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Pastor's Column
- by Fr. Darryl Pepin, Pastor - Our Lady of Peace Parish
Click HERE to email our Pastor. (NOTE: The top entry most recent, previous ones follow)
Updated: Dec. 31, 2011
SCROLL DOWN to the bottom of this page for a list of EXCUSES WHY PEOPLE DON'T ATTEND MASS and my response to them, and for my special HEALING PRAYER AT BEDTIME.
No Pastor's Column until Feb. 5th as Fr. Darryl is on Vacation in sunny California!
For the weekend of December 31, 2011 and January 1, 2012 - Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of our Lord, Jesus Christ
Dear Family of God,
Once again, I would like to wish everyone Merry Christmas. And this time I’ll add, Happy New Year, too!
A great big “thank you” goes to all the people who made our Christmas Liturgies spectacular: our musicians, cantors and choirs, our liturgical ministers, our church decorators and to anyone who helped in any way. Thank you and God bless you all!
I would also like to thank everyone who remembered me with cards, gifts, food and prayers during the Christmas season. All of you are so kind and generous to me. Know that I thank God for you each day. OLOP is a special parish and it is you, the people, who make it so!
I extend an invitation to my annual Epiphany Open House at the rectory next Sunday, January 8 from 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. There will be holiday goodies and a time to gather to continue the joy of the season. I will also take some time to sit at the organ and play (and maybe sing a Christmas song or two.) Again, my Snow Village is bigger and better! (It takes up half of my living room!) So, come and join me as we continue the celebration of Christmas! Bring your friends too!
As we come to a new year it is time to make some resolutions. What are your resolutions for this year? Do any of them have anything to do with deepening your spiritual life or your prayer life? Will you take more time in prayer, reading/studying Sacred Scripture? Will you reach our more to those around you who are in need? Will you work at changing your bad habits, perhaps habits that may lead you into sin? Will you strive to become a holier person this year by attending extra Masses? Whatever you decide to do, ask the Lord to help you and strengthen you and he will help you! All you have to do is ask!
May 2012 be a year of many blessings, good health and happiness for you! But most of all may it be a year where we will all see and experience true peace in our world, our homes and in our hearts.
Love ya, Fr. D
For the weekend of December 24-25, 2011 - Solemnity of the Nativity of our Lord, Jesus Christ
Dear Family of God,
As we celebrate the Birth of Christ, I would like to welcome all to our celebrations! A special welcome is extended to those who have come home for Christmas – our college students, family members and relatives. I welcome too, our seasonal visitors. I would also like to welcome those who come to visit us just at Christmas. I am glad that you have joined us in celebrating Christ’s birthday! And to all our “regulars,” I welcome you too! May God help each of us to keep the Spirit of Christmas alive all year long!
The true meaning of Christmas is in the little Child that rests in a manger-bed - Jesus. He was born a child and yet, He is a king. He appears as an infant and yet, He becomes the Savior of the world. God has become one with us so that we can become one again with God. What an amazing and wonderful thing! I think the true relevance of this Feast is best summed up from one of the Christmas cards I received last week:
When Christmastime comes,
There’s joy to be found
In the promise of peace
And in each sight and each sound.
For the Spirit of Love
Can be seen all around –
When Christmas brings Heaven to Earth.
When Christmas time comes,
Our hearts are content,
For this is the season
When moments are spent,
Reflecting on the Blessing
That heaven has sent –
When Christmas brings Heaven to Earth!
The birth of Jesus shows us how much God cares for us. He was willing to send His only Son into this world to bring us His love, forgiveness and grace. But let us remember that Jesus does not stay a child. He grows up. He teaches us about the Father’s love by his words and actions. He challenges each of us to be faithful to God. He calls us to walk always, day in and day out, as God’s children. Ultimately, he dies on a cross to show us how deep his love really was. He also did this to open the way to heaven for us. But we can only attain that Eternal Glory if we follow Jesus and allow him to guide and lead us each day throughout the year! So please remember to come to Mass each weekend! In our weekly celebration, we hear the words of Jesus in the Scriptures and we receive his precious Body and Blood at Holy Communion. We need these things so that our souls and spirits will be strong and healthy!
At this wonderful Feast of Christmas, I wish you God’s blessings of peace, joy and good health, not only in these days, but also throughout the entire New Year. A very Blessed and Merry Christmas to all!
Love ya, Fr. D
For the weekend of December 17-18, 2011 - Fourth Sunday of Advent
Dear Family of God,
Our Advent Penance Service will be Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. There is no better way to prepare ourselves, our hearts and our souls for Christmas than to be free from sin and at peace with God (and with yourself!) Please consider celebrating God’s healing and forgiving love. Bring someone with you too! There will be six priests available for confessions.
And speaking of bringing someone with you, I want to encourage everyone in the parish to invite someone to join us for our Masses on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. But, not only for those days, but also for each weekend throughout the year! There are many Catholics in our community who do not attend Mass regularly. They really should! Perhaps all it would take would be a reminder from someone (like you!) who does attend regularly. Share with them how the Mass affects you and helps you live your faith in every day life. We know our Church will be crowded with Mass-goers on Christmas. Why is it only at this time of year? It should be that way every weekend! Will you invite someone to attend Mass regularly?
In this last week before Christmas, be sure to take time to reflect on the REAL meaning of Christmas. I know this is a hectic time of year – things to do, places to go, people to meet, gifts to purchase/wrap, baking, decorating, etc. but please remember that Christmas IS the celebration of Christ’s birth! What gift will you give HIM this Christmas? Remember – always keep Christ in Christmas!
Love ya . . . Fr. D
For the weekend of December 3-4, 2011 - Third Sunday of Advent
Dear Family of God,
It’s the Third Sunday of Advent! My how time is flying! Christmas is two weeks away and I am sure many, like myself, have oodles to do – cards to send out, last minute decorations to be put up, cookies to bake, etc. But, the real question is, have we taken time to prepare ourselves spiritually for the celebration of Christ’s birth? Did we take a little extra time each day for prayer and quiet reflection on the Scriptures? Did we do something special for the less fortunate? Have we reached out to those who may need a kind word or even a loving smile? There is still time!
On the Third Sunday in Advent the priest wears rose-colored vestments to mark the halfway point in this holy season. We must remember that we also need to prepare and look forward to his coming again -- at the end of time. So are we ready for whenever he should come? The best way I know of to prepare for this is to purify our minds, hearts and souls. To help you do this, we will have our Advent Penance Service next Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. After a brief Scripture service, there will be six priests to choose from to go to Confession. I encourage you to come and receive God’s loving forgiveness. I also encourage you to invite your family members, relatives and friends. Many of us are not notorious or terrible sinners, but we are sinners nonetheless. Confession can be so healing and strengthening to our spiritual lives that it can actually help make us better people. (I made my Advent confession two Thursdays ago when I attended my Priests’ Support group meeting.) So come to our Penance Service next Sunday and receive God’s healing. Be at peace and prepare the way of the Lord in your heart and soul!
