From the Desk

I would encourage you to devote some time in the month of June to contemplation of and prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On a personal note, an image of the Sacred Heart is the first Catholic image I ever remember seeing. It remains for me a reassuring image of the love Christ has for sinners. Here’s a prayer to pray this coming month...

The Sign of Peace during the mass is rooted in a scriptural passage in which the Lord advises the church not to come to the altar until we have reconciled with our brother.

Make plans to join us at 2pm on June 1 at Christ the King for a procession to St. Eugene with the Blessed Sacrament. The Archbishop, priests, deacons, and laypeople will process through the streets of Nichols Hills and the Village to proclaim Jesus as our Lord present in the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Each year, the parish is assessed an amount of money by the Archdiocese to help subsidize the cost of education at a Catholic High School. Last year, we paid approximately $20,000. Members of the parish can request a letter from me attesting to their faithful involvement in the parish and are then given a better tuition rate from the school. Basically, it’s a transfer of wealth from the $20,000 to the family

I am in need of donors who will help me plant trees at the new Marian shrine. The trees we hope to plant would be larger than a sapling, so the cost would be higher. However, the tree would be a living memorial to your family, or someone you would wish to honor. Talk to me after Mass if you are interested. We hope that construction on the Shrine and garden will begin soon and very soon.

Judi Wilkinson, our Director of Religious Education, has decided to retire this year. Initially, she spoke of retiring this summer, but I asked her to remain until the end of September, so that we might not be rushed in our search to replace her, and that we might give her successor some time to shadow Judi and learn more about the job. She agreed graciously.

If the tomb of Jesus had not been found empty, then his followers would have quickly scattered and abandoned their hope of changing the world. If you read the passage in Luke about the Lord’s appearance on the road to Emmaus, the unraveling of the church was already beginning.

It amazes me how many people rush for the exits before the priest, deacon and servers can even get down the center aisle. Sometimes, I have to pause and wait for people who step out into the aisle and block my way out.

Our Mom’s Group will host an Easter Egg Hunt for the children of the parish after the 9:30 am Mass on Easter Sunday. They need your help. If you would, buy plastic Easter eggs and fill them with candy, then place them in the donation bins. This will ensure that every child will find eggs. It’s an inexpensive way to help bring joy to our kids.

Talking to other parishioners is a great way to foster community and build relationships. The Parish Hall, the Narthex, the space outside the church is designed to foster conversation. We try to encourage people to linger after Mass and talk.