Pastor's Message: January 10, 2021

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

What a crazy few weeks it has been! While on vacation I learned about Fr. Jose having the coronavirus, and while it caused a lot of confusion it was for the best that I was gone because I was able to come back and be ready to celebrate Mass and do everything else necessary to keep everything running. It involved a lot of negotiations with the airline and eventually an overnight drive through an ice storm in a rental car with a total stranger (who turned out to be a great guy!) but I made it back in time on Jan. 2 for baptisms, a wedding, and Masses. I’m thrilled that Fr. Jose is back in action and that we are back to whatever it is that passes for normal around here.

Today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord and the end of the Christmas season proper. In some cultures, though, nativity scenes remain out until February 2nd with the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. So the celebrations continue!

Thanks to everyone who helped with our Solemn Mass for the Feast of the Epiphany this past Wednesday. Our choir raised our souls to heaven with such beautiful music, and it was great to welcome other priests and seminarians to our parish for this celebration. I was particularly edified to see members of our English and Spanish-speaking communities praying together as our ancestors did for centuries!

Recent read: Rerum novarum by Leo XIII. This was the first encyclical on social teaching issued by a Pope. In the late 1800s, Leo XIII addressed the complicated question of labor and participation by Catholics in labor unions, many of which at the time were dominated by Marxist / Communist ideologies. The Pope surprised many people by saying that while it would be preferable to start their own unions, if this were not possible to do so, that is, if just working conditions were not obtainable in any other way, Catholics could join the other unions. Leo also surprised many by arguing for the rights of workers instead of the factory owners.

St. John the Evangelist, pray for us!

Yours in Christ,

Father Royce Gregerson