The Bishop’s Note
July, the month of the Precious Blood, has begun a little more quietly than June ended. Fr. Benègas seems to have enjoyed his stay with us. While he was here he man-aged to fix two or three of the miters, which had been crushed by servers and clergy over the years, and had generally started to wear out from years of use. This week, our seminarians return home. Peter Gray, who just finished his first year of seminary, is staying with us for all of July. We are looking forward to his visit.
Fr. McKenna is back from vacation and looks pretty well rested. It is a good thing, too, since he is on the road again this weekend to offer Mass in Dallas, Austin, and El Paso. Upon his return, Father must start preparing for the YAG, which begins this Friday. Fr. Simpson is in the northern missions, covering Milwaukee and Park Falls, Wisconsin, as well as Grand Forks and Minot, North Dakota, and then returning to Milwaukee. It is a long drive, but he doesn’t seem to mind at all.
The rectory addition project is taking much longer than I had liked or thought, but we are making progress, albeit at a snail’s pace. The final draft of the building plan is being made now. I am not sure what the next step is. This is all brand new to me, so I will keep you posted. I am very thankful to Billy Young for his generosity in helping to coordinate this project. In reality, we would not have made it this far without him. Keep praying for this project. When the renderings are complete, I will include a picture in the bulletin. We do have the majority of the funds for this project, but any contribution toward its completion will be most welcome.
Fr. Desposito, from the RCI, had open heart surgery this past Wednesday. Apparently, he has a genetic heart problem. Please remember him in your prayers as he recovers. (Editor’s Note: Surgery rescheduled to tomorrow.)
Hopefully, you enjoyed your July 4th celebrations. Do not forget, however, to pray for your country every day. Pray for its conversion above all. Patriotism does not mean merely waving flags and drinking red, white, and blue slushies; nor does it mean turning on Lee Green-wood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” and feeling all patriotic. There is a virtue of patriotism, which is part of the fourth commandment. Right now, what our country needs most is prayer. We need to pray for the conversion of our leaddrs and make reparation for the sins that we have commit-ted as a nation and as individuals. America is dedicated to Our Lady. Where Our Lady is there is always hope. May she lead our country back to Christ. Precious Blood of Jesus, save us!
– Bishop McGuire