May the Lord fill you with his grace and peace during the coming week! Love ya! Fr. D
For the weekend of December 3-4, 2011 - Second Sunday of Advent
Dear Family of God,
As we begin the second week of Advent, it might be time to take a good look at how we are doing in our spiritual preparation for Christmas after one week. Yes, there are tons of things we want to do to get done physically for Christmas – cards to write/send, cookies to bake, gifts to purchase and wrap, trees to trim and decorate, etc. etc. etc. But, we really do NEED to take time to prepare our hearts and souls! This is what can give us hope. With hope, there is a greater chance of bringing good to conquer evil each day in our lives and in our world. That is why Jesus came to Earth. So, please be sure to make and take the time to pray and reflect each day. Then Christmas will be what it should be! Remember the words of John the Baptist in today’s Gospel – “Prepare the way of the Lord.” How will you do that this week?
A reminder that Thursday is a Holy Day of Obligation! It is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. In trying to fit everyone’s busy schedule, we have FOUR Masses for this Holy Day! (Check out the times in the first column of today’s bulletin.) A day of obligation means that we must attend Mass that day. Plan so you can attend one of the Masses. This feast honors our Catholic belief that Mary herself was conceived without sin. From the moment of her conception in the womb of her mother, Ann, she was called by God to be the worthy Mother of the Only Son of God. But being human, Mary did have a free will and so when the Angel Gabriel visited her and asked if she would accept God’s invitation to be part of the plan of salvation, Mary could have said no. However, she accepted and thus, Jesus, our Lord and Savior, was conceived in her womb. Don’t forget to attend Mass on Wednesday evening or during the day on Thursday!
May God bless each of us and keep us always close to his heart! Love ya! Fr. D
For the weekend of November 26-27, 2011 - First Sunday of Advent
Dear Family of God,
With the First Sunday of Advent, we begin a new “Church Year.” This means we begin again the cycle of celebrations and feasts of the liturgical year. It starts, of course, with the preparation for and the celebration of Christ’s birth at Christmas. Then as the year progresses, we follow his life as he teaches and preaches, suffers, dies and rises from the dead. We repeat these events each year to help us to grow deeper in our understanding of who Jesus is and what he did for us. It is through these events that Jesus brings us salvation. So, as we enter a new liturgical year, let us renew our fervor to understand our precious faith more and so come to know, sever and love Jesus.
Advent is also a time of preparation for the deeper reality of Christmas. It is not just about tinsel, trees, presents and parties. It is about the gift of God’s love for us given in his Son, Jesus. We need to prepare our minds and hearts for this gift! We can do this by taking some quiet time each day in prayer and reflecting on the real meaning of Christmas. We can do this also by doing more spiritual things - reading the Bible, studying the Catechism, using the Advent Wreath prayers or making a good confession. Preparation for Christmas not just a physical thing, is should be spiritual as well. For if we do this, the event of Christmas will be more meaningful than ever!
This weekend we begin to use the newly translated words of the Roman Missal. Please use the pew cards, missalettes and hymnals to help in making this transition. Really listen to the words of the Mass and realize WHO and WHAT it is we celebrate at Mass!
May these days of Advent help us to allow Jesus to be born in our hearts!
Love ya! Fr. D
For the weekend of November 19-20, 2011 - Feast of Jesus Christ the King
Dear Family of God,
As we celebrate the Feast of Thanksgiving, we have a lot to be thankful for! I am thankful for you the faithful parishioners here at OLOP. I am thankful for the wonderful parish and school staff who work so hard to make our parish and school alive with God’s love and grace. I am thankful for our Catholic faith, which teaches you and me not only about Jesus, but challenges us to live as his followers. I am thankful that I live in a country where we are free to express our faith and to worship God without fear. What are you thankful for?
Please join me for a special Thanksgiving Day Mass at 8:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning. The word “Eucharist“ means, “to give thanks!” So, there is no better way to offer thanks to God than to gather at His altar for Mass. I also invite you to bring the bread and wine you will share at your Thanksgiving meal. I will have a special blessing for them at the end of Mass.
After Mass, I will head to Escanaba to celebrate with my family. I will return late Friday evening. Please pray that all who travel during this holiday season will have safe journeys.
Let us always give thanks to the Lord, our God! It is right and just! Love ya! Fr. D
For the weekend of November 12-13, 2011 - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Family of God,
The Lord be with you - And with your spirit!
These will be the words we will use when we start using the new edition of the Roman Missal starting the First Sunday of Advent at the end of this month. In one of the LIGHT weekend packages a couple of months ago I explained this change, but I’ll summarize here so you can understand again why we will be using these words. “And with your spirit” more adequately reflects the Latin text, but it also brings out a fuller theological meaning. The current translation, “And also with you,” seems to give the impression that our response was merely a basic courtesy extended back to the priest when he said, “The Lord be with you.” But there is much more going on here! By responding, “And with your spirit,” you acknowledge the Holy Spirit’s unique activity through the priest during the Mass by virtue of his ordination. You are addressing the “spirit” of the priest, which is at the deepest interior part of his being. He has been ordained precisely to lead the people in the sacred action of making the Body and the Blood of Jesus present at Mass. So be prepared to start using these words! (Please take a moment or two and read over the new prayer cards in the pews, which indicate where changes have been made to your responses at Mass.)
This Thursday, November 17th, at 6:30 p.m. we will have a “Ministry Update Evening.” All members of the parish who serve in any of the liturgical ministries at Mass have been invited refresh themselves in their ministries and to prepare for the implementation of the newly translated Missal. The evening is open to anyone in the parish who would like to attend, however, a special invitation is extended to anyone who may be interested in serving in one of the following ministries: communion minister, usher, lector, choir member, cantor, altar server or greeter. The meeting is planned to last about an hour and will close with a social time in the Parish Hall. Come and join us!
May our gracious and loving God bless each one of us this week with his grace!
