The Bishop’s Note
It is already the Last Sunday after Pentecost, as well as the final week of the liturgical year. Today’s Gospel mentions the last days and the end times. We are meant to contemplate time and eternity. Doesn’t it seem like time passes so very quickly these days? Well, for Almighty God, there is no time. Rather, He sees all things from the beginning of the world to the end in an eternal instant. To Him the time of Adam and Eve is just as near as the end of the world—and all time is in His paternal Hands.
Speaking of how fast time goes by, this Saturday would have been the 31st anniversary of Bishop Dolan’s consecration. We still keep this anniversary with a special Mass, not only because our love for His Excellency is so great, but because the anniversary of the previous deceased bishop of a diocese was always observed in the days before Vatican II. It is a wonderful thing to remember and pray for the soul of our previous pastor who has done so very much for each one of us. Come to Mass on St. Andrew’s Day, the last day of the month of the Poor Souls, to obtain suffrages for Bishop Dolan!
St. Andrew’s Day is also the 20th anniversary of Fr. Oscar Saavedra’s priestly ordination. Father was a year ahead of me in the seminary and was always a very hard worker, a trait which I always admired in him. Many of you remember the days when Fr. Saavedra worked here at St. Gertrude’s many years ago. He did much of the traveling to the different missions and was also the pastor of St. Clare’s in Columbus. He always taught my nephew, Chase, to remind me that Fr. Saavedra, not I, was his pastor. Chase always made sure to tell me! Father was the founder of the Knights of the Sacred Heart and ran the summer boys’ camp as well. At that time, Fathers Simpson and Brueggemann were only boys and took part in the camps and Knights. I still remember them running around, playing Pickle and Capture the Flag! Now they are both priests, and have revived the Knights of the Sacred Heart and run the camps. I wonder if Fr. Saavedra knew he was helping to form two future priests!
This weekend, Confirmations are being done in Mexico. Bishop Dolan had visited the chapels which I will be going to, but I think that was well before the Covid days. Fr. Martín Gomez will be there along with Fr. Arnoldo Villegas, two very good priests who often help each other out in their apostolates in Mexico. Fr. Simpson is going to drive Bishop Nkamuke to St. Hugh’s this weekend and then to Holy Face Mission before coming back to St. Gertrude’s on Monday. Fr. McKenna is off to St. Anthony’s in Dallas, a fast growing mission. Fr. Lehtoranta, who kindly offered to preach today, is staying here with Fr. Brueggemann this weekend.
Have a very happy Thanksgiving and remember to thank God for His many graces on that day. We have many for which to be grateful.
Don’t forget to stop by the bookstore today to check out what they have on sale! It is a perfect time to buy things for your Advent reading.
– Bishop McGuire