Pastor’s Corner — June 22nd, 2025
Last Weekend: Fr Josh Luttig and Father’s Day
The ordination Mass last Saturday had an attendance of around 1500 people and I saw many parishioners there supporting Deacon Josh who became Father Josh when he was ordained. How fitting this was on Father’s Day weekend: in a short moment Deacon Josh became a spiritual father to the faithful. This didn’t happen because of what Fr Josh had done, but what Christ has done: in the Sacrament of Holy Orders, Jesus configured Josh to himself in such a way that he has become a spiritual father to the lay faithful. What a gift and mystery! As Catholics it’s not hard to see in the ordination of priests for the Church, true signs of God the Father’s love for us in Christ.
I couldn’t be prouder of Fr Josh; he’s going to be a great priest.
I was away for most Masses last weekend because I attended the First Mass for two of the new priests, who also happen to be from my home parish: Fr. Josh and Fr. Randy Koenigschnecht. While I’m sorry to have missed most of the Masses for Father’s Day here, I sincerely hope the fathers in our parish were blessed by Fr. Joshua’s homily and our prayer of blessing for fathers at the end of Mass.
Fr. Josh will be celebrating a Mass of Thanksgiving here at St. Pat’s on Sunday, June 29, 2025 at the 11:30am Mass.
No Saturday Morning Confessions (June 21st)
Due to the Diocesan Wide Mass at Lugnuts Stadium and Procession, we are not having confessions this Saturday morning.
New Vision for Faith Formation to be Implemented this Fall
In this week’s bulletin, you will see an insert describing our vision for faith formation that we will begin this fall. This has been years in the making and we are excited about these opportunities which will more effectively form your children and grandchildren in authentic Christian discipleship.
The Feast of Corpus Christi
We celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ this weekend. This feast day is a powerful reminder of the humility and the abundant love of our God. He gives to his Church the ability to participate more fully in the mystery of his sacrifice on the cross and then the ability to partake of his supernatural gift of himself in the Eucharist. The saints speak so much about the dignity of the Mass, here are just a few quotes:
“If we really understood the Mass, we would die of joy.”
-St John Vianney
“When Mass is being celebrated, the sanctuary is filled with countless angels who adore the Divine Victim immolated on the altar.”
– St. John Chrysostom
“Know, O Christian, that the Mass is the holiest act of religion. You cannot do anything to glorify God more, nor profit your soul more, than by devoutly assisting at it, and assisting as often as possible.”
– St.Peter Julian Eymard
“No human tongue can enumerate the favors that trace back to the Sacrifice of the Mass. The sinner is reconciled with God; the just man becomes more upright; sins are wiped away; vices are uprooted; virtue and merit increases; and the devil’s schemes are frustrated.”
-St. Lawrence Justinian
“Man should tremble, the world should quake, all Heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the altar in the hands of the priest.”
-St. Francis of Assisi
“One merits more by devoutly assisting at a Holy Mass than by distributing all of his goods to the poor and traveling all over the world on pilgrimage.”
-St Bernard of Clairvaux
Pray for Peace in Israel/Iran
In light of what’s happening with the war between Iran and Israel, it’s important to keep in mind the Church’s teachings on the evil of war and on the strict conditions in which wars can be justified. It’s important to remember what the Church teaches about war that I’ve referenced previously with regard to conflicts in the Middle East.
Second, we need to pray for peace. Pray not only because this war could escalate in terrible ways. Pray not only so that no more innocent people will die. Pray that there might be peace in the hearts of everyone.
May the supernatural peace of the Holy Spirit be poured out over those who have been wounded and lost loved ones. Let’s entrust the entire region to Jesus, the King of Mercy, who has already won the war over our true enemies of sin, death and Satan.
Your servant in the Lord,
Fr. Mathias