My Dear Friends,

“I rejoiced when they said to me, `Let us go to the house of the LORD.’” (Psalm 122:1)

This was the hymn that Jewish pilgrims would sing in Old Testament times on their pilgrim journeys up to Jerusalem. Today, we join that ancient hymn as we return to our church for the first time in five months to participate in the most important thing that we do as a parish: the celebration of Sunday Mass. It has been a long summer away from this sacred space, and I am overjoyed that we can share all the work that was done to repair, restore, and beautify our church in the last five months.

A few weeks ago, I exhorted all of you to prepare the temple of your hearts for this day in the same way that we were preparing this physical temple. We walk into this magnificent church today as a pilgrim people always in search of the Divine, restless to journey to God. I pray that everything that was done to the church elevates your senses to encounter the Living God in the Holy Eucharist.

Our parish staff has prepared a detailed explanation as to what was done over the summer. Some things are obvious; most things are subtle. But the one thing that has not changed is that the center and the primary focus of this church continues to be our altar of sacrifice where your priests offer Mass at least three times every day on that glorious and consecrated marble altar worthy of our Lord.

Thank you all for your generosity in pledging and giving to the Centennial Campaign which made all of this possible. Keep those gifts coming because there are still many bills to be paid. Also, there is more work to be done while we continue to worship in the church. The balcony continues to be prepared for the arrival of our organ in February. That work will be done during weekdays when Mass is not being celebrated. This will require us to close the church for private prayer from 8:45am – 5:00pm on weekdays for the next couple of months, but we can go pray in our Adoration Chapel. We also have to finish other details such as the refurbishment of our fourth confessional on the right of the church which could not be done this summer and is sorely needed.

But again, what is truly important, the day we have all longed for is finally here: we get to reenter the house of the Lord! This holy place set aside in 1951 for divine worship which rises majestically to the heavens in this corner of God’s Kingdom. Where so many of you were baptized, received First Communion, were confirmed, got married, where you have been absolved, and where you encounter the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in body, soul, and divinity every time you kneel before the tabernacle and offer sacrifice during the celebration of the Eucharist. My friends, we are home!

God bless you all,