Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
What does heaven look like? “I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and language. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb” (Rev. 7:9). The month of May has been busy! In the past several weeks, both here at St. Mary’s and in our diocese with the ordination of our new bishop, we have had a magnificent glimpse of the biblical vision of heaven. What a blessing to experience such an incredible blend of languages, races, music, and peoples from all over the world who make up our one, universal Church.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

For several weeks now, our parish council has been working diligently to gather data for a parish strategic plan. Our mission is clear, one which Jesus Himself gives us and which I mentioned in my column last week: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As of the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, we joyfully welcome our new bishop! Bishop Jacques Fabre was ordained and installed as the Fourteenth Bishop of Charleston on May 13. Through the rite of ordination, Bishop Fabre joins the ranks of the successors to the Apostles. The main part of the ordination rite is the ancient laying on of hands and the prayer of ordination. With roots in the Old Testament for commissioning priests, this was taken up by the Apostles in the New Testament to commission their successors, and it has continued unbroken for 2,000 years. Please pray for our new bishop. If you get the opportunity, perhaps send him a card of congratulations and assure him of your prayers.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It’s back! After a two year hiatus, this Sunday marks the return of one of our parish’s beloved traditions: Our annual May Procession and Parish Picnic.

Even if you attend the 5:00pm Saturday or 8:30am Sunday Mass this weekend, come back to join your parish family for the May Crowning and Parish Picnic. The 11:00am, 1:00pm, and 5:00pm Sunday Masses this Sunday (May 1) are being combined into one bilingual Mass at 11:30am. This Mass will be followed by a procession with a statue of our Blessed Mother down Park Ave and back where we will solemnly crown the image of Mary to the left of the altar. All are encouraged to bring flowers from home to leave at Mary’s feet!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It’s back! Sunday, May 1: Come and join your parish family for our now-again-annual Parish Picnic! After two years of cancellations, we finally can have a family reunion of sorts. Our theme this year is “One Family in Christ.” Please note the special Mass schedule for the day! Mass will be at 11:30am (not a typo) and is followed by our May Procession and May Crowning. You are encouraged to bring flowers from home for the procession and crowning. Our special guests will be all of our young boys and girls who the day before will have received their First Holy Communion.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen!” This traditional Easter greeting expresses not only our Christian faith from the day of Jesus’ glorious Resurrection, but also the fulfillment of the words of the Prophets. The bodily, historical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead also prefigures what Christ will do for you and me. “He will change our lowly body to conform with His glorified body by the power that enables Him also to bring all things into subjection to Himself” (Philippians 3:21). Looking back a little farther: “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. O dwellers in the dust, awake and sing for joy!” (Isaiah 26:19). And the Prophet Daniel speaks of the dead awakening “some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:2-3). In other words, we didn’t just make this up. Jesus, the Word of God incarnate, fulfills Scripture. In his incredible book Jesus of Nazareth, then Cardinal Ratzinger wrote, “Jesus’ resurrection was about breaking out into an entirely new form of life, into a life that is no longer subject to the laws of dying and becoming, but lies beyond it – a life that opens up a new dimension of human existence. Jesus has not returned to a normal human life in this world like Lazarus.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We begin Holy Week, our most sacred time. These are the days that define who we are as Christians – as disciples. Come, walk with Jesus in His final steps. Some spiritual advice: Don’t try to “find time” to attend these important events. You won’t “find” it. We must make time to spend with Him like we do with anyone we love. See the full schedule in this bulletin. Some highlights of the week:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Join us this week for our Parish Lenten Mission with Fr. Ricardo Pineda! Father Pineda will preach at Masses this weekend. The Mission begins on Sunday at 6:30pm in Old St. Mary’s. The schedule for the week, Monday – Thursday, will be: 5:30pm Mass; 6:00pm Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and confessions; 6:30pm Mission conference followed by more confessions. We will also keep confessions available as usual 4:45-5:15pm.

Please take advantage of these extra confessions with a visiting priest. Please do not wait until Good Friday or Holy Saturday for Confession. The lines are always very long! You might end up adding extreme impatience to your list... Ever more deeply now we delve into our Lenten observance this Fifth Sunday of Lent, the beginning of what is traditionally known as Passiontide. It is amazing what we take for granted until it is taken from our sight. The crucifix can become so familiar that it can run the risk of losing its incredible impact. It is the image of the total self-gift of Jesus for His bride, the Church – for you and me. This is precisely what He continues to do through the Eucharist. The Holy Cross will be solemnly unveiled during the Passion Liturgy of Good Friday. Other images remain veiled until the Great Easter Vigil when all veils will be removed, and we will see again with hopefully a renewed understanding and appreciation of Our Lord and His Saints.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“Laetare, Jerusalem” – “Rejoice, Jerusalem... Be joyful, all who were in mourning!” (From Isaiah 66:10-11; Introit for the Fourth Sunday of Lent)

You deserve a break today! Here at the halfway point of our Lenten observance, we enjoy a little break from our Lenten penances on the Sunday of Joy - Laetare Sunday. The reason we do penance is to prepare ourselves to celebrate once again the greatest, most astounding part of our faith: The man they put on a cross, who died and was buried, is alive. He was seen by literally hundreds of witnesses, who then scurried around the world telling everyone they could, even to their own deaths. Why? Because that death on that cross made an atonement you and I could not do on our own. “He bore the punishment that makes us whole; by His wounds we were healed” (Isaiah 53:5). So, rejoice!

What a joy to share the good news that Anastasia Pierce, daughter of Deacon Bob and Donna, has been accepted to the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus! This active -contemplative religious Order runs several assisted living and nursing homes attached to their convents. The Northern Province, of which she is entering, has convents in Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Starting this week, we will modify our weekly stewardship information to better the reflect the reality of our parish stewardship and to offer reporting that gives more clarity about our parish finances. Over the past several years our parish campus has expanded significantly. We have several small and large projects underway, including the projects associated with the Bicentennial Campaign from 2020. The Parish Finance Council and I thought it would be important to provide you with a more comprehensive view of our finances and these projects.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“Rivers of blood and tears are flowing in Ukraine. It is not merely a military operation, but a war, which sows death, destruction and misery.” At his weekly Angelus on the First Sunday of Lent, Pope Francis delivered this impassioned plea: “Above all, I implore that the armed attacks cease and that negotiation – and common sense – prevail. And that international law be respected once again!” As average citizens we often feel helpless when it comes to the world stage. However, first of all we remind ourselves that prayer is powerful. We may not detect its effects in the time we want (which is always yesterday), but Our Lord teaches us that somehow, someway, our humble prayer is moving mountains. Pope Francis continued, “Let us pray together for Ukraine: ... Let us pray together, as brothers and sisters, to Our Lady, Queen of Ukraine. Hail Mary...”

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On Feb 22, with great joy we received the news that Pope Francis has appointed Rev. Jacques E. Fabre, as Bishop-elect of Charleston. Bishop-elect Fabre is a priest of the religious order of the Missionaries of St. Charles. Originally hailing from Haiti, he immigrated to New York City while he was in high school. He was ordained to the priesthood in Brooklyn, New York on Oct 10, 1986, for the Missionaries. The Bishop-elect is perfectly fluent in five languages: English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Creole. Bishop-elect Fabre will be ordained and installed as the 14th Bishop of Charleston on Fri, Apr 29. More news will be forthcoming.