What a truly incredible weekend we just experienced! Our Lenten retreat with Julianne Stanz was a profound time of grace, reflection, and renewal. Over 350-400 people gathered each night to hear her powerful message of hope, centered on the Cross of Christ and the “thin places” in our lives—those moments when God breaks through in ways we may not immediately recognize. What a gift it was to journey together in prayer, song, and contemplation. An added blessing was the presence of a relic of Saint Patrick himself, allowing us to feel even more connected to the great cloud of witnesses who intercede for us.
Thank you to Meredith Augustin for the beautiful music that added a dimension of sacredness to it. I am grateful to my entire staff for working so hard in organizing and facilitating the Lenten Retreat: Thank you to Donna, Clare, Kalena, and Joan for hosting the receptions; Clare and Rachel for organizing and promoting the retreat and parent sessions; Kalena and Kerby for providing projection, sound, and recording; Victor and Baldy for setting up and cleaning up; Marilou for coordinating childcare; Madelyn for providing office support; and Fr. Chris and Fr. Dat for their support.
This Sunday’s readings invite us into one of the most famous “thin places” in Scripture—the burning bush. Moses encounters God in the most unexpected way, on ordinary ground that becomes holy as soon as God reveals His presence. Like Moses, we often fail to recognize these sacred moments in our own lives. Yet, as Julianne helped us see, when we reflect on our past with the light of faith, we can often recognize the thin places where God has spoken to us—sometimes in ways we only understand in hindsight. This Lenten season, let us deepen our prayer and use our memories to discover how God has been working in our lives. Let us also open our hearts to expect Him to speak to us today and always, for He is never far from us.
Special thanks to Tina Lipscomb, Lee Panec, and the entire team who put together the magnificent St. Patrick’s Dinner event. What a night of joy and celebration! With over 400 parishioners in attendance, we feasted on incredible food, enjoyed lively Irish music from Tim Peterson’s band, watched the talented Irish dancers and enjoyed the spirit of Irish hospitality. It was a beautiful reminder of how our parish family comes together not only in prayer but in joy and fellowship. In particular, it was so wonderful to see so many young families with their children running around—what a wonderful sight to see and hear! Thank you all for coming out and celebrating together.
Finally, I ask you for prayers for our 8th grade students as they are away on a weekend retreat in the preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Please pray that the Lord fill their hearts with the fire of his love, they fall in love with Christ and come to a deep friendship with him that lasts a lifetime. Please also pray for the retreat leaders that the Lord might strengthen them and inspire them with right words to witness to the students.
As we continue our Lenten journey, may we remain open to recognizing God’s presence in all places—the ordinary and the extraordinary—knowing that He is always speaking to us in love. This is how we bear fruit for the world, and we all need joy and hope in our hearts right now. You can watch the Lenten Retreat sessions with Julianne Stanz HERE. Return to read the ebulletin HERE
God Bless,
Fr. Brendan