From the Pastor – 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time 

September 20, 2020

From the Pastor – 25 th Sunday in Ordinary Time 

In our First Reading from the Book of Isaiah, God reminds us that He does not think in the same way that we do. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts.” That is quite clear in our Gospel today from Matthew, which relates the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard.

In the Gospel parable, God (who is represented by the landowner ) does something which from our human perspective may seem unfair and unjust. What we must keep in mind is that the landowner did not treat anyone unfairly. He may have seemed more generous to some than to others, but again that is from our perspective.

We can be absolutely certain that God will never be unfair to us. The Lord may bestow greater blessings on others, some of whom again from our perspective may seem less deserving. God is a righteous God. Through stewardship we acknowledge that everything comes to us from God. All our blessings may seem to be more or less than we deserve, but if we are grateful for what we have and what we are, we will then recognize God’s generosity and His grace.

The important thing to us should not be and cannot be whether we are first or last. What is central is that we are part of the Kingdom of God. That should be sufficient for us. We get into trouble when we conclude that God should think the way we do. © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2017.

Pastoral Pondering – I would like to welcome Sr. Zeny and Karen Kramer to our parish staff. Sister is a Dominican Sister of St. Catherine of Siena, an religious order from the Philippines. Sister will be our Director of Faith Formation. Mrs. Kramer is well known to our St. Mark School students. She taught Middle School religion before having her first child. Mrs. Kramer will be assisting with our Middle School Edge and Middle School Youth Ministry.

I want to thank everyone who helped putting together our parish Eucharistic Congress observance. Such events take a lot of work, but they are wonderful opportunities to celebrate our faith and the centrality of the Eucharist. Since we could not come together as a Diocese this year, we are afforded the opportunity to celebrate as a parish community the “source and summit” of our faith.

A little over a week ago (by the time this goes to print) I learned that one of father’s last surviving sisters, Aunt Betty, had passed following a brief battle with cancer. She was one of my favorite people because of how she radiated love and concern for others. It was always Aunt Betty who would open up her phone diary and start calling members of the family to see how they were doing and let them know that she loved them and was praying for them. She was a bridge between the generations, and she will be sorely missed. Her death reminds me of the importance of reaching out. We have been trying intentionally to increase our Christ-Centered culture here at the parish. There are many programs, some of which we use, that are great resources, but when it all gets boiled down, true evangelization is about Jesus and sharing His love.

Creating this culture is not always easy, especially in a pandemic-conditioned society. Nonetheless, the Holy Spirit continues to work and continues to inspire the children of God to act and respond to His promptings. An example of this occurred a couple of weeks back. I was invited to dinner by a few men from the parish who have been praying and discerning what God is asking of them. In so doing, they realized that they were being strongly called to take Jesus into the community through public prayer and witness. They have called their group Return to God and have described their mission “to be fed by God and to call ourselves, our Church and our country back to God.” This will be put into practice through coming together in public places to be a presence of prayer. While not a sponsored apostolate or ministry of the parish, I have no doubt that this is a work of the Holy Spirit, and I support their efforts. I also encourage anyone who might feel a similar “tug of the heart” to join them.

