Note from the Bishop
The weeks seem to be flying by so fast anymore! It’s already June, the beautiful month of the Sacred Heart.
I wanted to start off this week’s letter by telling you a cute story. Two of the boys who attend our school were at home dressed in the superhero capes when one of them said, “I’m Bishop McGuire!” The other immediately shouted, “And I’m Bishop McDolan!!” When I told this little anecdote to Fr. McKenna, he laughed heartily and added, “That is a story Bishop Dolan would certainly approve of!”
The cats are enjoying the warm, sunny weather so much that it is hard to get them to come inside. Black cat, I think that’s Mario, will eat breakfast and not come back until dinner; while “Fat Cat” comes back every few hours to be fed again.
Last Sunday’s May Crowning, normally done on Mother’s Day, took place only two days before the feast of the Queenship of Mary. The weather was gorgeous, the choir and schola sang beautifully, the little children with their flowers did a great job…most importantly, Our Lady was crowned as we acknowledged her to be truly Our Queen and Mother. I pray that we recognize this, not just as a nice ceremony, but as a sign of what we believe about Mary, and as a symbol of our practical, everyday devotion to her.
Barbara O’Connor, a dear soul whom we regularly visit on sick calls, had knee replacement surgery this past week. Everything went smoothly, but she will stay in the hospital for rehab for a few days. Paul Grau, an attendee of the 5:45 Sunday Mass, passed away just over a week ago. We have his funeral planned for this Tuesday morning, and I hope you can come to take part in an act of mercy—to bury the dead. St. Hugh of Lincoln used to go to the funerals of all the poor people in his diocese, such was his devotion both to the Poor Souls in Purgatory, and the poor souls on earth.
Sundays around here have been a little unusual since the ordinations. We are not used to having so many priests on hand (not that anyone’s complaining!). We have been spread so thin for such a long time as so many missions required our attention. The priest traveling to St. Hugh’s in Milwaukee, for example, would say two Masses and hear confessions in the morning before driving to another mission hours away for a third Mass and confessions. Of course, you know that often there were only two priests at SGG who had to cover four Masses, Vespers and Benediction, confessions and all the rest. So it has been nice having a few “restful” Sundays, but we can’t be selfish! Now the new priests will be doing some weekend traveling, thus sharing in the missionary work that is so very important in these days when there are so few true Masses. Fr. McKenna will take over my old role as Acting Pastor of St. Hugh of Lincoln, and is preparing to gradually hand over more and more of his travels to Frs. Simpson and Brueggemann. Father will still travel to and oversee the missions, but I will need him to assist me here at St. Gertrude’s, too. Fr. Lehtoranta, always active, will continue his wonderful work in the school, taking care of the Sodality of Charity, writing articles, and teaching courses in the seminary.
We now have many new Soldiers of Christ; they will also receive their very first Holy Communion today. Beg the Holy Ghost, our greatest Friend, to keep their souls pure and innocent in their battles to win their place in the heavenly Kingdom.
– Bishop McGuire