I just received the following from the diocese: Roman Catholic Province of Indianapolis Lifting of the Dispensation from the Obligation of Mass, Effective 11 June 2021 The celebration of the Eucharist at Mass is the source and summit of our life and mission as Catholics. Since March 2020, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, all Roman Catholics throughout the entire Province of Indianapolis, which comprises all five dioceses of Indiana, have been dispensed from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. However, with the decrease of cases in our state, the widespread availability of vaccines and following the guidance of public health officials, we are now able to safely accommodate more parishioners for Masses.  Therefore, effective June 11, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the general dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass is hereby lifted throughout the state of Indiana. ...  

Today, May 16th, we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus into heaven. Our readings all present this great event. Our Responsorial Psalm shouts for joy: "All you peoples, clap your hands, shout to God with cries of gladness. For the Lord the Most High, the awesome, is the great king over all the earth. God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy; The Lord, amid trumpet blasts, Sing praise to God ...

First and foremost, let me wish everyone a Happy and Blessed Mother's Day. It seems strange that we only take one day out of the year to honor the woman, who has done so much for each of us. Shouldn't we be honoring our mother every day? It is even one of the Ten Commandments: Honor your father and your mother! Do some thing nice for your mother today, even if it is just a prayer of thanksgiving. We should also remember our Mother Mary today. She is the mother of Jesus, the mother of the church and our mother as well. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. The 9th is also the Sixth Sunday of Easter. In our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we have ...

Today the Orthodox Church celebrates Easter. Happy Easter to all our Orthodox brothers and sisters! Yesterday was a holiday throughout much of the world, May 1st, May Day, Labor Day. The Church celebrated St. Joseph the Worker. On Wednesday, Mexico and many Mexican Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo, the Fifth of May. This spring time celebration commemorates the Mexican victory over the French at Puebla, Mexico and what some call Mexico's Second Independence, first from Spain and later from France. Happy Cinco de Mayo to all who celebrate it! Next Sunday is Mother's Day. Do something nice for your mother this week, at least an extra prayer. During the month of May...

The Fourth Sunday of Easter is a special day of prayer for vocations to the Church. That's because it is a Good Shepherd Sunday. Our Gospel tells us that Jesus called himself the good shepherd. "A good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away." The Church asks us to pray today for good shepherds in the Church. As we look around we can see that the number of priests and religious continues to decline. We need more full time ministers in the Church. Please pray today for more priests, deacons, religious, and lay workers to come forward to serve the Church and pray for those who already do. This past week was quite historical. For three weeks we saw ...

I write this Friday morning with a heavy heart. I have just watched an account of the mass shooting in Indianapolis on TV. It brings to mind all the gun violence we have experienced over the past few months, especially all the shootings we have had in our area. All life is precious, since we are all made in the image and likeness of God. Let us all pray for an end to all this violence. We are an Easter people and our song is Alleluia! This Sunday we continue to celebrate with the Third Sunday of Easter. In our Gospel, Luke mentions two appearances of Jesus after his resurrection. The opening lines tell us ....

I hope and pray that everyone had a great Easter. We had a few more people return to church for Easter. It was the biggest crowd we've had since the pandemic began. We had 25 at the 8:15 and 45 at the 10:30 and there was still room for more. Thank you goes out to La Donna and the choir members who sang and to Steve Peterson for playing the piano and to Deacon Mel for adding his trumpet at the end of Mass. It was a great celebration of the Lord's Resurrection. Let us continue to pray for an end to the pandemic. Get your vaccination as soon as you can. I've had both shots for well over a month and feel better for it. It is hard for me to believe that on Monday, April 12, the anniversary of my priestly ordination, I will have been a priest for 52 years …

As Lent comes to an end, we have finally reached the holiest week of the year. Today, Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, the crowds welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem waving palms and shouting: "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is come! Hosanna in the highest!" On Holy Thursday, Jesus celebrates the first Mass by offering his disciples bread and wine that he changed into his Body and Blood and told them to do the same in his memory. He later prays and suffers the agony in ...

We are now just one week away from Holy Week, which starts with Palm Sunday on the 28th. We will not have a procession again this year due to Covid-19. We will bless palms at each Mass and distribute them to all present. Our Masses will be the usual 8:15 and 10:30 AM. On Holy Thursday, April 1, we will have The Mass of the Last Supper at 6 PM. On Good Friday, April 2, we will have the Good Friday Service at 1 PM. Since we are not receiving any one new into the Church, we will not have an Easter Vigil on Saturday. However, we will have Easter Masses at both 8:15 and 10:30 AM Easter morning, April 4. ...

