This Week: St. Luke

“Gospel of the Lost and Found”  –Bp. Charles McGuire

Bishop’s Note
Last week’s Texas trip was quite the busy one, mostly because of the drives from one place to another. As soon as the plane landed in San Antonio, I drove to Fort Sam Houston Cemetery to bless Fred Woods’s grave. The cemetery was quite impressive. If you have ever been to a military cemetery you know what I mean. The tombstones are set up in perfect lines, everything arranged and kept almost immaculate. There was no problem finding the correct grave even though the place was massive. Still, there is nothing like an old Catholic cemetery with crucifixes and religious images on the gravestones.

Next, I drove a few minutes away to see the Alamo. Of course, it was closed so I could only see it from the outside. So I left, and on my way out saw a confrontation between a man and two police officers. There was much shouting and it ended with the officers wrestling the man to the ground and handcuffing him. Not sure what that was about, but I was ready to get on the road. I drove to another town to find a place to stay for the night. Unbeknownst to me, the town was a tourist trap, and finding lodging was very difficult. From place to place I went, meeting rejection after rejection until at last the only thought that came to mind was the Holy Family on the first Christmas. Eventually, they found a nice place for me to stay.

Fr. Simpson met me in Dallas for Confirmations. He organized everything perfectly both there and in Austin. The drive from Dallas to Austin was a bit unpleasant due to traffic. A trip that normally takes between three and three and a half hours took five hours. The parishioners in Austin were quite patient with the late start. Fr. Simpson started with confessions, I said the Mass, then we had to get organized for Confirmations. Then to top it all off, Fr. Simpson did a baptism.

The people in these missions are very devoted and it was interesting to see how much the chapels have grown. The Dallas mission that I remember only had a couple dozen souls, but now they have two Masses on a Sunday and even sing High Masses!

The candlelight Fatima Rosary Procession was so beautiful. It is reported that we had 157 souls that night. That is almost half of our parishioners! May Our Lady reward your devotion, and may she grant you the grace of persevering in devotion to the Holy Rosary.

This week we are gearing up for the Forty Hours Devotion which begins on Friday. It is, perhaps, one of the most grace-filled times of the entire year. Let us use the time to lay all of our petitions and needs at the feet of our Eucharistic King. Let us thank Him for the graces and the crosses that He sends us. Above all, let us make reparation to His Eucharistic Heart for all the sins committed against Him. He is God, and is worthy of all our love. All that we do is a labor of love. It is so easy to forget that! Come spend some time with Our Lord. You will once again find that spark of the love of God which we all need. Heart of Jesus, burning with love of us, inflame our hearts with love of Thee.

– Bishop McGuire

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