Dear Parish Family,

God loves His people! After freeing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, the Lord calls His people to be faithful to His commandments and become His special possession, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. St. Paul reminds the Romans that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Jesus pities the people because they were like sheep without a shepherd, so He appoints the twelve disciples with spiritual authority over the people for their healing and sanctification.

We can learn a lot about God's love for us in today's readings. His love is expressed as a covenant, an unbreakable promise, to always be faithful to us. His covenant also comes with a responsibility on our part to uphold His commandments and be faithful to our end of His covenant. Covenants aren't like contracts that can be easily dismissed or nullified. Like the marriage covenant, our covenant with God is an inseparable bond uniting two parties in mutual love.

When Jesus shares His spiritual authority with the Twelve, He gives them a perpetual responsibility to lead and guide His people in fidelity to His covenant. Love and mercy are the core of this covenant. Without love, authority quickly devolves into dominance and control. The spiritual authority given by Christ to His Church expresses the sincere gift of Himself that all leaders and members of the Body of Christ are meant to share. 

This week, consider the depth of God's love for you in giving you a share in His life through Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Give thanks for the gift of His Catholic Church, our popes, bishops, priests, deacons, parish staff, and parishioners who invest their lives to provide the spiritual riches of Christ for you. Pray and discern how God may be calling you this year to be more faithful to His covenant and to invest your own life for the good of His Church!

Our new Parochial Vicar, Fr. Sean Neville, began his assignment with us this week!

- This weekend, Fr. Sean will be at St. Patrick's to celebrate Masses, and we will have a reception in the lower hall for him this Sunday at St. Patrick's. 

- Next weekend, Fr. Sean will be at St. Mary's to celebrate the 10 am Mass, and preach at all the Sunday Masses at St. Mary's. We will have a pastry reception for Fr. Sean in the hospitality room at St. Mary's after the Sunday Masses that weekend.

We will also be celebrating Farewell Masses for Fr. Fabian in the coming weeks as he prepares to head home after June 30.

- St. Patrick's June 20-21: Fr. Fabian will celebrate Masses at St. Patrick's the weekend of June 20-21, and we will have a reception in the lower hall for him after the 9:30 am Sunday Mass that weekend. 

- St. Mary's June 27-28: Fr. Fabian will celebrate the 4:30 pm Vigil and the 12 pm Sunday Masses at St. Mary's and preach at all Masses on June 27-28. We will have a reception for Fr. Fabian in the Banquet Room following the 12 pm Mass that weekend. If you are considering a gift for Fr. Fabian, cash or check would be best since he will have a lot of his belongings to pack and bring home with him. 

I am yours in Christ,

Fr. Scott Goodfellow