From the Pastor - Feast of the Holy Family

December 27, 2024

The Holy Family experienced many of the same joys and trials that all parents and children experience today. And so, we can look to this Family for help in our own family lives and see in them a model of stewardship in family life.


The Gospel passage from Luke starts by telling us something about Jesus’ parents: “Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover, and when he was 12 years old, they went up according to festival custom.” This Family took seriously the stewardship of their time. The “Holy Couple” carefully observed the traditions and practice of their Jewish faith and brought up their Son to do the same. They worshiped as a family, and with their faith community. And they did so faithfully.


We can take their example to heart by making Sunday Mass attendance a priority for our families, by making prayer with our family a priority every day, by making sure that we regularly celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and by observing in our family life the feasts and fasts appropriate to the liturgical calendar. When we, as families, prioritize our Time with God and worship of Him we will be imitating the Holy Family.


On this Feast of the Holy Family, let us reclaim the beauty and importance of family life. Let’s commit to steward our families well in the coming year, making time spent with God and practicing our faith the most important appointments on our family calendars.

© Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2024


Pastoral Pondering

From a Catholic perspective, family life holds a central and sacred place as it is considered the foundation of both society and the Church. The importance of family life can be understood through the following key principles:


1. The Family as a Domestic Church

The Catholic Church views the family as the "domestic church," where faith is nurtured and lived daily. Parents are the primary educators of their children in the faith, passing on values, traditions, and the love of God.
Family prayer, participation in the sacraments, and fostering a spirit of charity and forgiveness help the family grow in holiness.

2. A Reflection of the Holy Trinity

The love shared among family members is seen as a reflection of the Holy Trinity's divine communion. Just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are united in perfect love, family members are called to live in self-giving love and unity.

3. Marriage as a Sacrament

Marriage, as a covenant between a baptized man and a baptized woman, is a sacrament in the Catholic Church. It symbolizes Christ's love for His Church and provides the foundation for a stable and nurturing environment for children.

The Church teaches that the marital bond is permanent and open to life, emphasizing the procreation and upbringing of children as fundamental purposes of marriage.

4. The Role of Love and Sacrifice

Family life is a school of love, sacrifice, and service. Through mutual respect, understanding, and selflessness, family members learn to imitate Christ's sacrificial love.

Challenges in family life are seen as opportunities for growth in virtue and reliance on God's grace.

5. A Source of Moral Formation

The family is the first place where individuals learn moral values, discipline, and social responsibilities. Parents are tasked with guiding their children toward virtuous living and preparing them for life in the broader community.

This role is rooted in the belief that the family is a cornerstone for the moral and spiritual health of society.

6. A Witness to the Gospel

A loving, faithful family becomes a visible witness to the Gospel in the world. Families are called to be missionary by spreading the love of Christ through their actions and relationships, both within and outside the home.

7. Support in Challenges

The Church acknowledges the difficulties families face, such as financial strain, health issues, or relationship conflicts. It offers pastoral care, counseling, and support, urging families to rely on prayer, the sacraments, and the wider Church community for strength.


In summary, from a Catholic viewpoint, family life is essential for personal growth, faith development, and societal well-being. It is a sacred vocation that calls for love, commitment, and trust in God's plan, emphasizing the role of the family in building a strong, faithful, and loving Church and society.

 

 

