From the Pastor - 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

January 14, 2022

Today’s Gospel reading from John recounts the familiar story of the wedding feast at Cana when Jesus launched His public ministry by performing His first miracle at His mother’s request.

 

In the midst of the feast, the Blessed Mother noticed that the wine had run out and pointed out the problem to Jesus. Then, she gave the servants instructions that are equally applicable to us modern-day stewards, saying, “Do whatever He tells you.” Jesus gives the servants a simple and seemingly mundane task, telling them to fill some stone jars with water. They did what He told them to do. And Jesus used their obedience in the accomplishment of that simple task to perform His first miracle, turning the water into the choicest wine.

 

Our Lord didn't have to include those servants in order to perform this miracle — He chose to. And today, 2,000 plus years later, He still chooses to include us in the performance of His miracles through our cooperation with Him in using the gifts and talents He has given us. What a privilege!

 

Let us take care to listen to our Blessed Mother. Let us examine our lives this week to see if we really are doing whatever He tells us and cooperating with God to make the best use of the gifts He has given us for the benefit of those around us. If we all take this call seriously, He will perform miracles in our families and our parish. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2022

 

Pastoral Pondering – This coming Saturday marks the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Roe vs. Wade. Therefore, the 9 am Mass will be offered in Thanksgiving to God for the Gift of Human Life. While not everyone is able to travel to Washington, D.C. for the annual March for Life, we can all use the anniversary as an opportunity to pray for an end to the scourge of abortion as well as protection of the traditional family. These two concerns are intertwined and with them the very health and wellbeing of our culture and our country.

 

By 1965 the United States was approaching zero population growth. The rise of artificial contraception and the dire warnings of some that world population would soon overwhelm our common home led to a drastic reduction in live births. Even though the Immigration Act of 1965 delayed the inevitable, the inevitable has arrived. According to statistics released by the CDC, from 2019 to 2020, the number of US births decreased 4%, from 3.75 million to 3.6 million. For the previous six years (2015-2020) births declined an average of 2% per year. This is bad news for society. Even Elon Musk recently noted that the potential collapse in population is the greatest risk to the future of civilization, and Pope Francis recently noted that the trend of couples to parent their pets rather than having children is also a concern because it undermines the very foundation of society, the human family.

 

All of these points should be a significant concern for all of society but certainly for those who follow Christ, who, we must remember, said to His disciples, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them” (Mt. 19:14). Sadly, the trends identified above are as common among the secular as they are among the religious; although, those who identify as practicing Christians tend to be more prolific than other demographics. Nonetheless, we as individuals and as a Church must do a better job of promoting parenting and family life. To that end, the Diocese of Charlotte has recently established a new office of Family Life as a separate office in the Diocesan Curia. Prior to this, Family Life concerns have been housed under Catholic Charities. This decision by the Bishop underscores the importance of family life to the health and wellbeing, not only of the Church, but also for society as a whole.

 

As we begin our celebration of the Golden Jubilee of the Diocese of Charlotte, we as a parish, must do our part to support these important concerns. To that end I would like to highlight, in the next few weeks, the apostolates that support families and family life. I’ll begin doing so next week. Until then, let us pray for our families and pray that all of those societal ills which attack the family, either directly or indirectly, might come to an end due to a reawakening of the importance of the family to the Church and to society as a whole.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

