Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I want to tell you about a very important meeting I had with the bishop recently. He called me up and he wanted me to come downtown to his office. He told me that it was a very important meeting. He wanted to talk to me and to get my thoughts on some very important things. He said the meeting could change my life. Now you all know the bishop. He is a very important person. He is a very powerful person in our diocese.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Pope St. John Paul II often spoke of the New Evangelization. There is a need to re- evangelize and reintroduce the Catholic faith to the world. Our Lord offers everything the heart desires through Him, with Him and in Him. Our Lord came to offer mercy and to gather the lost and forsaken. And by our baptism, we too participate in Christ's salvific mission. In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, He reminds His disciples, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." Matthew 5:14-16

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Jesus says things that can sound rather harsh. He said, “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” and “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” This teaching from Our Lord can be difficult for us who see Jesus as the Prince of Peace. It is easy to see why His words can be very confusing because we usually think of Jesus as bringing peace and love, right?

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Have you heard that the older one gets, the faster time flies. I don’t know if that is scientifically verifiable, but it seems to ring true in my life. Where does the time go? Sometimes in the craziness of life, we can forget to pray. I want to remind you that next Friday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Every Solemnity is a holy day of obligation which means Catholics are obligated to attend either the Vigil Mass on Thursday (the evening before) or one of the three Masses offered on August 15th. We will have Mass at 5:00 p.m. on the 14th. On the 15th, the schedule is the following: 6:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., and 5:00 p.m. in English.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are so blessed to have St. John XXIII Catholic grade school as part of our history. For over 26 years, dedicated teachers and staff have educated thousands of young people in the Catholic faith. As we begin our 2025/2026 school year, we give thanks to God for all His blessings as we welcome our students and their families.