We welcome guests and visitors who join us for our First Communion Mass this weekend. This is a wonderful day in the lives of our children, and a wonderful day for our parish.
May is a month in which we honor Mary, the mother of Jesus and our Blessed Mother. I remember as a child people bringing flowers to church from their gardens at home and placing them before the statue of Mary. If anyone would like to bring flowers here, we would welcome them at the Blessed Mother’s statue. I also had an aunt and uncle who had a little May shrine in their home: they put flowers and candles and a Bible around a statue of Mary. These are beautiful acts of devotion.
Our school May crowning and living rosary will take place on Monday afternoon, May 6, at 1:30 in the church. Everyone is welcome to join us in honoring Mary, and in asking for her prayers.
The feast of the Ascension of the Lord was celebrated for many years on a Thursday, 40 days after Easter. In our diocese (and most of the U.S.) the Feast of Ascension has been moved back to the following Sunday. The bishops’ reasoning: on a Sunday we can celebrate with more ministers and with more people present. We will celebrate the Ascension of the Lord next Sunday, May 12. While the Ascension remains a holy day of obligation, since it falls on a Sunday there is no extra Mass obligation.
Spring is a beautiful time of year. Every year since I have been here we have had a nesting duck in the school courtyard, next to the pond. After the little ones hatched they would swim together for a few days and then the family headed away. This year we have no nest in the courtyard, but we have a mother duck on a nest near the church doors. I don’t know where she plans to find food and water for the little ones. A mother duck has to be resourceful.
