Pastor’s Corner — April 26th, 2026
Shamrock Festival Update: Insert, Landing Page and Volunteering
In the bulletin you’ll find a full-page insert for our Shamrock Festival June 12-14 on the St Pat’s School grounds across town. Reviving a cherished tradition, this new festival replaces Oktoberfest and reintroduces the spring raffle, with a renewed focus on fellowship, community spirit, and shared mission. Featuring carnival rides, games hosted by school classes and ministry groups, live entertainment, food, and activities for all ages, the event is made possible through the collaboration of parish ministries, the school, and dedicated volunteers, along with support from local partners. Proceeds from the festival and raffle directly support parish and school operations—ensuring the continued growth and vitality of our faith and learning community.
We also have a new landing page for the festival we want everyone to check out. On that page you’ll find a link to sign up to volunteer. Come help make this festival a success by offering to volunteer!
My hope is that everyone can plan on coming to this joyful, family-friendly celebration that brings together our entire parish and school community while welcoming the broader Brighton area!
St Pat’s First Reconciliation (First Confession): April 23rd and April 30th
Please pray for the 97 second graders of our parish as they are making their first confessions this Thursday and next Thursday. The celebration of this sacrament is such an important moment in their own awareness of their sin and all the more of God’s unfailing mercy toward them. The longer I am a Pastor the more I see these first sacraments as formative not just for the children themselves, who experience God’s mercy in confession and God’s loving presence in Holy Communion, but also formative for the parents, who are brought face to face with the wonder of God’s love for their own children.
One of the greatest ills of our society is lack of gratitude and appreciation for who God is and what he has given us. Yes, we believe God is merciful, yes, we believe he loves us, yes, we believe he is faithfully present. But we don’t always remember that and we don’t always appreciate how he has mercy on us, how he loves us and how he is present to us: in the sacraments! How easy is it for us to take for granted how present and faithful he is to us in the sacraments? And so, each year when we celebrate our children who are receiving them for the first time, we are reminded of the sheer giftedness of his saving presence in the sacraments.
As we celebrate First Reconciliation (and First Communion the following weeks), I pray that all of us along with the parents of these children will be reminded of God’s incredible love for us in the sacraments and make sure we are receiving them with hearts wide open. After all, it’s in these sacraments that God’s heart is wide open to us, eager to bestow richly his grace on us.
Final Brotherhood Meeting of the Spring: Tuesday, April 28th
This Tuesday we’re doing the final meeting of the Brotherhood of St Patrick for the season. I’m very thankful for men (including Fr Joshua) who provide the leadership for this new ministry. It has been a big success! I’m looking forward to this final meeting on Tuesday as I’m giving a talk during Eucharistic Adoration.
Your servant in the Lord,
Fr. Mathias