Love ya! Fr. D
For the weekend of November 5-6, 2011 - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Family of God,
Once again I want to say THANK YOU to all who have responded to this year’s UPCSA! As of this writing, we still have not reached our goal of $47,499.00. In fact, we are several thousands of dollars short! Please be aware that if we do not make our goal, we will have to pay the remainder out of our parish funds! (And I would not like to do that!) And if for some reason, we do go over our goal, every penny over will come back to us! So, I sincerely ask that if you have not turned your UPCSA card in yet, please do so SOON! We really would like to have ALL pledge cards returned whether you pledge/contribute or not! I know times are tough for many folks. If you are not able to pledge or give this year, write on the card “Unable to give this year” or “I will pray for the diocese” and turn your card in. It is just that simple! Help us attain 100% participation by getting your pledge card in this week! Thanks in advance!
Since we turn our clocks back and the days grow shorter and colder, please remember to be extra careful when walking on the sidewalks and in the parking areas, especially after dark. Sometimes a little moisture can turn quickly to ice and it can be very dangerous. So, be careful! Also, please park carefully between the newly painted lines in our parking areas. This will help you get accustomed to parking properly when the (dreaded) snow does come and parking is at a premium.
I want to remind you too, that the heat in Church does not come on until about 45 minutes before Mass begins. This is to help us save money. So if you come to Mass early, it will be a little cooler in Church than your home. But don’t worry. You won’t freeze and it will warm up once the heat comes on! Just be aware.
May God bless you and help you to have a thankful heart this week!
Love ya! Fr. D
For the weekend of October 29-20, 2011 - 31s t Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Family of God,
Each year at the start of the month of November, we celebrate two wonderful feasts – The Feast of All Saints and the Feast of All Souls. These two feasts remind us that while life in this world is a most precious gift, there is something more – a life beyond this world.
The Feast of All Saints calls us to rejoice in those who now share heavenly glory. The saints are all those who have “made it” into the great Kingdom of Heaven. We have a roster of the canonized saints of our Church. Their earthly lives have been examined and they have been found worthy to be proclaimed saints of our Church. What made them holy was their willingness to do God’s will in their lives. Many saints had human faults and failings, but they always knew of God’s loving kindness and forgiveness. Their heroic lives remind and challenge us to walk always in the ways of the Lord, too! Let us realize that there are many, many other non-canonized saints in our Church as well. These are all those people who now live with God, but are not listed on the “official” roster of saints. All of the “official” and “non-official” saints stand before us examples of faith. They call to us to live good, holy lives so that we can work our way to sainthood too in the heavenly kingdom! All Saints Day is a holy day of obligation this year. Please see the Mass schedule for our holy day Masses.
The Feast of All Souls calls us to remember those who have left this world, but are still awaiting the heavenly vision of God. We are called to remember all these souls in prayer and to lift them up to the Lord. On All Souls day here at OLOP, we remember in a special way all those who have who have entered Eternal Life since last All Souls Day. Our “Memorial Scroll” on the reredos lists the names of all these people who seek our prayers and remembrances. This Sunday evening, we will have our annual “Service of Remembrance.” This special service will be held at 6:00 p.m. The families of all those who have died during the past year have been invited to come forward during the service to light a candle in memory of their loved ones. All members of the Parish Family are invited to join us for this special service. As I said earlier, these two feasts call us to remember that there is a life beyond this world. Let us live today so that some day, we can be with the Lord forever!
Two Fridays ago, Chuck Gervasio, a permanent diaconate candidate from our parish, took another step toward his ordination. Chuck received the Ministry of Acolyte. What this means is he is now as an instututed Acolyte he is appointed to assist at the altar and serve as a minister to give Holy Communion to the faithful at the liturgy and to the sick. During the institution ceremony, Chuck was reminded that he will have a special role in the Church’s ministry, since the summit and source of the Church’s life is the Eucharist. Congratulations Chuck! We look forward to your ordination to the permanent diaconate next June!
Have a blessed week! Love ya, Fr. D
For the weekend of October 22-23, 2011 - 30 th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Family of God,
October is the month where we pray for a respect for all life. For us humans it is from conception until natural death. For our wonderful plant, it is a respect for nature and all living things. November, which is just around the corner, we recall those who have left this life. All Saints Day, November 1, celebrates the men and women who bravely witnessed their faith in this world and now enjoy the fullness of life in God’s Kingdom. (All Saints Day, a Tuesday, IS a Holy Day this year! So start making plans to attend Mass this day!) All Souls Day, November 2, asks us to pray for those who have died, especially over this past year. Our annual “Service of Remembrance” will take place next Sunday evening, October 30, at 6:00 p.m. We will call to mind and remember those of our Parish Family who have died since last All Souls Day. Come join us and prayerfully support the family members who will come forward to light a candle in memory of their departed loved one.
I would like to say thank you to all who have returned their UPCSA cards and pledges! Your promptness and your generosity are most appreciated! However, there are a lot of cards still out there! If you have not returned your card or made a pledge yet, please do so this week! We would like to wrap up this year’s UPCSA as soon as possible! Get your pledge and your card in! Doing so will save us a lot of work and a lot of postage!
Over seventy people attended our Healing and Anointing Service last Sunday afternoon. I truly felt God’s power working in our midst as people were prayed over and anointed! Thank yous go to those who attended and especially those who served the lunch and the LIGHT weekend coffee socials! We have such a great parish!
May God bless us this week and help us to remember to love Him with all our hearts and souls and to love our neighbor as ourselves! Love ya! Fr. D
For the weekend of October 15-16, 2011 - 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Family of God,
We have had a great response to our request for you to update your family information for our parish roster; however, there are still quite a few folks that haven’t done this yet! So, you will have the chance after this weekend’s Masses to do this! It only takes a few minutes to look over your information and make corrections. For doing this, you will receive a free copy of our wonderful little booklet detailing our Church’s beautiful stained-glass windows! This is important as reports to the Diocese of Marquette are based on this information. So, please stop at the table after Mass. If you are not able to do that, you can stop at the Parish Office anytime during the week!
I want to thank everyone for their prayers for our Priests’ Convocation that was held two weeks ago. We had a wonderful presenter, Fr. Al Bradley, a Redemptorist priest, who spoke to us about the New Evangelization in our Church. This is not a new program or a new idea, but rather a way of life for all of us in the Church, priest and laity alike! By being who we are supposed to be as followers of Jesus, we can evangelize those around us! Our words and actions need to show our faith to others. Also, all of us need to be more active in reaching out and inviting the fallen-away and lax Catholics back to Church. So, what will you do this week to encourage someone to join us for Mass next weekend?
I also want to say thank you for the many cards, gifts, remembrances and prayers for my birthday several weeks ago! Your kindenss and remembrances were overwhelming! I had a great 60th birthday (in fact, I'm still eating birthday cake!) May God bless you all!