By John Putnam • May 29, 2026
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity — the central mystery of our faith. Though the Trinity is a profound mystery, it also reveals something very practical for us as Christian stewards. The Trinity is a communion of Persons who give themselves completely to one another. This self-giving love is at the heart of the stewardship way of life. In our Gospel, we hear, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” God gives Himself to us out of love. We are called to respond in the same way — by giving ourselves back to Him and to others. The more we give of ourselves in love, the more we experience “the grace of the Lord, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit” within us. This Triune God invites us into a deeper relationship with Him — one that grows as we live a life of gratitude and self-gift through the stewardship way of life. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026 Pastoral Pondering In light of the blessing of the ordination of ten new priests for the Diocese of Charlotte and the 34 th anniversary of my own ordination (May 30 th ), I thought it would be good to reflect on the importance of the ministerial priesthood in the life of the Church. The Catholic priesthood (ministerial priesthood) is essential to the Church's life, mission, and sacramental reality. It flows directly from Christ's own priesthood and enables the Church to continue His saving work until the end of time. Rooted in Christ's Priesthood Catholic teaching holds that Jesus Christ is the one eternal High Priest (Hebrews 5:1-10, 7-10). The ministerial priesthood does not replace or compete with His but participates in it in a unique way. Priests are ordained to act in persona Christi Capitis ("in the person of Christ the Head")—especially in the sacraments. This differs essentially (not just in degree) from the common priesthood of all the baptized , by which every Christian offers spiritual sacrifices, lives a holy life, and witnesses to the Gospel (1 Peter 2:5, 9). The ministerial priesthood exists *for the service* of the common priesthood, to build up the Church as the Body of Christ. Key Roles and Importance Priests exercise a threefold ministry (teaching, sanctifying, and governing), called the three Munera, that mirrors Christ's: Sanctifying the People of God : Priests are the ordinary ministers of several sacraments, above all the Eucharist . Through them, Christ's one sacrifice on the Cross is made present in the Mass. Without ordained priests, there would be no valid Eucharist in the Catholic understanding. They also forgive sins in Confession, anoint the sick, baptize (in ordinary circumstances), and celebrate other sacraments. This makes divine grace accessible in a tangible, ecclesial way. Proclaiming the Word : Priests preach the Gospel, teach the faith, and guide consciences. They are "co-workers" with bishops in shepherding the faithful. Governing and Serving : As spiritual fathers, they lead communities, counsel, perform works of mercy, and foster unity. They do this not by their own power but as instruments of Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "In the ecclesial service of the ordained minister, it is Christ himself who is present to his Church as Head of his Body, Shepherd of his flock, high priest of the redemptive sacrifice, Teacher of Truth." Apostolic succes sion ensures continuity: Bishops ordain priests through the laying on of hands, tracing back to the apostles. This sacramental character is indelible—permanent. Why It Matters to the Church The Church cannot fully be the Church without it in Catholic doctrine. The priesthood guarantees the valid celebration of the Eucharist (the "source and summit" of Christian life) and the other sacraments that nourish faith. It maintains the Church's hierarchical structure for unity and ordered mission. Priests enable the laity's priestly vocation by providing the sacraments and pastoral care that empower everyday Christians to live out their baptismal calling. Historically and theologically, the priesthood fulfills and surpasses the Old Covenant priesthood, making Christ's mediation present across time and place. Vatican II's Presbyterorum Ordinis (Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests) emphasizes that priests are "taken from among men and appointed for men in the things that pertain to God" (Hebrews 5:1). Their celibacy, obedience, and life of prayer are oriented toward total availability for the Gospel and the flock. In short, the Catholic priesthood is not an optional "clergy class" but a divine gift by which Christ continues to shepherd, teach, and sanctify His Church. Catholics believe that through faithful priests, grace flows to the world, making salvation accessible and the Church a living sacrament of Christ's presence.  Let’s thank God for the gift of our newly ordained priests and ask the Lord to continue to send workers into the vineyard.

From the Pastor - Pentecost

By John Putnam • May 22, 2026
Throughout our readings today for Pentecost Sunday, we see the powerful truth that the Holy Spirit gives us gifts and guidance in a deeply personal way. We are meant to use these gifts to build up the Body of Christ — each in our own unique way. In our first reading from Acts, we hear of the dramatic outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. A strong driving wind filled the house, and tongues of fire came to rest on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues. Notice how personal this moment is. The Spirit came upon each individual, equipping them in a unique way to share the Gospel. The same is true for us today. Embracing the stewardship way of life means allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us in using the unique gifts He has given to each of us for the mission entrusted to us. In our Gospel, Jesus sends His disciples forth: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” This is our mission as well. But we are not sent alone. Jesus gives us His peace — “Peace be with you.” As this Easter season comes to a close, let us be at peace and resolve to rely more fully on the Holy Spirit as our guide through the stewardship way of life. ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026 Pastoral Pondering This weekend we are celebrating a number of events that I am extremely thankful for. First, three of our own parishioners were ordained deacons on their road to the Priesthood. Bradley Loftin, Patrick Martin and Connor White were ordained deacons by Bishop Martin. I have had the privilege of watching each of these young men grow up, in many respects, and mature in their discernment of God’s call in their lives. Each will be serving in a parish this summer. Deacon Loftin will be serving at St. Eugene in Asheville, Deacon Martin will be serving at St. Matthew in Charlotte and Deacon White will be serving at the Cathedral of St. Patrick. Secondly, on Pentecost afternoon we will be receiving our candidates, those who received baptism in a non-Catholic Christian church, into the full communion of the Catholic Church with the reception of Confirmation and Holy Communion. Each of them has studied and prayed and prepared for this special occasion. Please pray both for our new deacons as well as our newest Catholics. These events are a reminder that God is never outdone in generosity, and He continues to produce an abundance of fruit when we willingly open our hearts and cooperate with His grace. Happy Pentecost!!