My Dear Friends,
I am writing this column to you early in the week from the holy city of Lourdes just five minutes away from where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Bernadette almost 170 years ago. By the time you read this, I will be back in the parish to celebrate the Fourth of July with all of you. More on that below.
As I write this, we are concluding our Centennial pilgrimage that took us last weekend to the city of our patroness in Lisieux. How I wish I could have had the entire parish with us in the Basilica of St. Therere to renew our commitment as a parish to evangelize and to live holy lives as our patroness calls us to live as we bring our Centennial year to close in the next few months. One of the surprising things that struck me at the beginning of the pilgrimage was when we visited the the birthplace of St. Therese in Alençon. There you get an in-depth look into the lives of her parents, St. Louis and St. Zelie whose feast day we celebrate on July 12. St. Zelie died of breast cancer when Therese was only 4, yet as a mother she prayed every day that her children may achieve sainthood. Her prayers from 150 years ago should soon be answered as all her children are on paths towards canonization. What struck me was this: that this mother prayed so fervently for her children to gain heaven. That was in the heart of St. Louis as well. They already have one child who has been canonized and soon will have more God willing. So, I ask the mothers and the fathers of our parish, do you pray every day that your children may be saints? That is at the core of your vocation as a Christian mother and father.
Last weekend, I celebrated Mass and spent much time in prayer in the Basilica of St. Therese. Our pilgrims lit many candles, but I only lit one candle where the relics that visited us back in December are permanently housed. My prayer was simply for our parish: that we may grow in holiness, that we may grow more and more in love with the Lord, that we may lead others to Christ and to his Blessed Mother, and that we focus solely on Jesus who is present every day at our altar. Everything else that we do as a parish and as a school flows from that transformative encounter we have at the altar every time we approach our Lord in Holy Communion.
From Lisieux we traveled south to Lourdes. This is where I am writing these lines acutely aware that the only thing that should matter to us is our relationship with Jesus and to keep the Blessed Virgin Mary very close to us as a prayer companion, as an intercessor, and as a mother who protects us and loves us as she loves her son. I have seen many groups numbering in the hundreds, particularly from Ireland, the homeland of our founding pastor, and what brought me joy was seeing so many young people. I prayed that Ireland, which produced so many missionaries that founded our diocese, may be going through somewhat of a spiritual renaissance. And so, I sat in the square in front on the Basilica of Lourdes and saw all these people taking group photos and dreamed of taking a great number of you to these holy places one day, and I continued to pray for you at the feet of Our Lady. There was a singular purpose and a singular petition that I prayed for over and over again during this pilgrimage: for the sanctification of my parish.
Now I return to join you in celebrating the semiquincentennial of our great nation this weekend. How blessed are we that we get to mark this milestone in the life of our country! Since I am writing this in Lourdes, I cannot help but think of what Mary told St. Bernadette: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” She just happens to be the patroness of the United States of America. May our Blessed Mother protect our nation and may we all help build a more perfect union by simply being saints.
God bless America and God bless all of you, my holy people.
