From the Pastor’s Desk
Dear St. Mary’s Parishioners:
In recent weeks, we made our way through the heart of the “sacrament season”, when many of our catechism students made their First Confession and received the Eucharist for the first time. A number of other students celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation on Thursday, June 9th. Moreover, we continue to celebrate a healthy number of Baptisms and weddings. Another thing that I have noticed is that Fr. Joseph and I have had a steady stream of funeral Masses over the last couple of months. In the past, it seemed that funerals came in spurts. You might have three or four funerals over a two-week period, but then we would go a month celebrating only a couple of funerals. Lately, it seems we have been celebrating two or three funerals a week. In any case, the Baptisms, Confessions, Holy Communions, Confirmations, Weddings and Funerals all point to the fact that St. Mary’s Parish is alive with God’s grace!
As always, when it comes to the life of grace, the role of the parents is of utmost importance. If the parents are engaged in their Catholic faith, attending Mass on Sundays, learning about the faith themselves, praying with their children and talking about the faith with their children, the children thrive not only spiritually, but also in all the other ways: socially, psychologically, emotionally and physically. As we mark Father’s Day this weekend, I would like to point out the importance of the father in the children’s practice of the faith. Studies have shown that in families where the father practices his Catholic faith, even if the mother does not, the children will practice the Catholic faith at relatively high levels. On the other hand, if the mother practices the faith, but the father does not, the level of the children’s religious practice is considerably lower, especially among boys. To be sure, this does not mean that the mother does not play an important role in the children’s practice of the faith. No, her role is essential. It merely emphasizes the importance of the father’s religious practice in the spiritual and religious development of the children. (cf. “The Importance of Fathers” by Bishop Donald J. Hying in the “Diocese of Madison Catholic Herald” June 16, 2021)
Reflecting on Saint Joseph in his 2020 Apostolic Letter entitled “With a Father’s Heart,” Pope Francis wrote: “Fathers are not born, but made. A man does not become a father simply by bringing a child into the world, but by taking up the responsibility to care for that child. Whenever a man accepts responsibility for the life of another, in some way he becomes a father to that person.” (Patris Corde, 7) We give thanks to God for all fathers and we pray that they faithfully and tirelessly live their God-given task as spiritual leaders of their families. St. Joseph, pray for us. May you have a blessed week!
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
Father Berg
