Pentecost

06-09-2019Pastor's LetterRev. Gregory B. Wilson, VF

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is with great personal joy this weekend that I welcome my brother, Deacon George Wilson, his wife, Janet, and their children to St. Mary's. My brother was ordained a deacon on February 9 of this year. He is a member of St. Paul the Apostle parish in Spartanburg. Currently, he plans to serve at the 5pm Saturday and 11am Sunday Masses here for Pentecost. We had a beautiful blessing of the plaque last Sunday honoring all the women religious that served St. Mary's and the surrounding area from 1900 to 1997. These faithful women gave themselves to Christ and His Church in heroic ways, and it is our pleasure to honor them. The plaque is mounted in Mother Teresa Hall.

Be sure to welcome Nicholas Shiver, our seminarian for this summer. Nick hails from Christ Our King parish in Mount Pleasant, S.C. Hopefully you caught Nick's introduction in last Sunday's bulletin. Nick is entering his fourth year of formation and has about four or five years to go; so please pray for him and for all of our seminarians preparing for life-long service to you as a priest of Jesus Christ.

This Saturday, June 15 at 11:00am just outside Ste Claire Chapel, please join us for the blessing of a statue of St. André Bessette. This original work of art by sculptor Timothy Schmalz is aimed at helping people ask humble Brother André for his intercession, especially for healing. He touched so many lives that, after his death in 1937 at the age of ninety-one, a million people filed past his casket. Please see the flyer in this bulletin for more information.

Today we celebrate the great solemnity of Pentecost. Fr. Steve Grunow from the Word On Fire team gives us some beautiful guidance: "Pentecost is not simply an event from long ago, but a reality that we participate in ourselves by participating in the Mass. Through the Mass, the Holy Spirit desires to unleash for us signs and wonders, gifts for our mission, gifts that imbue the Church with creativity, enthusiasm, and life. …

"Becoming more and more like Christ is what it means to be holy. Holiness is not simply an attitude that favors the spiritual or means you are interested in religion. Holiness is being like and becoming like Christ.

"The Church transforms the world, not through institutional projects, political causes, or faith-based curriculums, but by inviting people to know Christ and helping people to become like Christ. The Church's strategy for changing the world is to help more and more people become holy, become like Christ. Becoming like Christ becomes possible for us because we participate in the sacraments. Becoming like Christ is what it means to be holy. And when this happens, the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit are not only given to us; they are lavished on the whole world."

Go, set the world on fire for Christ!
Father Wilson

BACK TO LIST