Feast of Saint Aloysius
The Feast of Saint Aloysius is June 21 on the Roman Church Calendar. This year, the 21st is the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, and therefore the saint’s feast would normally be skipped in deference to the Sunday; however, as a parish family, we will celebrate our patron, Aloysius Gonzaga. We will welcome Bishop Caggiano on that day who will celebrate a special Mass at Noon followed by the blessing of our new Education and Faith Center. Aloysius was a friend and selfless servant to the sick during the time of a devastating plague. Foregoing a military career like that of his father, Aloysius joined the Society of Jesus where he was assigned to work with the sick. At age 23, our patron worked tirelessly to care for those who were suffering from the symptoms of the plague. He bathed them, carried them into bed, talked with them, prayed with them, and closed their eyes when they died. He eventually died from the plague, and his compassion was widely known. As we come to church next weekend, we might look up at our statue of Aloysius and say a prayer of thanksgiving and ask his intentions for healing and for the care and protection of our youth. Saint Aloysius, pray for us!
Ordinations
This weekend, we welcomed two new priests to the ranks: Father Herley Mendez (who served at Saint Aloysius last summer) and Father Juan Colon. Please pray for our new priests.
Next Saturday, our own Michael Crane will be ordained a permanent deacon and will commence his assignment here at Saint Aloysius. We give thanks to God for Michael’s “Yes!” to God and we give thanks to Michael’s wife Alycia and their children for their wonderful support throughout the journey to ordination. Michael’s Mass of Thanksgiving will be that 12 Noon Mass on June 21. The principal celebrant will be Bishop Caggiano and Michael will be the homilist. All are welcome! Congratulations, Michael, and welcome to the clergy team at Saint Aloysius!
Dads
This coming weekend we honor our fathers, those who are like fathers to many, and our fathers who have gone before us in faith. I’m ever grateful for my dad (may he rest in peace) who made sacrifices for me, taught me how to do the things I needed to know to navigate a complex world, showed me the importance of love of family, the need to do work that is life-giving, and shared the great gift of humor. The patron of fathers is any saint who was a father himself, but Saint Joseph has a special place of honor when it comes to interceding for dads. Thanks, fathers, for what you do for your families. And thanks, Saint Joseph, for keeping our dads faithful and loving.
Blessed are We!
Finally, we give thanks to God for the many blessings he has bestowed on our parish. All of you are blessing to me and to one another. New buildings, lots of outdoor space, a preschool, a new deacon, and all the grace that comes to us through the Sacraments. How blessed are we!
Thank you for your faithfulness and love,
