The Last Letters

Hard to believe I’ll just have a few more of these bulletin letters to write to you. Whether very many read them or not—and as much as it is a scramble sometimes to think of what to write about and get it finished—I’ve enjoyed the opportunity for another means of communication and handing on something of the faith. Ranging from topics of the sacred to the mundane, singing the Mass rather than just singing at Mass, Ember Days and fasting, Rogation processions, Saints and seasons, my Top 10 list at the end of each year, parish events and updates, I hope these have been at least of some use and interest to you and your life of faith.

I hope you never stop learning and investing in the richness of the Catholic tradition. I continue to learn all the time. With 2000 years to draw upon, there’s always more. I think it was just last year when I realized Saint Anthony of Padua (June 13) died when he was only 35 or 36 years old. He died from ergotism, caused by eating moldy grains. But in that relatively short life, he did enough to become one of only 37 Doctors of the Church and to pave the way in the Franciscan Order for other great minds like Saint Bonaventure. Saint Anthony may be known mostly for finding people’s lost keys, but I pray to him as well for lost souls, that those who wander would find their way back to God.

You’ve probably made some plans already for the 4^th of July (or someone else has made plans for you). While my assignment here officially ends at Noon on July 5, I have a brother and his family who will also be moving that day. So after the Masses here on my final weekend of July 2, I’ll be packing up and heading for Tyndall, to also make sure I have a chance to visit with my brother’s family before they head to the east coast for a year. We certainly had an eventful Corpus Christi weekend, with processions, a 100^th Anniversary of the church in Hoven and 32 confirmed by the Bishop between the two parishes. Please pray for all the newly confirmed, and for the couples getting married in Hoven these next three weekends.