If you feel you need the grace of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, please join us Sunday afternoon for our Healing and Anointing Service! We will start at 1:00 p.m. And don’t forget to join us our Teen Mass Sunday evening at 5:00 p.m.
May God grant us all a week filled with his love! Love ya! Fr. D
There was no Pastor's Column for the weekend of October 8-9, 2011
For the weekend of October 1-2, 2011 - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Family of God,
As you notice in this coming week’s Mass schedule, there are Communion Services scheduled for Monday through Thursday. The reason for this is our Bishop has called all active priests of the Diocese to a convocation for these days. We will gather at the Four Seasons Resort near Pembine, Wisconsin where our speaker is Fr. Allan Bradley, a Redemptorist priest, will speak and work with us on the subject of the “Parish Priest and the New Evangelization.” This is an in an effort to help us reach out to our lax and fallen away Catholics to encourage and invite them to return to Church. It is also to help us enliven our parishes to make them welcoming and inviting to any who come to us.
We have these convocations every three years to bring all of the active priests of the U.P. together. Our diocese covers the whole U.P. and sometimes we don’t have a chance to be with each other except for occasions such as this. So, please be sure to keep all of us in your prayers during the coming week. The retired priests of our area are “on call” should the need arise.
I have been asked to play the piano and provide music for all the liturgies and Masses during the Convocation, so say a special prayer for me that I don’t hit too many wrong notes or lead the priests astray in their singing!
If you haven’t signed up for one of the study groups on the Mass yet, please do so! I would love to see as many participants as possible! Each session lasts about an hour and a half and consists of a presentation and discussion. There is also some reading that will need to be done before each session. Come and learn more about the “source and summit” of our Catholic Faith – the Mass!
A reminder: Please get your UPCSA card in as soon as possible!
Know that while I am away this week, you will be in my heart and prayers. Please pray for the Convocation! God bless you! Love ya! Fr. D
For the weekend of September 24-25, 2011 - 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Family of God,
Thanks to everyone who participated in our Ministry Fair last Sunday. If you missed it, you can still visit the ministry tables in the Conference Room and you are definitely welcomed to sign up for any of the ministries you would be interested in! I also want to thank those who took the time to review/update their parish family information. This will help us in keep our parish records up-to-date. Remember, if you do this you will receive a free copy of our Stained-Glass Window booklet!
Tuesday, October 4th, is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis is the beloved patron saint of animals and pets. In honor of his feast day, we will have the annual Blessing of Pets this Saturday morning, October 1st, at 9:00 a.m. in the Mansfield Street parking lot. Bring your dog, cat, goldfish, horse, cow or whatever pet you have, for this special blessing! In case of bad weather, the Blessing will take place in the St. Joseph Room.
Next Sunday is Respect Life Sunday. Throughout the nation, people will be gathering in prayer praying for a respect for all human life – from the moment of conception until natural death. Here at OLOP, we will be doing likewise. At 3:00 p.m. Sunday, October 2nd, you are invited to gather in church for the praying of the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. When people pray, mighty things occur! So, join in praying for a respect for all human life.
We are gearing up for “A Biblical Walk Through the Mass.” There are five groups, however, I have decided to have an all men’s group for this study on Saturday mornings starting October 7th at 8:00 a.m. (We can start earlier if the group decides.) This group is open to all men high-school age and older. I am aware that sometimes men find it easier to share thoughts and feelings with other men. So, men come and join me and let’s explore the Mass!
Have a blessed week! Love ya! Fr. D
For the weekend of September 17-18, 2011 - 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Family of God,
Welcome to our Ministry Fair Weekend! This is the time for you to step up to the plate and offer some of your time and talent for our parish. We have so many ministries and activities that you can be involved in. Some may say, “Who me? You don’t want me, do you??” The answer is a resounding, “YES! We want you! We need you! We desire you to get involved!” Too often, people think that coming to Church each weekend is enough and in reality it isn’t! A parish is more than just a group of Mass-goers! A parish is a living and vital organization that thrives if everyone does something for the good of all! So, check out what is available to you by visiting the Ministry Fair in the Conference Rooms! Most ministries need about an hour two of your time a month, that’s all! Of course, there are some that require more, but I am asking you to give what you can! If you cannot give that, then get involved in one of our prayer ministries! This is where you do not need to be in front of a group as it is something you can do in privacy of your own home. The old saying is so true – many hands make light work and many people involved make our parish alive and the best it can be. How will you offer your time and talent at the Ministry Fair??
Don’t forget to stop by the tables in the St. Joseph Room to update your parish census information! This is important! All our reports to the diocese (like UPCSA and the UP Catholic Newspaper) are based on this information. It will take only a few minutes of your time and you will be helping us immensely! As a bonus, by checking over your information, you will receive a free copy of the recently published booklet explaining our Church’s beautiful stained-glass windows! So, please be sure to check over your information!
Two weeks ago, our long-time organist/pianist, Mary Mazzon, informed me that she desired to retire after many, many years of sharing her gift of music with our parish. She was the organist/pianist for our mixed choir for many years and stepped down from that several years ago and yet she continued to play for our Resurrection funeral choir, the Men’s Choir and our school Masses until just recently. Mary, you have earned your retirement! And the parish and I wish to thank you so very much for all you have done for us! May good health and happiness be with you as you enjoy retirement! God bless you always!
May God grant us all a great week! Love ya! Fr. D
For the weekend of September 10-11, 2011 - 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Family of God,
With the end of summer we have the start of school. Last Tuesday morning, I was at the doors of our school, All Saints Catholic Academy, and saw lots of smiling faces from both youngsters and adults alike! I think the kids were happy to be back in school. They got to see their classmates and chums. The teachers were eager to begin a new year helping the children learn, grow and understand new things. The parents who were present were happy too seeing their children off to school. (However, I do wonder if their smiles were more because their children would be in school and not at home!) I gave the students and teachers a special blessing asking God to be with them in this new school year and to help them delve deeply into the mysteries of math, spelling, science, reading and religion. I urge you to pray for a good school year for our school as well as for all the schools in our area!
Several weeks ago I mentioned that Bishop Sample, along with the bishops of our country, have called for a special collection to be taken for the urgent humanitarian needs in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. Due to severe drought and famine, so many people have no food, water, medical care or medicine. To date, we have had a few people respond. We are still looking for people who would like to offer assistance. Please place your donation in an envelope and mark it: “African Relief.” All donations will be forwarded to Catholic Relief Services who has been on site and is helping to take care of the dire needs of these poor people. Our bishop also asked us to pray for these people too.
