Dear Parishioners,

This weekend we are celebrating the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. I mistakenly wrote a few weeks ago that this weekend was the Chair of St. Peter which actually happens on Feb. 22nd . However, both days deal with St. Peter. The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter celebrates the teaching office of St. Peter as the first pope, and really the continuation of that office, while the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul focuses more on the dual martyrdom of Peter and Paul. Their role in the church was of special importance and their ministry continues in the church. We recognize God gave them a special call, and they remained faithful to that call to the end of their lives.

This coming week we will be celebrating July 4th, our independence day as a nation. It is a day to reflect on our nation’s origin and what the vision of those who founded the nation was. So often these civic holidays are simply a day off of work. It is worth considering what led our forefathers to take what at the time must have seemed a drastic step of separating form the English crown. This set this North American continent on a trajectory which has led us to our current circumstance. Our nation was not the first republic, but it was one of the first modern nations to try to recapture the idea that a people could govern themselves apart from imperial or royal authority. The idea that all men were equal in the eyes of the state, and the law… that each could make their own way has been at the heart of the American spirit. This has been a difficult dream to maintain. Whatever our opinion of the current state of affairs, we can take time this 4th to thank God for the freedoms we have, and the many who have worked to uphold them. We can pray for the many people who have shed their blood or given their lives to allow us to remain a free nation.

This week Tuesday-Thursday, I may be on jury duty. I don’t know what that will entail. So, just a heads up, there may need to be some rescheduling of different events or Masses.

This Friday is the 4th, but it is also first Friday, so we will have Mass at the usual times, 8 am at SJ, and 9 am OLF. Enjoy the festivities.

The SJ church project continues. They have been pouring the footings these past two weeks. It is exciting to see the project progress. Please continue praying for the success and for safety for all who are working on the project. We posted an aerial video of the work site that is a couple weeks old, on our website. It gives you a sense of the area and what it looks like currently.

Also, on the website we posted a message from Pope Leo. He speaks in English. It is a unique experience to hear the Roman Pontiff speak in American English. You can check it out if you are

interested. I found it a strangely consoling experience to listen to his address.

There’s a lot of conflict in the world currently. We hear about Ukraine and Russia, we hear about the Middle East, we hear about tensions with China and Taiwan, we hear about tensions with India and Pakistan, and we hear about atrocities committed in different places in Africa. There is a need to pray for peace, but we also realize that these conflicts showcase the brokenness of humanity and our need for God. We won’t likely see peace across the entire globe. Does that mean we shouldn’t bother praying for peace? I think it is a good practice to pray for these kinds of things even if we don’t expect to see them come to fruition. If nothing else it helps us keep our focus on the right place. Peace, when it does come, will come from God. The Lord can work through us to bring peace, but we must cooperate with God’s offered grace if we expect to see any fruit in the search for peace. As with any major efforts that deal with humanitarian efforts across the world, God doesn’t usually impose his will.

More often he works through human avenues to lead us to cooperate with his grace. This is why we want to pray for the hearts of those leaders who could make things happen to be moved by God’s grace.

I hope you have a good 4th of July.

In Christ,

Fr. Eli