Greetings in Christ! An interesting celebration this week is on the 13th, when we honor St. Frances Cabrini. She really is a remarkable woman who fundamentally changed the way Catholics minister to the sick. She was a remarkable and formidable woman and I can’t say enough about her. A wonderful movie came out this year called “Cabrini” and I can’t recommend it enough. Please watch it with your family; you will not be disappointed.
Another big saint this week is Martin of Tours (11/11). He is noted for a great many things, but the one you may appreciate is his cloak, of all things. When he was a young soldier, he saw a poor old man, cold and shivering by the side of the road. Martin got off his horse and built a fire for the old man. He then used his sword to cut off half of his cloak and wrapped the man in it. He gave him some food and moved along. That night, Jesus appeared to him and let Martin see an angel in heaven wearing the cloak he gave the old man. Martin’s cloak became an object that people wanted to touch. It was a focal point for many as a means to lead them in prayer. They began to ship the cloak all over what we now call Europe so that people could see it. They built small Church-like structures to house the cloak when it came to their region so that people could sit with it in prayer without worrying about the weather or other such things. They named the small Church-like structures “Capels,” which is the Latin word for “Cloak.” This is why we have small worship spaces we call (in English) Chapels!
Make sure to look at the rest of the bulletin for the dates and times for our training for those who are and those who want to be servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, etc. Get to one of those sessions so we can help you help us pray.
Finally, don’t forget our Saints and Scholars campaign! I really hope we all participate in some way. If you haven’t gotten your letter from the Bishop yet, you don’t have to wait. You can make a donation or a pledge now. Please join in and help us pull the rope together. If you wish to sign up for a pledge or donation to the campaign today, please scan the code at the end of this article, or visit
· www.stewardshipforsaintsandscholars.com
· On the website, if you look to the upper right, you’ll see the “Make a gift” button. Click it.
· Click on the appropriate gift and fill out the form.
· This is very important: Please make sure to choose our parish from the drop-down menu titled “Parish.”
So…that is it for this week! Thank you so much for your love and support. I’m a blessed man to be your priest.
Fjk