In a couple of weeks we will have our annual Ministry Fair. This is where you can offer your services, time and talent to help make OLOP Parish the best it can be. Be thinking of where you can help. Most ministries and activities only need a few hours of your time each month, so everyone should be able to offer at least that! Over the years, I have heard people say – “I put in my time years ago” or “They don’t need me!” Bah humbug! We need you! We want you! We really do! The more people offering their time and talent, the less work for everyone! So, be willing to offer some of your time to help in one or more of the ministries and activities!
We have not had an update to our parish census/roster for a number of years now and so as part of the Ministry Fair we will be undertaking this task. Each family will be asked to take a few minutes after Mass to review your parish census information and offer corrections and updates. If for some reason, we do not have any information on you or your family, this will be the time where you can fill in a parish information form. It can be done in less than 3 minutes! All of this will help bring our parish information up-to-date. This is important to us, as this information is important in so many ways! As an incentive, we will offer you a copy of our recently published booklet featuring our beautiful stained glass windows! The booklet has been over a year in the making and it turned out beautifully! So, each family that updates or provides their information will receive a booklet free of charge. Extra copies will be available for five dollars. So, be ready to update your information and get your copy of our Stained Glass Window Booklet!
May God grant us all a week filled with his grace, peace and love!
Love ya! Fr. D
For the weekend of September 3-4, 2011 - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Family of God,
I want to offer a great big Thank You to everyone who made our Polka Masses and Parish Picnic last Sunday a wonderful event! So many people helped in many ways and I am grateful for all the hard work – for those who organized, set up, cooked, served and cleaned up – I say Thank You and God bless you! I also say thank you to all who brought wonderful salads and desserts. Everything was delicious! (I did try to taste a little of everything, but there was so much, I don’t think I even got half-way through the food table! I didn’t even have room for the ice cream!)
Once again, the Singing Slovenes were fantastic and even remarked how much they again enjoyed their visit here to OLOP. They were especially praiseworthy of the food. I have asked them to come back next year and they said they would. They will be providing entertainment for Bishop Baraga Days in Petoskey September 24-26. Since they are traveling by bus, they will stop here in Ironwood if anyone would like to join them on the trip. Seating is limited and is on a first come-first serve basis. More information can be found by calling Frank Bucar, the director of the Singing Slovenes at (218) 626-1938.
Since school starts this week, I want to ask all parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, if you have ever considered All Saints Catholic Academy as the school for your child, grandchild, niece or nephew? We offer a complete, comprehensive Catholic and general education for our students! All of our teachers are Michigan certified and have up-to-date teaching credentials. We have music, art, math, reading/accelerated reading, gym, social studies and more! Our school offers tutoring and special assistance for those students who need it. Above all, each day religion is not taught only as a subject but is infused throughout the day. Daily prayer, Wednesday Mass and special religious events are part of our regular curriculum. We offer a more individualized contact between each student and teacher for a great learning experience. So, please consider All Saints Catholic Academy as the school for your child! For more information, you may call the school at 932-3200. You’ll be glad you did!
As you noticed, there will be a Communion Service on Thursday morning. I will be attending a workshop for priests at Marygrove Retreat Center on the new translation of the Roman Missal. The workshop starts Wednesday afternoon and goes to Thursday evening. As you are aware, this change will affect all of us, but it affects us priests most especially since we have most of the words during Mass. It is important to remember that the way we celebrate Mass will not change, only the words! The readings also, will not change. Please pray for me and the priests and deacons who will be attending this workshop.
Have a blessed week! Love ya! Fr. D
For the weekend of August 27-28, 2011 - 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Family of God,
I wish to welcome back the Singing Slovenes from Duluth as they lead us with their music ministry at our Saturday evening 4:00 p.m. Mass and our Sunday 11:00 a.m. Mass! May their music inspire us to lift our hearts and souls to the Lord! Then on Sunday following the Mass, they will join us for our annual parish potluck picnic where, after the meal, they will provide music for our listening and dancing pleasure. We are so glad you are back with us and want to say thank you for your ministry and your wonderful music!
Next, I’d like to welcome our all visitors. We are honored and glad that you have joined us as we celebrate the Mystery of Faith - the Eucharist! Know that you are always most welcome to join us at anytime!
For our “regulars,” I also want to say thank you for coming to Mass so faithfully and supporting our parish with your time, talent and treasure. We could never do what we do without you!
As we hear the words of our Scriptures today, Let us pray that we can have the strength to respond to Jesus’ call to take up our cross daily (whatever they may be!) and to be willing to lose our life for his sake. And in the words of St. Paul, may we be able to discern in our daily lives the very best way we can “offer (our) bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, our spiritual worship.” If we do this, then just maybe, we will be able to encourage and welcome back some of those who do not attend Mass regularly. Remember, evangelizing is everyone’s job! You know, you may be the only Bible some people may ever read!
And everyone, please be sure to join us for our picnic Sunday afternoon. It will be in our Parish Hall. Bring a dish to share (salad, hot dish, dessert) and a joyful spirit! The meal will start at approximately 12:45 p.m.
May God bless us all this coming week with his grace, love and peace! Love ya! Fr. D
P.S. Just a note, if you attend Mass here regularly and consider Our Lady of Peace your parish and are not receiving Church envelopes (unless you have told us otherwise), it could mean we do not have you on our parish roster. If this is the case, please contact the Parish Office so we can rectify this matter. Just call 932-0174. Registering takes only a couple of minutes. Everyone over the age of 18 should be registered.
For the weekend of August 20-21, 2011 - 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Family of God,
Next Sunday we will have the opportunity to hear the Singing Slovenes at both the Saturday evening Mass (and it will be broadcast to our homebound and those who listen to it on Sunday morning on WUPM at 7:00 a.m.!) AND on Sunday at our 11:00 a.m. Mass! Following the Sunday Mass, we will have our annual “picnic” where we can gather to share a good meal and have some fun listening and dancing. The parish will provide the hamburgers and hotdogs and you are asked to bring a salad or dessert to share. In past years, we have some wonderful salads and desserts, so make and bring your favorite! The picnic will be in the Parish Hall. We still need people to help in setting up, cooking the meats, serving and cleaning up. Please help us and sign up on the table in the St. Joseph Room.
