The Bishop’s Note
The cats have been starting to come inside and are a lot more playful than usual, a sign that it is getting closer to Autumn, although we still have well over a month to go. The weather has been a lot cooler than most Augusts. May Our Lady grant us beautiful weather on her feast of the Assumption which comes this Friday.
A lot has been accomplished this week, thanks be to God. It certainly has been a busy week. Fr. Simpson came back a little tired from the full Texas mission run which was all the more gruesome since it began almost immediately after three days of Boys’ Camp. Since coming back he has been busy with some of the projects which I mentioned in last week’s bulletin. He likes to work with his hands and is quite good at it. It is a blessing to have a priest who can fix things around church.
Fr. Brueggemann and his brother, Seminarian Chris Brueggemann, have been working diligently to get the grotto pond fixed up in time for the Assumption. They sealed up all the leaks on the sides that were letting floods of water come in whenever it rained. That would explain at least part of why the pond always looked so dirty. The next step is to paint it a light blue color, fill it with water, and add the fountain. I think Chris will finish alone while Fr. Brueggemann leaves for St. Hugh’s and all the northern missions.
Poncho Capetillo and Chris Brueggemann have been helping with a few different projects around church, including cleaning out one of the classrooms that was entirely filled with books. Sr. Ulrica helped a lot with that, too. Sr. Eulalia has been busy beautifying the outdoor garden and the Stations of the Cross in her free time, while Sr. Magdalen has been helping in the sacristy as well as preparing her classes for this upcoming school year.
Speaking of the school, we have a number of new students coming this year and have even reached the 30 student mark, which is pretty good for our school. More updates as I get them. Dr. Stanislowski has very good plans for the future, especially by updating some of the material. Some basic Philosophy courses, such as Logic and Psychology, will be taught as well. In our day, these two are very important since we live in a world that does not use logic. It is necessary to teach our youth how to think critically and to be comfortable doing so. The more the world turns away from Christ the further it goes away from anything true and beautiful. It is through the truths of our Faith that our children will pass safely through all the errors of the world. But, of course, the best part about our Catholic school is the fact that the children get daily Mass, Holy Communion, and sermons, daily contact with the clergy and religious, weekly confession, and all the spiritual helps they will need to save their immortal souls.
Fr. Brueggemann took the seminarians and some of the Knights of the Sacred Heart on a field trip to Bardstown, where Bishop Fla-get established the first seminary in these parts. It looked like a fun and edifying day for all! You can see a group picture below.
This week we have a number of important days, and I hope to see you in church for as many of them as you can make. St. Philomena’s feast day is tomorrow. St. Clare’s is Tuesday, and the CMC will meet that evening. Wednesday is the feast of the patron of altar boys, St. John Berchmans, and we have the penultimate Fatima Rosary Procession at 7:15 in the evening. The weather should be nice for that! And of course the Holy Day is Friday, and is the highlight of the summer with the beautiful procession, Marian hymns, Blessing of Herbs and Fruits, and Pontifical Mass. St. Joachim, the father of Our Lady and grandfather of Our Lord, has his feast day on Saturday. These feast days are just what the world misses out on, but we Catholics are so blessed to have.
May you remain close to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart.
– Bishop McGuire
P.S. Fr. Roberto Mardones, who lives in Mexico City, fell quite ill this past week. His diabetes got out of hand and he had to have a leg amputated. He is in the hospital for a few days and is well taken care of. Fr. Siordia, thankfully, was able to visit him and administer Extreme Unction. Please continue to pray for Fr. Mardones, as well as all of our sick priests all over the world. But Fr. Nicolás Benegas, who resides for the time being in Guadalajara, is doing quite well. He is building a chapel in Argentina and will be returning there for a little while until he gets his Visa situation worked out and can return to Mexico.