From the Pastor’s Desk:

This weekend we are celebrating Trinity Sunday.   The origins of the celebration of Trinity Sunday go all the way back to the fourth century. Arius, a Catholic priest, believed that Jesus Christ was a created being rather than God, resulting in one of the first heresies of the early church, Arianism.

In denying the divinity of Christ, Arius denied that there are three Persons in God. Athanasius one of early church theologians was Arius' chief opponent.  He upheld the orthodox doctrine that there are three Persons in one God, and the orthodox view prevailed at the Council of Nicaea.  Every Sunday we pray the Nicene Creed which contains our belief in the Holy Trinity.

Also to stress the doctrine of the Trinity, other Fathers of the Church, such as St. Ephrem composed prayers and hymns that were recited in the Church's liturgies and on Sundays as part of the Divine Office, the official prayer of the Church. Eventually, a special version of this office began to be celebrated on the Sunday after Pentecost, and the Church in England, at the request of St. Thomas à Becket in 1160s, was granted permission to celebrate Trinity Sunday. The celebration of Trinity Sunday was extended to the entire Church during the pontificate of Pope John XXII 1316-34.

The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life.  The whole history of salvation is identical with the history of the way and the means by which the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit reveals himself to the human race.

June will become a stressful time for many of the parishes and priests of the diocese as they prepare for priest transfers.  People many times have asked me, “Why does the bishop move priests around?”  There are a variety of reasons.  Our newly ordained priests need at least two assignments working with two different pastors as they prepare to become pastors on their own. Also it is healthy for both pastors and parishes, because priests do not meet the needs of everyone in the parish.  This year is also difficult in our Diocese due to the Claretians Fathers are leaving the Diocese, along with several of the priests from India and those parishes need to be staffed with priests.   These are some of the reasons St. Agnes Cathedral will not have an Associate Pastor in the near future. Please keep all those priests and parishes who are being affected by the changes in your/our prayers.

The Parish picnic will be Sunday June 23rd after the 5 pm Mass, join us for food, games and plenty of fun.