Our Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Finance Council are looking for some new members! The Pastoral Council oversees the ministry and mission of the parish, while the Finance Council oversees the financial and physical aspects. Membership on either council requires that you be a member of the parish and willing to assist our parish in being the very best it can be! Please consider becoming a member of either Council. If you have questions or are interested, please contact one of the following members (or myself) to indicate your desire to become a member:
Pastoral Council Finance Council
Chuck Gervasio – President Don Pelkola – President
Roy Collins – Vice President Sue Sikonia – Secretary
Esther Maki – Secretary Shirley Pertile
Gerard Lauzon John Rundquist
John Ambrose Georgia McDonald
Pat Niksich James Wilman
Char Brickner
Connie Wallenius
Mary Ann Guzek-Kimball
Marilyn Smollar
May God grant us all a blessed week filled with his grace and peace!
Love ya! Fr. D
For the weekend of August 13-14, 2011 - 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Family of God,
Our parish picnic and polka Mass are fast approaching – Sunday, August 28! Have you signed up yet to help? We need help cooking the meats (this is done after the 8:00 a.m. Mass); setting up the hall and decorating (cam be done on Saturday), help in the kitchen and serving during the meal and help cleaning up after. The Singing Slovenes will be here for both our Saturday evening Mass and the Sunday 11:00 a.m. Mass. But the picnic will only be after the Sunday 11:00 a.m. Mass. Please sign up to help! The old saying is so true – many hands make light work! So, please help us out here! Also, since the parish is providing the meats, buns, coffee and lemonade, you are asked to bring a dish to share. Please let us know what you intend to bring – salad or dessert, so we can plan accordingly.
I am happy to report that our school now has a brand new Duro-Last roof! Todd Nasi Roofing finished the work two Friday’s ago. We also added 4 inches of styrofoam insulation, so the school will now be snug as a bug in a rug when the winter snows fly. This will help keep the heating costs for the school down during the winter months as well. The cost of the new roof was $33,000 and was financed with the monies from the Faith in the Future Campaign that were so generously given by you! Our next big project will be our parking lot repairs. We are not going to completely replace our asphalt, but rather repair the sinking areas and fix up the broken areas.
Have a blessed and wonderful week! Love ya! Fr. D
PS. There are opening in all grades at All Saints Catholic Academy! Register today for the 2011-2012 School Year. Call (906) 932-3200 or (906) 932-0174 today!
For the weekend of August 6-7, 2011 - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Family of God,
With school starting just around the corner, I would like to extend an invitation to all families with children to attend All Saints Catholic Academy! We have openings in all classes – Pre- kindergarten (3 and 4 year olds) through sixth grade. This year looks like it will be an exciting year. So why not come and join the All Saints family! For more information, contact the school at 932-3200. Parents are reminded that the Tuition Contract should be turned in before the start of school and needs to be signed by me. Call the me to schedule a time to have this done.
Want to help support the school and help students attend? Why not consider making a donation to our Adopt-A-Student Fund. Some families would like to send their children to All Saints Academy, but the cost of tuition scares them away. By making a donation to the Adopt-A-Student Fund, tuition assistance can be made available to these families. Any and all donations are gladly accepted and are tax deductible. For more information, contact the Parish Office or me directly. You can even make a donation for a specific student or family, if you prefer. No child should be denied a Catholic education because of lack of funds!
And while speaking of supporting our school, please remember to purchase and use SCRIP often! It really costs you nothing. You get every penny’s worth of your dollar. Since you have to purchase groceries, buy gas for your car and like many others, eat out occasionally, why not use SCRIP to do this? It does mean planning ahead and purchasing your SCRIP before you go, but it really does help our school. Did you know that our local merchants who participate in the SCRIP program give anywhere from 2% to 10% back to the school when SCRIP is used? Please use SCRIP! Our school needs the added income!
Also to help the school please be aware that we do collect Kemps and Morning Glory milk jug caps. We get five to ten cents each for these. We also collect Campbell’s Soup Labels and Box Tops for Education. Each of these also brings added income to our school. And don’t forget to save pop and beer can tabs and the cans themselves. We turn the cans for cash and the pop-top tabs are sent to Ronald McDonald House for children. All of these things can be placed in the bins near the elevator in the St. Joseph Room.
As we come to the high point of summer, let us remember to thank God for the beauty that surrounds us in creation. All too often, we don’t appreciate the beautiful part of the world in which we live. Take time to smell the smells and see the beauty!
God bless you and have a great week! Love ya! Fr. D
There was no Pastor's Column for July 30-31,2011 - Sorry!
For the weekend of July 23-24, 2011 - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Family of God,
We had a great 25th anniversary celebration last Sunday and many people assisted in making it so! So, I would like to thank a number of people and groups: the committee that helped with the planning (not only of the Mass and dinner, but all the events that will occur throughout the remainder of this year); the mixed choir and Annette Burchell for the wonderful music at Mass; those who decorated the church and the parish hall; Chuck Gervasio who emceed our banquet program. (I loved his comment at the start of the meal on that very hot day – "It’s cool to be Catholic!") Our Bishop was duly impressed and pleased with our celebrations. Let us always remember his words, "I hold up Our Lady of Peace Parish in Ironwood as a model of what can happen when several parishes merge and work together. God bless you for being a great sign of hope for our diocese!" May the Good Lord give us many more years of building the "City of God" here in Ironwood!
This past week we received the second installment of the proceeds of your generosity to the Faith in the Future Capital Campaign. To date, our parish has received $45,904.52 and our school has received $45,904.52! These monies are set aside to take care of the capital projects that we listed on our "Case Statements." So, here is a reporting of what we have done thus far. First for the school: Last summer, we replaced the floor tiles in our school building. They were original to the building (1954) and were coming unglued. Not only that, they were crumbling as tried to re-glue them to the floor. We also knew that they contained asbestos! So, with a $32,000.00 loan from the Diocese, we were able to safely remove all the asbestos tiles and replace them with new vinyl tiles. We did this knowing that some of the campaign monies would go to repay this loan to the diocese. Secondly, just last week, we got the approval of the bishop to replace the roof on our school. Being almost as old as the building, it lasted a lot longer than expected! Early last fall, it started leaking! So, sometime near the end of the month, a new Duro-Last roof (same roofing we have on the St. Joseph Room and the gym) will be installed on our school. The cost of this will be $33,500.00.
For the parish, we needed a new stove for our hall kitchen. We learned that a local business had a recently purchased ten-burner gas range and being too large for their needs. They put it up for sale. (It was not even a year old!) They were willing to sell it to us at a reduced price (original price was $3,200.00.) So after a little haggling, we purchased it for $2,800.00! But before it is installed in our kitchen, our Parish Finance Council determined that we should replace the floor tiles in the kitchen. These tiles are very worn, cracked in places and coming unglued in other places. (Thankfully, these tiles do not contain asbestos! So, no moon-suited men will be needed here!) That cost will be around $1,800.00 and it should be installed sometime in early August. We also have the repair of our parking lots and school playground out on bid. We have received one bid so far. Also, gutters will be installed on the rectory later this summer to help push water away from the building. (We wanted to put gutters on the church and parish office building, but being that they have clay tile roofs, this is not possible.)