Finally, as many of you know, we have begun “opening up” the Kerin Center. The adoration chapel is already up and running, and we are excited to be able to welcome some activity, over and above worship and sacraments, back to parish life. Because of continued guidelines from the Diocese, we are observing the recommendations set out by the Governor of NC whose executive orders have been based on CDC guidance. While some can see this as cumbersome, and even a violation of personal freedoms, as a priest and pastor of the Diocese, I am duty bound to implement the guidance given to us by the Bishop and his officials. My personal opinions and preferences are immaterial. We all want to open up more fully, and we have certainly done everything we can to promote and encourage participation at Mass. This is one more step to finding our way back to normal parish life, and I am thankful that we are able to take this step and thank the parish leaders who are helping to make this step possible.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • August 28, 2026
Living the stewardship way of life is not easy. Dying to self and living for Christ and others requires sacrifice. It is the work of a lifetime. Yet it is also the only work that truly matters and the only life that ultimately satisfies. In today's Gospel from Matthew, Jesus tells His disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me." At first, those words may sound difficult to accept. Why would anyone willingly embrace such a path? Jesus immediately gives us the answer: "Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Everything comes down to love. Jesus loved us completely, giving Himself for us on the Cross. He continues to give Himself to us through His Word and, most especially, in the Eucharist. Each day we are faced with a choice: to live for ourselves or to live for God and for others. The second path is more demanding, but it leads to lasting joy and the promise of eternal life. Christ assures us that He "will come with his angels in his Father's glory and then he will repay all according to his conduct." May we choose each day to lose our lives for Christ's sake, offering them back to Him in grateful response to His immeasurable love. ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026 Pastoral Pondering Two Italian dioceses (Rome and Ventimiglia-Sanremo) recently blocked planned Catholic funeral Masses for two prominent Freemasons after their Masonic affiliations became publicly known just before the ceremonies. This happened on August 7–8, 2026, and applies longstanding Church discipline rather than a new nationwide policy from the Italian bishops’ conference. Since some folks asked about this, I thought it would be a good article. The cases - Rome: Bruno Battisti D’Amario (88), a classical guitarist and professor closely linked to Ennio Morricone’s film work, died on August 5. His funeral Mass was scheduled for August 7 th at Santa Maria in Montesanto (the “Church of the Artists” in Piazza del Popolo). The Grand Orient of Italy (GOI) publicly eulogized him as a “master brother,” founder of the Roman Giuseppe Leti lodge, composer of the GOI’s official anthem, and holder of senior positions (including twice president of the Lazio District College of Worshipful Masters). Cardinal Baldassarre Reina, Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome, consulted the diocesan legal office and denied authorization for the funeral Mass, allowing only a brief prayer as a gesture of Christian charity. - Ventimiglia-Sanremo (Liguria): Mario Tarducci (73), a former Venerable Master of the local Mimosa lodge (no. 985, Orient of Bordighera), was scheduled for a funeral the next day at the parish church of San Marco in Camporosso. Bishop Antonio Suetta learned of the affiliation only after arrangements were made—via local news and public Masonic death notices. After consulting the family and pastor, and noting the simultaneous Rome case, he suspended the ecclesiastical funeral under the same principles, limiting it to simple prayers outside. Canonical and doctrinal basis Both decisions explicitly invoked Canon 1184 of the Code of Canon Law. It denies ecclesiastical funerals to those who, without signs of repentance before death, are “notoriously apostate, heretical or schismatic” or “other manifest sinners” whose funerals would cause public scandal among the faithful. This aligns with the Church’s consistent teaching that Freemasonry is incompatible with Catholicism. The 1983 Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declaration (under then-Cardinal Ratzinger) reaffirmed that Catholics who join Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion; the negative judgment on Masonic principles remains unchanged. Public, high-level membership without known repentance creates the “public scandal” element that triggers the canonical denial. These were not blanket bans on all Freemasons but responses to notorious cases where the affiliation was openly proclaimed by the lodges themselves, making a Catholic funeral appear to endorse or ignore the incompatibility. Similar past applications have occurred (e.g., high-profile cases involving public scandal). Pastoral care for the grieving family is still encouraged—Mass intentions or a memorial Mass sine corpore (without the body present) can be offered.  In short, two bishops applied existing law firmly once the memberships became public and notorious. The episodes have drawn attention precisely because they reinforce the long-standing discipline amid ongoing tensions between the Church and Freemasonry in Italy. It also reminds all of us that one cannot present themselves as Catholic and live in a manner that contradicts longstanding teaching of the Church.

