Between the Hearts with Fr. Craig
Thank you so much for my welcome reception at Sacred Heart after all the Masses. It was great to meet so many of you and learn about your personal histories and life with the parish. Sacred Heart is rich with so many stories written in people’s lives. I will cherish these moments and keep them close to my heart in prayer. I look forward to my welcome reception at St. Kateri in a couple of weeks to get to know you all the more. It truly is amazing to be accepted into your lives
We welcome Bishop Jeffery Monforton to Sacred Heart this weekend as a few parishioners will receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation. Bishop Monforton is a wonderful Bishop and a holy man. He was rector at the seminary during my time there and he did so much to teach us seminarians to be good pastors. If you want to know more about his vocation, and the vocation story of other priests in the archdiocese, check out my previous podcast called Men of the Hearts found wherever you get your podcasts.
Now for the new Mass times. I know this is not going to be easy for any of us. Everyone has a favorite time and place in which to attend Mass. However, I am only one priest with two parishes. I truly feel for you, and I am doing everything in my power to be as generous as possible. I chose to be with you when the Mass times change to walk with you during the transition because, as I mentioned last week, I could have had the archdiocese make the changes before my assignment began. I wanted to see you, worship with you, and get to know you before any decisions were made. For this year, the Mass changes will go into effect on the weekend of August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady. I pray that the Blessed Mother will give us peace, comfort, and understanding through this transition. I wish I could tell each of you in person, but by posting in the bulletin, everyone will receive the news at the same time. The Mass times will go as follows:
Sacred Heart: Monday and Wednesday at 9am
Saturday at 4pm
Sunday at 8am and 10am
St. Kateri: Tuesday and Friday at 9am
Saturday at 4pm
Sunday at 12pm
We can keep both Vigil Masses because a Divine Child priest will help at one parish each week. We will rotate each Saturday while I will celebrate all the Sunday Masses. With Confessions, I will hear them a half hour before every Mass both during the week and on the weekend. Whatever parish I’m at on Saturday will have Confessions an hour before Mass. Unfortunately, the Divine Child priests can’t commit to Confessions before the Saturday Mass, so that will rotate every week with me as well. However, with Confession before every Mass otherwise, you have plenty of options to receive that Sacrament. Also, one can always make an appointment for a private Confession. Lastly, Baptisms will take place after the 4pm Mass at each parish. All this information will be posted in our bulletins, social media, and websites. We still have about a month
before this goes into effect to allow us time to get used to the idea. Also, I know that the Tuesday evening Mass at St. Kateri is dear to some people, but it is not feasible with my schedule as most meetings take place in the evening, especially now that I’m the Moderator. I am willing to do Adoration and Perpetual Help devotions after the 9am Mass on Tuesday until noon if that is desirable.
Change is never easy and emotions will run high at times. It is OK, we all feel that way. We are allowed to have feelings and have grief over losing the comfortability of routines and familiarity. However, I know the Lord has something good in store for all of us. In a sense, the archdiocesan restructuring came to us a year early instead of next year with everyone else. I truly believe this will make us grow in Faith, Hope, and Love if we do this together with a generous heart. We can share our parishes, our lives, and our prayer for the greater good of all involved. When next year comes, we will be in a better position to form pastorates that make sense and work seamlessly between the parishes grouped together. I invite us to pray for one another, be kind to one another, give the benefit of the doubt to one another, and to be another Christ to one another. May our hearts be enveloped into the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart of Mary, with St. Kateri giving us the model of patient humility and surrender to His Love. I will never stop praying for you.
In Christ,
Fr. Craig