So as you see, we are moving ahead with the capital needs that we told you about in our "case statements." However, we can do this because of your generous pledges to the Faith in the Future Campaign! This is what is allowing us to do this work. Thank you and God bless you for your generosity. And please, be sure to keep your payments to the Faith in the Future Campaign up to date!
Have a blessed and joy-filled week! Love ya! Fr. D
For the weekend of July 16-17, 2011 - 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
25 Years!
Dear Family of God,
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, O.L.O.P.!!! We are 25 years old this year! In1986, three parishes merged into one. While it was not an easy task, tears and hurt happened, but here we are 25 years later, a wonderful Catholic Community here in Ironwood! At the inaugural Mass in July 1986, a theme was chosen: “Let us build the City of God!” And that is what we have tried to do, to make the City of God present here in Ironwood and present in our hearts. While so much has happened over the past 25 years, we have so much to look forward to in the future.
We welcome Bishop Alexander Sample into our midst today as we celebrate our 11:00 a.m. Mass. We are most glad you are here with us! We welcome the visitors and guests of our parishioners who have come to be with us. And to all our “regulars!” I want to say thanks for your support for our parish family.
So we pray - Thank you, Lord, for all the many blessings given us over these past 25 years. And please, continue to bless us with your grace, love and courage so we can boldly move into the future!
What happened to the front lawn of the parish offices and church? Last winter, we had a water break to the water line that came to the parish offices (former rectory) and church. During repairs, we discovered that the old pipe was made of lead! This is both now illegal and dangerous as lead can poison and cause all kinds of health issues. Being that the pipes were lead, we needed to replace them. Cloverland Excavating did the work. While it doesn’t look all that great right now, over the next few weeks the grass will grow in again and in short time everything will be beautiful once again. But most importantly, our water supply is now safe and free from lead!
I want to make a little note of appreciation to Doris Carlson, who for the past 25 years has faithfully brought the Holy Eucharist to the residents of Josephson’s Nursing Home every First Friday. She is “retiring” from this ministry. Thank you, Doris! We do have another person, Judy Levra, who will continue to do this for the residents of Josephson’s weekly, however, if there is anyone who is interested in helping in this ministry, please contact me or the Parish Office.
Once again, Happy Anniversary, O.L.O.P! May God bless each and everyone! Love ya! Fr. D
For the weekend of July 9-10, 2011 - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Family of God,
Next weekend we will celebrate our 25th Anniversary as a Parish. In 1986, three parishes – Holy Trinity, St. Michael and St. Ambrose – came together as one and formed Our Lady of Peace Parish. Those were difficult days. Seeing your beloved parish and Church closed and perhaps torn down was distressing to you. But here we are after 25 years, alive, well and celebrating many blessings from our God!
Please join us at our 11:00 a.m. Mass next Sunday when Bishop Alexander Sample will be with us. Following the Mass, a Silver Jubilee Banquet will take place in our Parish Hall. Tickets are $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children. You can purchase your banquet ticket after Mass or in the Parish Office. So be sure to get your ticket soon! A short program will be part of the banquet.
Since this is our Silver Jubilee year, we have a major event planned for each month of the remainder of this year. You might want to mark these dates on your calendar!
On August 28th, the Singing Slovenes will be here for our annual Polka Mass and Parish Pot Luck Picnic.
In September, we will have “Renew your Registration.” This is where we will ask you to check over your current address, telephone number, family members, birthdates, etc. in an effort to update our parish census. As an incentive, everyone who does this will receive a free full-color booklet detailing our Church’s beautiful stained glass windows! (Additional booklets will be available for a nominal cost.) Also in September will be our annual Ministry Fair where you can volunteer for one or more of the many ministries in our parish, and sign-ups for our faith formation programs for adults and children.
In October, we are planning a special Mass where our homebound, shut-ins and nursing home parishioners will be invited to attend (we will provide transportation, if needed.) Then following the Mass we will have a “healing service” with the Anointing of the Sick.
November will bring us to implement the Revised Roman Missal and we will use this month as a time to provide an update and refresher for all our liturgical ministries.
In December we will have our usual Advent Meal, but an added event will be a Parish Christmas Caroling Party! We will gather to sing Christmas carols, go out to visit some of our homebound to carol to them and then come back to the Parish Hall for hot chocolate and cookies. In the spring, we are looking at putting together a new parish photo directory since the last one we did is now almost eleven years old. If there is anyone interested in working on this project, please let me know.
So, we have quite a year planned as we celebrate our 25 years of blessings as Our Lady of Peace Parish. May God continue to bless us and Mary, Our Lady of Peace, guide us closer to the heart of her Son, Jesus Christ!
Have a blessed week! Love ya! Fr. D
For the weekend of July 2-3, 2011 - 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Family of God,
With Independence Day upon us, let us remember that this day is not just about picnics, camping, being at the lake or swimming, fireworks, etc. Let us remember the real reason for the day -- We celebrate our freedom! The brave people who formed this country over two hundred years ago worked very hard to ensure that future generations (like us) could enjoy freedom in all its forms. July 4th is the birthday of our nation! And what a great nation we have! It is not perfect, nor are our leaders perfect. That is we need to pray that God will continue to bless our country and help us to continue the vision of our brave ancestors. We need to pray and work to ensure that “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is for all people. Also, let us never forget those who have served in our armed forces to ensure our freedom -- the men, the women, the young, the old, the living and the dead. They willing served to keep us free. May God bless those who have died with Eternal Life. May He grant those who are still living many countless blessings. For those who are currently serving in our armed forces, especially those who are in harm’s way, may God give them protection and grace! Happy Birthday, America!
I have been busy being a “tour guide” for Fr. Fred and Maureen Tiffany (from California.) This past week, we saw local sights but this week, I will take them to the Copper Country. Wednesday and Thursday, I will be with them in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area to do some sight seeing there. Then, Friday they will fly back to California. It has been great having them here for these summer days!
Enjoy the summer weather and remember to take time each day to thank God for his many blessings!
Love ya! Fr. D
PS. There are opening in all grades at All Saints Catholic Academy! Register today for the 2011-2012 School Year. Call (906) 932-3200 or (906) 932-0174 today!
EXCUSES WHY PEOPLE DO NOT ATTEND MASS and my reponse
Mass is too long!
