My Dear Friends,
Happy Father’s Day to all our dads in the parish! Last week we saw the love for spiritual fatherhood as we bid farewell to Father David as he embarks on his next assignment. He was quite literally left speechless as we honored him at the end of the 10:30am Mass for the good and tireless work he put into his ministry during his two years with us. Please continue to pray for Father David as he begins his ministry with the good people of St. Bonaventure.
Today we welcome a new spiritual father to our parish in Father Andrew Vitrano-Farinato. He has been a priest for three years serving at St. Louis Parish in Pinecrest not too far away. Father Andrew is a homegrown vocation of the Archdiocese of Miami. He attended St. Mark’s Catholic School in Southwest Ranches up in Broward County, and he graduated from Archbishop Edward McCarthy High School. Just like me, he entered seminary straight out of high school and attended St. John Vianney and St. Vincent de Paul seminaries. He was ordained on the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima on May 13, 2023. Over the next few weeks, he will celebrate all the Masses of the parish so that all of you can get to know him and hear his inspiring homilies. Please pray for Father Andrew as he starts serving this parish and school community.
As we continue to celebrate the centennial year of the parish, I cannot help but think of all the wonderful spiritual fathers we have had here at Little Flower over the last century. Obviously, our thoughts turn to our founder, Monsignor Thomas Comber, who erected this parish and built this glorious church to the glory of God and to inspire generations of parishioners long after our founders laid the first stone. But aside from the nine pastors we have had, there are countless other priests who have served as vicars of Little Flower who have made an indelible impact on our lives.
These priests walked with us on journeys that were joyous and journeys that were challenging. They listened to and absolved our sins, commended the souls of our loved ones to heaven, presided at our weddings, baptized our children, and were genuine father figures in our lives. It’s no wonder we had the outpouring of love last week for Father David as he said goodbye. Priests make a profound impact in our lives because they bring us the Real Presence and the Good News of Jesus Christ. We need your prayers every single day. We are human. We are sinners. We are far from perfect. We just simply want to point you in the direction of Jesus Christ and then get out of the Lord’s way as he accomplishes mighty deeds in you.
Most priests can point to their biological fathers as inspiration for how they carry out their ministry. We thank all the fathers of our parish who, like St. Joseph, quietly lead their families and bring them to Mass every Sunday. You are, in essence, the high priest of your home as you lead your family in prayer and set a good example of virtuous living. We pray that each of you have a blessed Father’s Day.
On another note, this coming Tuesday I leave for France with a group of parishioners on our ten-day Centennial Pilgrimage that will lead us to Paris, Lisieux, Alencon, Tours, Lourdes, and finally Montserrat and Barcelona. Please know that we take all of you and your intentions with us as we visit these holy sites so treasured by our patroness. On Thursday, I celebrate Mass in the Cathedral of Notre Dame and on Thursday, July 2, I will celebrate Mass in the Basilica of La Sagrada Familia where Pope Leo just visited. Follow the parish’s social media for updates from our pilgrimage. See you on the 4th of July!
God bless you all,
