From the Pastor’s Desk:
Last week end we viewed the Diocesan Development Fund Drive address from our Bishop. Each year our Bishop comes to us seeking our financial help in running the Diocese and providing for the spiritual needs of the people of the Diocese.
The DDF pays for many areas of ministry across our diocese. I do not like lists, but perhaps this is the best way to show how our monies from the DDF are spent to help us and our Diocese. 1) Family Life Ministries, helping those preparing for marriage, 2) Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, those coming into the Church, 3) Social Ministry, all different aspects of reaching out to those who have no voice, or need a stronger voice in our society, 4)Campus Ministry, helping to staff priests on 2 of our public college campus’, 5) Tribunal, those who are seeking annulments for their broken marriages, 6) Vocations/Seminarians, continuing to reach out to young men and women searching a religious vocation, 7) Youth Ministry, which includes Camp Re-New-All, Catholic Scouting, 8) Office Of Worship, providing for all the Diocesan Liturgies, 9) The Mirror, our Diocesan Newspaper keeping us informed with all that is happening in our Diocese, 10) Catholic Schools, guided by our superintendent, 11) Finance Office, overseeing the monies of the Diocese as well as guiding parishes.
This weekend we are also celebrating and honoring all mothers, both those living and those who have returned to the Lord. Whether our mothers are living or deceased, remember them in prayer. The flowers are nice, taking them out to lunch or dinner is great, but remember them in prayer. Our mothers spent countless hours in prayer for each of us. The nights they stayed awake until we walked in the back door. All the chauffeuring to music events, sporting events, to the pool, to the movies, you name it, our mothers did it out of love. So spend some time in prayer for them, because God knows how much prayer our mothers have sent heavenward for us, their sons and daughters.
As Catholic Christians, we have for almost 2000 years been showing respect and honor to the Mother of Jesus Christ. In giving Mary that special love and respect, hopefully we see our own mothers right there beside her. Mary in saying yes to the Archangel Gabriel, changed her whole life around. That is also the case of our own mother, when she said yes to us the moment we were conceived. Motherhood is not something to be taken lightly by anyone. Also I urge everyone to spend some time, the most special gift we can give to another person, especially our mother, the gift of time and love.