On the 7th and 14th we will have zoom presentations for Lent. Margie and Biff will make the presentation on the 7th at 1 PM. James Summers will make the presentation on the 14th at 1 PM. I hope you enjoy them both. The Pope is making a pilgrimage to Iraq this weekend. Let us pray for him and the Iraqi people, especially the small number of Christians still there. This Sunday, March 7, is the Third Sunday of Lent. Our readings today once again deal with God's Covenant with his people. The first reading gives us the Ten Commandments. The first three deal with our relationship to God. Through Moses he tells us ...

The Second Sunday of Lent is the last day of February, the 28th. As we close the month honoring Black History, let us remember the "Black History" that we celebrate is American History. Africans came or were brought to America long before there was a United States of America. Let us pray that our schools will teach true American History. I urge you to look at our parish calendar again today to see some of the accomplishments mentioned there. In our first reading for today, we see Abraham being obedient to God. He takes his son Isaac, the son of the promise and ...

On Ash Wednesday we started our 40 day journey of Lent. That day's Gospel told us the three things we need to do during Lent: pray, fast and give alms. In our extra Lenten prayer this year, let us spend some time listening to God, not just saying prayers but listening to God's answers. We are called to fast officially only on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, but we can give up something to show God, we love him more than what we give up. We can also give alms from the money we save by eating less. We can also give alms by helping our brothers and sisters in need. It might be financial but it could also be a helping hand, a shoulder to cry on, or words of encouragement. Our project for Lent is simply to love God and neighbor more. Our Gospel for the First Sunday of Lent always has ...

We have a lot of events this week. Happy Valentine's Day to each and everyone of you. Do something nice for someone close to you today. Happy Presidents' Day!   As I said last week, we used to celebrate Washington and Lincoln on two different days when I was growing up. Now we celebrate them together. Tuesday is Mardi Gras. I hope you can all celebrate this at home this year. Due to the virus, we will not have our usual gala. But you can let the good times roll at home! Lent begins on Wednesday, the 17th. We will have ...

It looks like the real winter has arrived. I write this Friday morning. Fortunately we didn't get as much snow as predicted but the cold has turned almost everything on the ground into ice. I'm being extra careful walking. I hope you are, too. But it is February. As you all know February is Black History Month. If you have picked up our parish calendar, I suggest that you study it carefully this month since many Black Heroes and events are highlighted. Next Sunday is Valentine's Day. Do something nice for ...

Another month has gone by and the pandemic continues. According to the CDC January was the worst month yet. Pray for an end to this scourge on humankind. Get your shots, when it is your turn. I'm waiting on my second shot right now. Lent is just over two weeks away. If you make it to Mass on Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2021, you will receive the ashes in a different way. There will be ...

I became a political junkie for the Inauguration Day. The snow and ice overnight had me trapped in Fatima. The parking lot was too slippery to walk on. So, I made the best of it by watching Trump's departure and Biden's inauguration events. I actually started the night before with the ceremony at the reflecting pool to honor the 400,000 who died from the virus. It was a very moving ceremony, opened by the prayer of our Cardinal Gregory. It was a prayer service for all Americans. Even with 25,000 National Guard Troops protecting the Capitol, it was a very American inauguration, especially the program presented at night. It was a great celebration for all Americans! Let us pray for the new administration and Congress. There are still very tough times ahead of us but with the help of God, we ...

I write this about an hour after receiving my first Moderna Covid - 19 shot. I feel fine and I recommend that everyone eligible for the Covid Shot gets one. Even Pope Francis makes the same recommendation. There is a website to make appointments or you can call 211. Pray for an end to the pandemic and get your shots. This weekend we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr., a man who could really preach the word of God. After the riot at the Capitol, one might ask ...

This has been quite a week and that is an understatement. I'm sure that most of you at least saw on the news the Trump supporters attacking the Capitol in DC. I studied theology in DC way back in 1965 - 1968. One of the joys and advantages of Holy Cross having our theology house there was being close to the functions and national monuments. It was a long time ago but I did visit the Capitol Building on occasion and was in awe of the goings on there. I was also there when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated and I watched part of the city burn. Let us pray for a peaceful transfer of power and for ...

I hope each and everyone of you have a Happy New Year. I write this on the first day of the new year waiting for our 10:30 AM Mass and for the ice storm that is supposed to come soon. I hope everyone gets home before the storm gets too bad. I also pray and ask you too to pray for an end of the pandemic and an easy transfer of power in Washington. On the first, we welcomed in the new year by celebrating the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. This feast ...

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. It certainly was white. For my money, it was too white. I drove to church through the worst part of the heavy snow. I could not see beyond my head lights at 7:15 AM and it was really dark, too. When I arrived at St. Augustine's ...