From the Vicar — May 17th, 2026
What the Shamrock Festival is Missing
Think back to when you were a kid, waking up your parents because you were so excited to go to the county fair. After eating a quick breakfast, and loading up the car, your family piles into the station wagon and hits the road. You sit, staring out the window, waiting for that first glimpse of the Ferris wheel peaking over the horizon. As you get closer to the fairgrounds, you hear the music playing, you smell the caramel corn and the corndogs. You can’t wait! Your family buys their tickets, and heads inside, ready for a day of fun. You dash ahead, eager to get in line for the Tilt-o-whirl.
But as you get closer, something is wrong. There is no one working the Tilt-o-whirl. Confused, you look around, and realize, there isn’t anyone at the booths. There’s no one serving at the Corn dog shack, there is no one running the Beer Tent. The place is empty….
See, a festival like this, the kind of memories it makes, the joy it brings: none of it happens without you. It can’t happen without hundreds of people like you willing to volunteer their time to make it possible. The Shamrock Festival has the potential to be an incredible event: to bring the community together around our mission, to support our Parish and School, to share the joy of being Catholic, and to create lasting memories for families. But it won’t happen without you. Sure, the rides will be there, the games, the beer tent, the live music. But without you, the festival doesn’t happen, it’s as simple as that. What the Shamrock Festival is missing…is you.
Sign up to volunteer here.
The Pentecost Vigil, Confirmations, and Outpouring
May 24th is the feast of Pentecost, the day in which the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles as they were gathered in the Upper Room, and they went forth with boldness to proclaim the Gospel. It is the day on which the Church was born! The Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father. As we reflect on this promise, we should willingly open our hearts to receive more of Him, and there is always more! Come celebrate Pentecost Sunday by joining together to ask for a greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
That weekend, we will have two special events:
At the 5 pm Mass on Saturday, May 23rd, we will be celebrating the Pentecost Vigil! It is like a mini-version of the Easter Vigil: there are a few extra readings, and 19 adults will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.
At 7 pm, on Sunday, May 24th, we are having Outpouring. Through times of praise and worship, preaching and prayer we will experience the presence and transformative power of the Spirit in our lives and our parish.
And, as a follow up to the Outpouring, a Charism worship is being offered Saturday, May 30th from 9 am - 1 pm. This will be a time to grow in your understanding of charisms; gifts freely given to us for the good of the church, and begin the process of discerning your own.
3 years a Deacon
It was Ascension Sunday, three years ago, that I arrived at St. Pat’s as a newly ordained Deacon. Now, in 6 short weeks, I will be moving on to serve in East Lansing at St. John’s Student Center. Looking back at that first homily I ever preached here, I was struck by my own words, and their fittingness to my current situation:
“Moments like this are full of uncertainty, yes, difficulty, yes, but that also can be tremendous moments of grace: We are faced with two choices: We go back to what we have always done, we stick with what is comfortable and safe; or we take a step in faith, not because we know what lies ahead, but because we know who leads us.”
I am going to miss being here at St. Pat’s. It truly has been a blessed time. But I have full faith that the Lord is inviting me to carry out his mission on the campus of Michigan State University. There is certainly uncertainty, but there is also confidence that the Lord is leading. Pray that I can take to heart my own words:
“What could my life look like, and your life look like, if we invited Christ into these moments of confusion, difficulty and change? If we allowed him to light our path through what seems dark? If we begged God for a greater outpouring of the Spirit so that we could take our next step in faith, wherever Christ is leading us.”
Your servant in the Lord,
Fr. Joshua