When I sit down to write a column each week, my primary goal is to pick one theme and develop it. I am of the opinion that generally there just isn’t enough space to hit several topics. However, there seems to be just too much going on in a short time for me not to address a few important things this week, so here we go:
As if it weren’t exciting enough to announce that we are welcoming two new priests to the rectory at St. James, we are also blessed with two seminarians who will be joining our community this summer. Uriel Santos will be staying at St. James through the end of June, at which time he will return home to visit his family in Mexico. Kyle Vieth, who just finished his first year at the seminary, will be with us for the entirety of the summer. As with seminarians we have had in the past, I ask that you welcome them into the community and invite them to dinner or a cup of coffee sometime. It’s a great opportunity to get to know the men who are discerning God’s call in our midst.
In a very exciting development for our region and the other parishes in our area, OLR is starting a weekly Spanish Mass at 1:30 pm in the afternoon.
I clarified a few things about this to the staff and the parish councils, but I think it’s important to state them again here for the region as a whole. First, this is not intended to undermine the presence of the Latino community at St. Matthias, and I don’t believe that it ultimately will. We were unable to accommodate a Spanish Mass at St. Matthias due to the existing Mass schedule there, and we now have the opportunity at OLR due to the relocation of the Syro-Malabar community. The Latino group will continue attending Mass at St. Matthias, and perhaps occasionally come down the road when it fits their schedules. It will also, however, meet an obvious need in the area around us.
Many immigrants are still in the process of making a new life here, and the consolation of attending Mass in one’s native tongue cannot be overstated. I have spoken to many other pastors in the deanery, and they are of the
opinion that we are not currently meeting the needs of the Latino populace in the area. Please pray for the success of this ministry, and I encourage you to attend the Mass at least once to see the universality of the Catholic Church.
It’s humbling to see how we can follow along with what is happening even with no knowledge of the language whatsoever. Plus, it’s a great option for those teenagers who struggle to get up and running before noon…
Finally, one of the things we have been looking at as a region is how we can refocus our attention on the liturgy in our facilities. This can be as
simple as planning on fixing up worn down carpet, or as drastic as reorienting the layout of the sanctuary. We are still finalizing plans and having discussions about how we can best do all of this, but I invite you to start reflecting on the importance of the Mass and how we can put it closer to the center of our lives. Jesus will never be outdone in generosity, and we will never regret giving him primacy in our lives.