throw a little party for myself. But in the broadest sense of the term, the vision of the Church has been set since the very beginning. The very last thing that Our Lord told His disciples before going to sit at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us was to “go forth and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I have commanded you.” It’s about as straight forward a vision as one could have, and it should still drive us the same as it did two-thousand years ago. Click on title for full column.

WWPR Holy Week Schedule Click title for full schedule.

Today’s celebration of Palm Sunday marks our annual remembrance of Jesus’ Passion and the Church’s entry into the solemnities of Holy Week. It provides us with the opportunity to reflect on the incredible love that moved God Himself to take up a cross that was not His responsibility and bear the weight of our sins. This is also a time to reflect on how Jesus’ suffering gives meaning to our own. Click on title for full column.

Holy Week Holy Thursday, April 18: 7:00-8:00 am, St. James 11:00-Noon, St. Matthias 5:30-6:30 pm, OLR.

Good Friday, April 19: One hour after each of the Good Friday services at OLR and St. James.

Holy Saturday, April 20: 8:30-9:30, St. Matthias 10:00-11:00, OLR 2:00-3:00 at St. James.
Click on title for more information.

One of the joys of the Catholic faith, at least from my perspective, is the incongruity of universality in the midst of obvious differences. By that I mean that one can attend Mass anywhere in the world, in virtually any language, and still follow what’s going on. Whether you’re at your home parish, on vacation, or at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, you can still worship God in the way He has prescribed for us. Click title for full column.

Fatima Holy Hour at Our Lady of the Rosary Thursday, April 4, 6:00 pm Click title for full article.