I want to start by wishing everyone – especially the veterans of our parish – a very Happy Memorial Day! We owe the freedom we enjoy – and often take for granted – to those who sacrificed so much to defend it over the years. On Memorial Day, take a moment to say a prayer for those who died defending our country, and thank the veterans you know.

Holy Mass will be offered in our Church on Memorial Day at 7, 8, and 9 AM. The 8 AM Mass will be offered for all those buried in our parish cemetery. Those who were buried there since last Memorial Day will be mentioned by name in the intentions of that Mass. Everyone is welcome to attend.

By now you have all heard the sad news that our long-time secretary, Cathy Steigerwalt, died suddenly last weekend. She will most certainly be missed by our parishespecially by those who have worked closely with her over the years. I can honestly say that working with Cathy was a pleasure, and I will miss her immensely.

As per her family’s request, the Funeral Services will be private. However, we will have a Memorial Service for her in our Church this Monday, May 20th, at 7 PM. Everyone is welcome to come and pray for Cathy. We will ask God to care for Cathy’s soul, give comfort to her family, and strengthen our faith in Jesus’ Good News about Heaven and Eternal Life. I hope many of you will be there.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers, grandmothers, and spiritual mothers in our parish. Today we do well to think of and thank all the special women in our lives. Let’s also thank God for sending them to us.

My own mother means the world to me. I’m sure most of you feel the same way about your mothers. Thinking of my mother today brings so many memories and thoughts to mind. Some of those memories are fond ones – like her being one of the only moms in our neighborhood who liked having her children home for summer vacation. Others are serious – like her taking little part-time jobs to help make ends meet. Still others are funny – like the time my brother-in-law and I were doing horribly in a batting cage on a boardwalk in North Carolina. My mother picked up the bat and started hitting line drive after line drive – wowing a bunch of local kids! You can’t make this stuff up.

May is, of course, the Month of Mary. With that in mind, try to do some little things to honor Mary this month. If you don’t already pray the Rosary daily, this would be a good time to start. If you can’t pray a whole Rosary, why not pray at least a decade of it a day? It is a powerful prayer – one of my favorites – and is recommended by countless saints.

As a parish, we will honor Mary by setting up a special statue of her near the side Altar. This statue will be crowned by our First Communion children at the 11 AM Mass next Sunday. It will be left in place throughout the month of May. My hope is that it will inspire us to think of Mary’s good example and strive to follow it in our lives.