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • August 14, 2026
Today's Gospel from Matthew reminds us to trust the Lord even when it seems He is not answering our prayers. God desires to lead us to the joy of heaven and eternal life with Him. To prepare us for that day, He calls us to grow in faith and to live each day as a grateful response to His goodness. In other words, He is forming us into saints. This is what the stewardship way of life is meant to accomplish. At times that process is difficult. Often, it stretches us beyond our comfort. Jesus certainly challenged the Canaanite woman in today's Gospel. She cried out to Him on behalf of her daughter, who was tormented by a demon. How did Jesus respond to this desperate mother's plea? At first, He "did not say a word in answer to her." Undeterred, she continued to seek Him, and He continued to test her faith. She responded with such remarkable trust that Jesus proclaimed, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." Imagine hearing those words spoken to us by our Lord. There could be no greater affirmation of a life lived in faithful discipleship. The stewardship way of life will test our trust in God at times. But those are often the moments when He is doing His greatest work within us. Let us persevere in faith, trusting that His plan is always leading us toward the joy He has prepared for us. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026. Pastoral Pondering As the school year begins and we move into the post-summer routine, I wanted to give you an update on a few things which may be of interest to you. Building projects The rectory build is going well. Grainda Builders are projecting the project to finish by November (I am hoping for earlier!). We do plan to have an open house so that folks can see the new rectory upon its completion. The preliminary work for the second phase of our building projects is occurring with the installation of the water lines that will feed the new buildings. This will hopefully be done by Labor Day. We should be able to hold a groundbreaking shortly after the first of the year. Everything depends on when the present rectory sells and where we are with funding. The Diocese requires 60% of the project to be in cash, 30% to be in pledges and 30% allowable for Diocesan loan. We will keep you posted. Obviously, as we move forward, there will be growing pains that cannot be avoided due to the disruption of some parking. We are working with the general contractor to keep disruptions to a minimum, but we cannot avoid all of them. Thank you for your patience. Church Maintenance  As many of you know, we have been battling issues with the church roof for some time. There have been numerous leaks over the years that have been patched and patched again. We have been battling the insurance company for over a year, and it is clear that, after a minimal payment to repair water damage, they are not going to approve a claim for roof replacement. Kudos to the Pastoral Council and Scott Bruno for making a significant investment of time and energy to try to do the groundwork to provide justification for the claim. With that being said, we have already replaced a portion of the roof that was causing significant problems (the lower roof closest to the driveway). Nonetheless, the whole roof really does need to be replaced. Estimates for replacement are in the neighborhood of $250K. At present with the other projects going on, we do not have this in reserves or the operating account to cover this expense. Should you wish to assist, donations can be made on the website. We will continue to monitor and do what we can to manage the problem until we are able to fully address it. The second significant issue that has arisen is the foundation of the Kerin Center. Over the last several years, due to water and drainage issues, we have had to address foundation instability. Reinforcements were added a couple of years back to the school-side of the building, but we have been seeing some issues on the church-side of the building over the past year. We are watching it very carefully and trying to ascertain the root cause of the problems. We are appreciative of those parishioners with engineering expertise who have assisted in this effort. There is also a link on the parish donation website for Kerin Center repairs.

From the Pastor - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • August 7, 2026
Stewardship spirituality invites us to surrender control of our lives to God in grateful recognition that everything we have is a gift from Him. Today's readings remind us that God is always in control of His creation and His people. They also reveal what can happen when we fully entrust our lives to Him — in other words, when we embrace the stewardship way of life. When we take our eyes off God, we lose sight of the fact that all is gift. We begin to rely on ourselves instead of trusting in Him, and we fail to make our lives a grateful response to His generosity. Peter experiences this in today's Gospel from Matthew. Jesus sends the disciples ahead of Him by boat. Later that evening, Jesus comes to them, walking on the water, and invites Peter to join Him. Peter steps out of the boat and begins walking toward the Lord. But when he notices the strong wind around him, instead of keeping his eyes on Christ, he begins to sink. Imagine if Peter had never looked away from Jesus. What an extraordinary adventure he would have experienced walking on the water with his Lord. The same is true for us. When we take our eyes off Christ, His countless blessings, and His faithful love for us, we begin to sink as well. But when we embrace the stewardship way of life, loosening our grip on our time, talents, and treasure and placing our trust in God, life becomes a great adventure rooted firmly in the One who never fails us. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026. Pastoral Pondering First of all I want to thank all who participated in our meal packing effort last Friday and Saturday. What a gift it is to be able to come together as a community and unite for the sake of our brothers and sisters in need. These events cannot happen without the efforts of numerous people. To each of you who made it possible, THANK YOU! As we move into August and our lives begin reorienting from lazier summer months towards fall, it is an opportunity to reflect on the blessings that we were afforded to rest, refresh, and renew during these past weeks. Hopefully, family were able to spend some quality time with each other without the demands of school, work and the day to day demands that impact many of us.  For me, I was privileged once again to participate in the Te Deum Peace Pilgrimage to Fatima. This year we were able to invite and sponsor nine (9) seminarians from various dioceses including Charlotte, NC; Charleston, SC; Cleveland, OH; and Youngstown, OH. They along with a wonderful group of non-seminarian pilgrims were able to grow in our love for the Lord and Our Lady. It was a true blessing, and I was so impressed with the seminarians who were a part of our pilgrimage family for our time in Portugal and Spain. Along the same lines, please pray for parishioner Mark Pressley who is entering St. Joseph College Seminary. Mark’s family has been a part of the parish for many years. Keep him and the other nine (9) young men who are beginning their formation this fall.