Note from the Bishop
It is hard to believe that time is going by so fast and that one more school year has ended here at St. Gertrude’s. I am very proud of our senior graduate, Alex McConnell. He has worked very hard to reach this moment, and we not only wish him well, but also pray for him that he apply in his daily life the Catholic education he has received.
It is not easy to be a Catholic in these times. Many unbelievers falsely refer to the Middle Ages as the “Dark Ages,” but we Catholics know that the Middle Ages (12th and 13th centuries) were one of the most glorious periods in the Catholic Church’s history. That period produced so many saints—St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Albert the Great, St. Dominic, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare, St. Bonaventure, etc., etc., etc. The Church flourished and it was the Church, not a bank or some government building, which was literally the center and focus of the town. Church and State worked together and the end result was that a strong Catholic culture was built which made it easy, by the grace of God, to form saints.
Today might truly be styled the “Dark Ages,” as we witness with our own eyes the general apostasy from the Catholic Faith, the separation of Church and State, and the downfall of anything good, true and holy in our society. It is not easy to be a Catholic in these days; it is a constant battle. Our teachers take on a great responsibility here at our school as they form the minds and the hearts of our children to be fervent Catholics in a cold and harsh world which is no longer Catholic. And I am so very proud, too, of our teachers for the work they are doing. But the Holy Ghost, Who was sent “to teach all truth,” is the best Teacher and knows just how to strengthen us for the fight before us. May He guide our teachers and our students.
Speaking of the Holy Ghost, wasn’t His feast day just great?! On the Vigil, the ceremonies were expertly run by our MCs, who have all been put to the test recently. It’s mind-boggling to think of what they’ve gone through—Pontifical Requiem, Priestly Ordinations, Episcopal Consecration, Holy Week, Vigil of Pentecost! But the greatest part of all was that so many souls were “signed with the sign of the cross and confirmed with the chrism of salvation” in the Sacrament of Confirmation. May the Holy Ghost lead them safely through life and guide them to the harbor of salvation.
It’s a busy week here at St. Gertrude’s. On Monday, we have the Fatima Procession; our Thirteen Tuesdays of St. Anthony begin this Tuesday. Don’t forget to send in your intentions!
This Thursday is Corpus Christi, don’t forget! There is lots going on in church, and I hope you will try your best to come to some. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is after the 8 AM Mass, the entire Divine Office will be chanted by the clergy, a Solemn High Mass sung. If you can’t make a ceremony, perhaps you could swing by for just a short visit to Our Lord Who so lovingly awaits your company.
I send you a blessing!
– Bishop McGuire