Pastor’s Corner — February 1st, 2026
Year-End Contribution Statements: Thank You!
This week or next, parishioners will be receiving in the mail their annual parish contribution statements for tax purposes. We talk a lot about discipleship here at St Pat’s because following Jesus ultimately is about our salvation. But following Jesus also involves being good stewards of our time, talent and treasure. Recognizing how everything is a gift, following Jesus involves living generous lives and investing in the spread of the Kingdom of God.
To put it simply, thank you for all of you who tithe and give special gifts to the parish. Thank you for sowing into the mission of making disciples here at St Pat’s. God is good!
I’ve looked over a significant portion of these statements that will be mailed out and I am sincerely humbled by your generosity. I am so proud to be part of a parish that takes the giving to the parish aspect of discipleship so seriously. Thank you!
St Pat’s Homeschool Co-op Open House Opportunities (Feb 5 and Feb 10)
You may remember that we launched the St. Patrick Homeschool Co-op at St. Patrick this year to support our homeschooling families of the parish and to help provide another opportunity to teach our children to live out their faith as missionary disciples in our community.
St. Pat’s Homeschool Co-op is a community of Catholic homeschooling families committed to raising children secure in their identity as children of a loving God and open to the movement of the Holy Spirit in their lives, with a deep respect for the tradition of the Mother Church. Its two-day program incorporates liturgical living into the academic and elective pursuits of the families. Participating families are encouraged to attend both days in order to fully engage in the community.
The St. Pat’s Homeschool Co-op is offering two open houses, one for their Core Day classes and one for their Elective Day classes.
Core Day Class Open House: Thursday, February 5th at 10:00am (Parish Life Center)
Elective Day Class Open House: Tuesday, February 10th at 10:00am (Parish Life Center)
I encourage any of you interested in learning more about our Homeschool Co-Op to register for their open house, or stop by the table in the gathering space this weekend to learn more.
As I am very proud of our teachers and staff of St Pat’s School across town, I’m also proud of the parents who work together to set up St Pat’s Homeschool Co-Op families whose parents feel called to homeschool their children.
A New Docudrama Pre-Screening at St Pat’s (Feb 28th)
A few days ago Pope Leo XIV released an excellent message on World Mission Sunday. He writes eloquently about the relationship between unity of Christians and the mission of evangelization in the Church. One line struck me:
“The unity of disciples is not an end in itself; it is directed towards mission. Jesus states this clearly: “So that the world may believe that you have sent me” (Jn 17:21). It is through the witness of a reconciled, fraternal and united community that the proclamation of the Gospel acquires its full communicative power.”
If unity of Christians is key to the mission of preaching Christ to convert the world, then divisions among Christians harms that mission. I think that we are so used to divisions among Christians that it’s easy to forget how evil it is and how much Jesus longs for us to be one. In fact, I believe his Sacred Heart is broken over our divisions. We need to remember that disunity among Christians is evil. It’s evil not just because it tears at the unity of Christ’s Body, the Church; it’s evil also because it mars our witness to the world.
While the Pope didn’t explicitly talk about ecumenism in his message, we know that seeking and praying for the unity of all Christians, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, is God’s will. Properly understood, ecumenism is very important to the heart of Jesus, who loves us so much.
What’s happening at St Pat’s? The producer of The Wild Goose Series (4pm Media) has produced a new docudrama called That They May Be One on Christian unity that will be screened at St Pat’s on February 28th in O’Kelly Hall. (Save the date, more info to come) According to the website, this documentary blends documentary interviews with dramatic reenactments and invites viewers to pursue unity in Christ through prayer and action, trusting the Holy Spirit to heal division and strengthen witness to the Gospel.
Why is St Pat’s hosting it? We’re hosting a pre-screening for it because some of it was filmed here at St Pat’s and because it’s a great message. How I was invited to be a part of it is beyond me, as there are some pretty big names interviewed for it. I saw an early version of the documentary and it’s quite good. Consider saving the date and coming and continue praying for Christian unity.
Your servant in the Lord,
Fr. Mathias
