When does summer end? That depends on your perspective. For students, it’s when they return to school. For others, it coincides with Labor Day Weekend. However, for the parishioners of Resurrection Parish, it ends with their annual Parish Picnic, which is this weekend. It’s wonderful that they gather together for fellowship and fun as the fall season gently hints at its impending arrival. God’s blessing to them and their time together. May all of us plan for some extra time with family and friends this special time of year!
As I’ve said before, one of my goals as pastor is to provide more opportunities for all our parishioners for spiritual growth and renewal. Aside from the men’s and women’s faith groups, and the bible study sessions, we now will be offering regular pilgrimage opportunities. The plan is to start with small, local trips and then build up to larger, farther trips. With each trip, one of us priests will be part of the pilgrimage. Coincidently, Fr. Kishore is on pilgrimage to several shrines in Europe. He will return Friday evening and then Fr. Kevin will be away for his nine-day spiritual retreat. Spiritual growth depends on the grace of God and our hard work!
The first of our parish pilgrimages is just over five weeks from now. We will travel by bus to the Sorrowful Mother Shrine on Wednesday, October 19. That shrine began in 1850 when the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared over the woods several times. With that, the German Catholic farmers went to work building a shrine in her name. Over its many years of existence, many people have been healed there both spiritually and physically. It is located in Seneca County midway between Attica and Bellevue. More details are found in this bulletin. Please consider joining us!
This Thursday, there will be limited staff in the church offices of all three parishes. Most of them will be attending the annual Diocesan Pastoral Conference. Bishop Thomas began these conferences shortly after his arrival as our bishop. The topics covered are meant to help priests and parish staff better address relevant issues. Past topics have included building strong families, addictions, divorce, etc. This year the focus is on making our parishes stronger. I’m very grateful for the dedication and hard work of all of our parish (church and school) staff.
This week we will celebrate two important feast days: Exaltation of the Cross on Wednesday and Our Lady of Sorrows on Thursday. Their close occurrence on the calendar is not coincidental – the first is the cause of the second. The way of Christ, the Blessed Mother, the Apostles, and the Saints is the way every follower of Christ enters into Heaven. The way is the Cross. The simple truth is that we have to pass through the Cross of Christ to enter into Heaven. That path is one of both sorrow and joy. The sorrow is the result of the pain of moral conversion and the joy is knowing that something wonderfully great is being accomplished – becoming like God and thus moving closer to Heaven. Let us embrace the cross with joy for what it brings!
Trusting in Him,
Fr. Miller