Come on! How can so many people sit and watch a football game on television for almost three hours and never complain that it is too long? The fact of the matter is: Jesus hung on a cross for three hours because of our sins. One hour out of our busy week is not asking too much, now, isn’t it? (Remember, there are total of 168 hours in a week, one hour is 1/168th of your total time per week! That's just about 52 hours a year out of a total of 8,736 hours a year! )
I don’t like the priest.
The Mass is not nor should not be centered on the priest. It is to be centered on Jesus, hearing His word and receiving Him in the Eucharist! Perhaps we don’t like our boss at work, does that mean we stop going to work? Please remember that priests are human beings too, with all kinds of faults and failings. Maybe we don’t like the priest because we don’t like to see ourselves in him?
We sing too much.
St. Augustine said that the person who sings actually prays twice! What would a birthday party be if we didn’t sing “Happy Birthday.” Or what would Christmas be like if we didn’t sing the Christmas carols? Music is part of our lives and music can and will lift our hearts and souls to God if we allow it to happen. Some people don’t like to sing because they can’t or they feel they don’t sing very well. An old priest once said, “God gave you the voice you have; if you can sing like an opera singer, then sing like an opera singer. If can only croak like a frog, then croak like a frog!”
There are “better” things to do, like fish, golf, go to camp, go shopping.
While being in nature can remind us of God's ever-presence and we perhaps can feel that presence when we are surrounded by the beauty of nature, however, can any of these give us the spiritual help we need to gain Eternal Life in heaven? We need to hear God’s Word proclaimed in the Scriptures to help us follow Jesus and just as our bodies need food to be strong and healthy, our spirits/souls need the Food of the Eucharist to be strong and healthy spiritually as well. Also, we need each other! We are God's family and the family that gathers together can grow in his love, grace, strength and peace.
My Church was closed or torn down.
Was it really “your” Church? Did you “own” it? Shouldn’t the Church be more than just a building? How long ago did this happen? When will be time to get over it and get back into practicing your faith? Don’t you really miss receiving Holy Communion and celebrating the Mass? Yes, admittedly closing or tearing down a church building is a traumatic event. It would be comparable to witnessing the tearing down our childhood home or the home where we grew up. However, as adults we have learned that things are always changing in life. Sometimes, we have no control over this. It just happens. Such moments can help us grow and accept what is and not what we think things should be. Our faith does not reside in a building.
Mass is boring! It’s always the same! We do the same thing Sunday after Sunday!
Oh really? Each Sunday, the Scripture readings and homily are different from the week before and the week after. Why is it we can do the same things over and over again in our homes and at work and it isn’t boring to us? Don’t we brush our teeth or comb our hair every day? We brush our teeth to keep them healthy and strong. We comb our hair so we are presentable to those around us. Shouldn’t we want to be strong spiritually and presentable to God? You know some day God will call us home to himself. Shouldn’t we be ready at a moments’ notice?
I don’t need a Church to pray.
This is true, we don’t need a Church to pray in, but our Catholic Faith is a communal faith. It is not just a “me and God” faith. We need to worship and pray with others in order to receive the full benefit of our prayer. Praying with others actually strengthens our prayer. Jesus himself said, “Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them.”
What’s the big deal about a piece of bread and a sip of wine?
We believe that after the Consecration at Mass, the bread and wine are no longer bread and wine; they are the true Body and Blood of Jesus Himself. Having Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, come down on the altar under the forms of bread and wine is one of the greatest of all miracles in our world today! To be able to receive Jesus into our hearts, souls and bodies allows His Body and Blood to become a real part of us. He gives Himself to us to nourish us and strengthen us to become more like Him in our daily life.
A priest yelled at me in the confessional. No one from my Church visited me when I was in the hospital. I am disgusted with the recent scandals in the Church. They aren’t very welcoming at my local parish. The Church is so full of hypocrites.
It is very upsetting when anyone is hurt or scandalized by the Church, however, we cannot allow these injuries or frustrations to become an obstacle to our relationship with God. The Church, it’s leaders and member are human just as we all are humans. Too often we would rather criticize and complain. Perhaps the Lord is calling you to become part of the solution instead of part of the problem.
I am not allowed to receive Holy Communion because I am divorced.
Being divorced does not stop you from going to Holy Communion. Years ago there was a misconception that if someone was divorced they were excommunicated from the Church. That has never been the case! The only thing that prevents someone from receiving the Eucharist is if they have divorced and remarried outside of the Church. That marriage would be considered invalid and thus would prevent someone from receiving the Eucharist until such a time that the previous marriage is annulled and the new marriage blessed in the Church.
There are no Mass times that are convenient for me. Masses are either too early or too late for me to attend.
Our society today has lost all concept of the word “sacrifice.” We do or don’t do things because they are or are not “convenient” for us. Was it “convenient” for Jesus to come down from heaven, walk the face of the earth and suffer and sacrifice his life on the cross for us? No! Why is it we can find all kinds of time to do the things we want and the things we should do or need to do get put off? Years ago, Masses on Sunday only were allowed to fulfill a person’s obligation to attend Mass. Now, we can fulfill that obligation by attending Mass on Saturday evening or sometimes, even on a Sunday evening (here at OLOP, we will be having a Sunday evening Mass once a month!) There are probably other Catholic Churches in the area that have different Mass times, perhaps one of those would fit your schedule. Whatever the case, please remember God's Commandment, “Keep holy the Lord’s Day” and attend Mass each weekend. It may not be convenient, but it is something we know we should do!
All they want is my money.
Yes, it is true we take up a collection, but that money is used to pay our bills. Like a most people, we have the water bill. We have heating fuel and electric bills. We have property insurances. We must pay salaries to the people who work for the church. Sometimes we need money to repair our buildings or furnace. The Church gets no money from the diocese or the state/federal government. There is no other way for us to pay our bills if we didn’t have a weekly collection. Contributing to the church helps us keep our financial commitments
If you would like to discuss any of these remarks or other concerns you may have, please feel free to email me at olopiwd@gmail.com or call the Parish Office at (906) 932-0174.
Healing Prayer at Bedtime
Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, go back into my family and in my memory as I sleep. Every hurt that has been done to others in my family or to me, heal that hurt. Every hurt that I may have caused to someone, heal that hurt. But Jesus, if there is anything I need to do, if a person is still suffering from any wickedness or my own wickedness, bring healing and grace to that hurt. If I caused it, bring to my awareness those whom I have hurt and need to remedy. Lord, I choose to forgive others and ask for your forgiveness on the past. Remove any bitterness that may remain in my family or in my heart, and fill it with your everlasting love. Amen!
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