A Word from Your Pastor - June 7 Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

Dear Parishioners:

Many exciting things have happened the past few weeks.  The Ordination of six new priests and the news that three of them will be assigned to parishes in our neighborhood offers a great sense of hope.  I attended the ordination on May 30 and two of the First Masses of Thanksgiving on May 31 and found the experience to be a trip down Memory Lane, especially since one of the Masses was celebrated at St. Mary Church in Lancaster, which was my first assignment as a priest.  At that Mass, I looked out at the congregation and realized that most of those in the pews were too young to remember me from my time there.  But there were a lot of folks who came up to me to greet me who did remember me.  It was a reminder of my own early zeal in the priesthood. 

My prayer is that I can recapture something of that zeal as I approach the celebration of my 30^th Anniversary of Ordination this month.  By the way, you are invited to join me in that prayer as Fr. Jeff Rimelspach celebrate a special Mass on Sunday, June 14, at 2 p.m. at St. Margaret of Cortona Church (with a light reception to follow) as our observance of the 30^th Anniversary.  We are the Class of 1985 for the Diocese of Columbus.  How quickly the years have flown by!

The privilege of preaching at the Baccalaureate Mass for the Watterson Class of 2015 was exciting.  My nephew Tyler Carter, who has often served here at St. Timothy Church, is in that class.  He is planning to discern the priesthood in the Diocese of Columbus at the Josephinum next year.  I also concelebrated the Baccalaureate/Graduation of St. Charles Preparatory High School, from which I graduated in 1977.  This past week, we celebrated the Graduation of the St. Timothy Class of 2015.  Many families rejoice in these new steps in the lives of our youth.  All of these events are a reminder that the work we do is an important: we prepare the next generations for the future.

On Friday, June 12^th, at 7:30 p.m., at a Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral, the Diocese of Columbus will be consecrated anew to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Bishop Frederick Campbell.  Please join us in prayer at that time and consider making a consecration of your family to the Sacred Heart.  We need to keep Jesus at the center of our lives so that we can be a true witness of the Truth of the Gospel to the world around us.

As Summer begins, remember, Jesus wants to see you every weekend at Mass!  He offers Eternal Rest to those who stay close to Him.  When you visit other parishes, pick up a bulletin and bring it home with you to let your Pastor know you have been to church.  Have a great Summer!

As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, let us all reaffirm our Faith in the Eucharist.  Remember that Wednesdays our Eucharistic Lord is waiting for your visit in the air-conditioned comfort of St. Timothy Church.  Come to keep Him company and to allow Him to speak to your heart.