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Today is Catechetical Sunday. We welcome all to continue their faith journey on this special Sunday. Please see Pages 8 & 9 of the bulletin for more Faith Formation Information.

Thank you to everyone who worked so hard and volunteered for our 2nd Annual Parish Picnic at Cascade Park. Thank you also to everyone who donated beverages and also sold or purchased raffle tickets. Your efforts help us to defray the cost of this free picnic.   

Congratulations to Fr. Brendan on being named pastor after only three years as a carefree parochial vicar. (A year and a half of it was spent during the pandemic.) I am grateful for his cooperation, willingness to serve, and his non-stop Irish wit! At 6ft 6.6 inches tall, he stands head and shoulders above us all.

For those who have not yet met him, Dan Roberts is a seminarian for the Diocese of Pittsburgh. You might have seen him recently at Mass, serving at the altar, singing or as lector. You may have run into him at Vacation Bible School, Best of the Fest, or at Grill the Priest, where this photo was taken. Dan moved to New Castle in June to begin his pastoral year here at Holy Spirit Parish.

On Sunday, September 11th, our wonderful parish picnic will be at Cascade Park again. September 11th is the day many of us will remember and we will never forget the horrors of the terrorist attack on our nation and our freedom. That fateful day did indeed change our lifestyle and our world in many ways, particularly regarding security. Having been involved personally with the families of the victims and the FBI during the aftermath of the crash of Flight 93 in Shanksville, I encourage you to visit the memorial with your family, particularly the young people who were not alive or did not experience September 11, 2001.

Once again, my sincere gratitude to everyone who volunteered to make the Best of the Fest truly the Best! I am also very grateful to all of our participants from the community who came and enjoyed not only delicious food, but also friendship and camaraderie. Speaking of friendship, I would like to acknowledge this coming Wednesday as a special holy day. August 17th is Deacon John Carran’s birthday! So congratulations to Deacon John and to his lovely wife, Robin and their sons, Jonathon and Matthew.

Most people think the Best of the Fest refers to the delicious food our master chefs provide. That is true! But it means far more to me. The Best of the Fest also means our amazing parishioners themselves! What a fabulous group, people of all ages, willing to volunteer their time, talent and treasure to Holy Spirit Parish and our ultimate mission of living our Catholic faith and sharing our faith with others. The Best of the Fest on Friday and Saturday of this past week is a beautiful example, not only of our culinary skills, but more importantly, of our desire as a parish community to make an impact and a difference in Lawrence County.

The Best of the Fest is this Friday and Saturday on the grounds of St. Vitus. A huge thank you to all of our amazing volunteers! You truly are what makes Holy Spirit Parish the place to be. Lively music always makes a fest more enjoyable. To add to that enjoyment, two local groups will serenade listeners on Friday, August 5th. The Lawrence County Brass will play from 4:00 pm to 5:50 pm and Grandview Soul’s vocals will sound from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The two groups performing on Saturday, August 6th are the Red Coat Band playing from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm followed by the Dorals from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

This weekend, we celebrate another of our seven churches’ Feast Days, that of St. James the Apostle in the New Bedford/Pulaski area. Our next feast day will be that of St. Mary. It will be celebrated on Monday, August 15th, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at 6:00 pm in St. Mary Church.

Next Saturday, July 23rd, we will be celebrating the Feast of St. James the Apostle at 4:00 pm at St. James the Apostle Church, 4019 US 422. A light reception hosted by the Women of Faith will follow the Mass.

In our first reading this Sunday, Moses says, “If only you would heed the voice of the Lord, your God.”  Dt 30:10  Have you noticed how negative our society has become? One of the things I remember most about my dear mother was her joyful spirit. One of the things I miss most about her is her contagious laughter and beaming smile!

Bishop David Zubik has granted Deacon Dan Kielar, at his request, a personal leave of absence, effective June 27, 2022 from his diaconal assignment to Holy Spirit Parish. While on leave, Deacon Dan will not be engaging in any form of liturgical or pastoral ministry. During this time, please keep him and Karen and their family in your prayers.

Thank you to everyone who kept me and our critical incident team in your prayers during this past week as we served the law enforcement community which was exposed to the horrific killings in Buffalo, New York. I could feel the comfort and power of your prayers. Never underestimate the power of God’s grace when we implore his help!

This weekend, we celebrate one of the most important doctrines and truths of our faith, that the Holy Eucharist is truly the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Savior Jesus Christ! This solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi, renews our Catholic faith and truly makes us one with the living Lord.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. This doctrine of faith was taught to us through Jesus Himself. No human being came up with this understanding of God. God had to reveal this to us about Himself. We could never discover it on our own. Namely, that in God there are three divine persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One being, yet three persons, equal and undivided.

What a blessed way to celebrate our parish’s Feast Day of Pentecost Sunday as we witness the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our young people in the Sacrament of Confirmation! We welcome Bishop David Bonnar of the Youngstown Diocese as the celebrant for two Confirmation ceremonies this Sunday. We pray that our confirmandi will receive the fullest gifts of the Holy Spirit and in doing so will become very involved in the life of our parish!

On this Memorial Day weekend as a nation, we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and have given their lives for the sake of our nation, our peace, and our future. May is not only the month of the Blessed Mother, but it is also the month when we recall those who gave their lives in our service through law enforcement. Each year I have participated in the remembrance of our fallen law enforcement officers for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the Pittsburgh office which takes in half of Pennsylvania and all of West Virginia. It is important for us to acknowledge their sacrifice.

As you know, on June 2nd at 6:30 pm at St. Vitus Church, we will discuss all the findings of our feasibility study and present a plan for the future of our parish. A pastoral plan always involves a practical plan. But there is also always a danger. In all four Gospels, Jesus performed a miracle that fed thousands on a meager few barley loaves and a couple of fish. He took care of the practical and material needs of the people while at the same time pointing them to a far more important spiritual reality.

Congratulations to our seminarian, Chris Baker, who was assigned by Bishop Zubik to begin his graduate studies this fall at St. Vincent Seminary. Please keep in your prayers our 90 children and their parents and families as these little ones have received their First Holy Communion during the month of May. We are truly blessed as a parish to have these young families. Please join me in welcoming and encouraging them to become more fully involved in the life of our parish. Now that these children have received their First Holy Communion, it is more important than ever that they and their parents participate in the Holy Eucharist every weekend.

A very blessed Mother’s Day weekend to all the women of our parish. We honor our dear mothers, both living and deceased. We also honor all women who may not have borne a child physically but have nurtured life in others as a godmother, an adoptive parent, or a woman in religious life. For all of these amazing women in our world, we give thanks to God and ask His special blessings on them.