From the Pastor - Dedication of Saint Mark Church

By John Putnam • August 21, 2026
This weekend we celebrate a sacred milestone: the anniversary of the dedication of our church building. The readings chosen for this occasion invite us to look beyond brick and mortar and ask a deeper question: What makes a house of God holy? And how do we, the living Church of Saint Mark, continue to be that house? In the First Reading, Solomon stands before the newly completed Temple in Jerusalem and prays with both awe and humility: “Can it indeed be that God dwells on earth? If the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain you, how much less this temple which I have built!” Yet he dares to ask the Lord to keep His eyes open toward this place and to hear the prayers of His people. The Temple was never meant to limit God; it was meant to make His presence accessible to a people who needed a place to gather, to pray, and to be reminded that they belong to Him. Saint Paul takes this truth even further. Writing to the Corinthians, he tells them—and us—“You are God’s building… Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” The foundation of this living temple is Jesus Christ alone. No other foundation can be laid. The physical walls of our church matter. They have been consecrated. They shelter the Eucharist. They hold our baptisms, our weddings, our funerals, and our daily prayers. But the true temple is the community of believers who gather here. We are the living stones. When we treat one another with reverence, when we protect the dignity of every person, when we refuse to allow division or scandal to take root, we honor the Spirit who dwells among us. Finally, in the Gospel, Jesus asks the decisive question: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answers with the faith that becomes the rock: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Upon that confession Jesus builds His Church and entrusts Peter with the keys. Every time we renew our faith in Jesus as Lord, every time we hand over our lives to His authority, we strengthen the foundation of this parish. Saint Mark’s is not simply a building dedicated years ago; it is a community continually being built upon the rock of Peter’s confession and the living presence of Christ. As we mark this anniversary, let us give thanks for the sacred space that has sheltered our parish family. Let us also examine our hearts. Are we living as temples of the Holy Spirit? Are we building one another up on the one true foundation? May the Lord who cannot be contained by any temple continue to dwell richly among us—and may Saint Mark church always be a place where heaven and earth meet in prayer, in charity, and in faithful witness to Jesus Christ. Pastoral Pondering Consecrated church buildings hold a central place in Catholic worship and theology because they are set apart as sacred space—places where heaven and earth meet in a privileged way. The architectural style, the overall design and the artistic elements are all to serve Catholic worship and belief. The following offers some information on the role of church buildings in the life of the Church. 1. They are truly dedicated to God Through the solemn Rite of Dedication, a church building ceases to be ordinary architecture. The walls, altar, and space are anointed, blessed, and consecrated exclusively for divine worship. From that moment, the building belongs to God in a special way. Canon law treats consecrated churches as sacred places that may not be used for profane purposes (Canon 1210). This consecration is not merely symbolic; it affects a real change in the character of the place. 2. They house the Real Presence of Christ The most decisive reason a consecrated church is holy is the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle. Once the Eucharist is reserved there, the building becomes the dwelling place of the living Christ. Catholics genuflect not to architecture but to the Lord who remains present. The church is therefore more than a meeting hall; it is a true house of God. This presence elevates the entire space and gives Catholic church buildings a unique sacred character that persists even when no liturgy is being celebrated. 3. They are the ordinary place of the Church’s sacramental life The major sacraments of the Christian life—Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Matrimony, Ordination and Anointing of the Sick—are normally celebrated within consecrated churches. The building itself becomes the visible setting in which the invisible grace of the sacraments is given. The altar, in particular, is the focal point: it is anointed and contains relics of the saints, signifying that the sacrifice of Christ is offered in communion with the whole Church, living and dead. 4. They image the mystery of the Church Catholic theology sees the consecrated building as a visible sign of the invisible reality of the Church. The physical structure points to the living temple made of “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Just as Solomon’s Temple was the place where God’s name dwelt among His people, the church building is the place where the People of God gather as His temple. The architecture, art, and orientation of the building are meant to lift the mind and heart to the heavenly liturgy and to the eschatological reality of the New Jerusalem. 5. They foster continuity, identity, and reverence A fixed, consecrated place creates a shared sacred memory across generations. The same walls that witnessed baptisms and weddings decades ago continue to shelter the community today. Beauty, silence, and sacred art within the building form the senses and train the soul in reverence. This is why the Church has always insisted on the dignity and permanence of consecrated churches: they shape the faith of those who pray within them.  In short, consecrated church buildings matter because Catholicism is a sacramental religion. God works through material realities—water, oil, bread, wine, and also space and architecture. A consecrated church is not merely a convenient location for worship; it is a privileged locus of God’s presence, a visible expression of the Church, and a permanent invitation to encounter the living Christ.