Our journey of 40 days is officially underway as we celebrate the first Sunday of Lent this weekend. I pray that this will be a time of spiritual renewal for all of us. Please keep foremost in your prayers our Catechumens and Candidates who are in the “home stretch” for their entrance into full communion with the Church. We will celebrate the Rite of Sending for 14 of these Catechumens at the 9 a.m. Mass this weekend and later tonight they will be received by Cardinal DiNardo at the Rite of Election that we are hosting at CtR (one of four such services around the Archdiocese today). Our 16 from CtR, along with nearly 1,800 others from other parishes, will makeup the largest group of Catechumens from any one diocese in the country.
Over the course of
Lent we’ll celebrate the three scrutinies (minor rites) for our Catechumens (the unbaptized). Meanwhile, those baptized Christians who seek full communion in the faith (the Candidates) are also preparing for their entry into the Church. As they all journey to the table of the Lord, let us dare to walk with them and ask the Lord to guide us all into a more perfect union with the Son and God’s holy Church.
I hope your Lenten penance and sacrifice is working to help you deepen your spiritual life, but don’t let it become a fixation. I sometimes worry that people obsess over what they are “giving up” for Lent that they miss the inner renewal that needs to be taking place. That can only be accomplished by quiet reflection on God’s will in our lives. That was at the heart of Jesus’ temptation in the desert that we read in today’s Gospel. Be sure to take time over these 40 days to listen for the voice of God calling you by name.
Remember we have two weekly events, one social and one spiritual, to keep you on track during Lent. First is the
weekly Fish Fry held by the Knights of Columbus from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. every Friday in the Parish Hall. The first week was a great success this past Friday. Thank you, brother Knights! I don’t know of a better way to enjoy the fellowship of Lent than with your friends and neighbors at CtR. And it’s a bargain as well: $8 for adults and $5 for kids. Make plans to join us often during Lent for this Fish Fry. It is followed by Stations of the Cross that is held in the Church at 7 p.m. every Friday. It’s a great spiritual way to keep the journey to the cross of our Lord foremost in our hearts.
In other news I'm happy to announce our
2017 Pilgrimage from CtR will be to Ireland! This has been one of the most requested destinations from many parishioners and it is shaping up as a great trip. You will find brochures with all the details in the narthex and Parish Office, but allow me to share some of the highlights.
Our trip will run Sept. 3-14, and that means we'll depart on Labor Day weekend. We have our first full day in Ireland in Dublin, one of the truly great cities of the world. We'll see the beautiful Book of Kells and the great St. Patrick's Cathedral. Though not officially on our tour, I'm hopeful we can also make a visit to the Guinness Brewery. I've been previously and it's a sight to behold. Sláinte!
Following two nights in Dublin we make our way south to Kilkenny, the Rock of Cashel, and Cobh, which features St. Coleman's Cathedral, one of the world's great churches. Cobh is where many Irish immigrants departed from on their passage to America. If you have Irish ancestors like me, chances are the last view they had of Mother Ireland was looking back at St. Coleman's Cathedral.
We'll visit Cork, Killarney, and the magnificent Cliffs of Moher (the view is truly breathtaking) before making our way into Galway for two nights. If you've never been I think you'll really enjoy Galway. It's my personal favorite of the towns in Ireland. From there we'll make our way north up the coast to see Crough Patrick, where the great saint is said to have spent 40 days in prayer and fasting. We'll visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Knock, perhaps the most important shrine in the country. We wrap up by making our way back to Dublin through County Meath and various stops along the way. We will return home on the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 14.
It promises to be a beautiful pilgrimage. We'll see many churches, cathedrals, and shrines, and arrange for daily Mass as often as we can. Early September should be a great time to visit. The summer heat (and tourists) will mostly be gone, and I expect we'll see the beauty of the countryside in all its glory.
We will have to limit our pilgrimage to one bus. Unlike Italy and other European destinations, Ireland is not set up to handle big groups like we often bring. The roads are much narrower and the hotels smaller so we'll need to cap our group at 52. As such, we’ll open registration to everyone on Monday, March 6 and everyone will get the same opportunity to sign up beginning on that day. It will be first-come, first-served until we reach our limit. A deposit of $300 will hold your spot.
The total cost is $3,390 per person and includes airfare, all hotels, transportation, two meals a day, guides, taxes, tips, etc. It's all included. We know from past experience that Inspirational Tours take great care of us on our pilgrimages. Our tours are always special and this one looks to be very promising. You can find more information in the brochure and
at our website, or see me with any questions.
Peace,
Fr. Sean
P.S.: A reminder that we have First Confessions for our children at 8:30 a.m. next Saturday, March 11. We have 120 children to come to the
Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time so please keep them in your prayers. We celebrate these First Confessions (and First Communions) three times throughout the year to accommodate our more than 350 children in sacramental preparation. My thanks to our parents and catechists who have prepared them to take this next step in their faith journey. Due to the children’s confessions, our regularly scheduled Saturday morning confessions that day start a bit later, probably closer to 10 a.m. after we finish celebrating the sacrament with all of the children. Thanks for your understanding.