Brothers and Sisters in Christ – In the early hours of the morning as the sun was beginning to rise, I slowly walked from the retreat house to the Abbey Church for the first prayers of the day and Mass. As I took in the beauty of creation, I listened to the birds sing, I gazed upon the rolling hills surrounding the monastery, and I thanked God for blessing me with a new day. As I con-celebrated Mass surrounded by Trappist monks, I looked up at the beautiful stained-glass window of the Blessed Virgin Mary over the altar and called to mind all of those persons who I promised to remember in my prayers, as well as all who are struggling in some way. In his opening remarks, Fr. Peter reminded us that the Easter season is all about joy. As we near the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost we reflect upon Jesus leaving us to go with his Father. And as Jesus took leave, he gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit to be with us, empower us, and assist us in proclaiming the Good News. On the first day of my retreat, I found myself praying with Fr. Peter’s remarks on Easter joy. It’s not always easy to be people of joy in today’s world. The war in Ukraine has been going on for more than three years. The war in Gaza continues to escalate. Lives have been lost, families displaced, and people are suffering due to a lack of food and the other necessities of life. We know of the impact that gun violence is having on our country. Loved ones are dying because of drug abuse. Children are struggling to form relationships with peers and are becoming more and more isolated. We continue to encounter persons who love to gossip about others and malign their names. Negativity is becoming a way of life. However, the Easter season continues to call us to be people of joy. We’re reminded of our Christian vocation to spread the Good News. Our way of life should be counter-cultural where we allow others to see and come to know God alive in us. As we move toward the end of the Easter season, I invite you to find a way to live the joy of Easter beyond the 50 days of this glorious season. How will you continue to bring this joy into our world? How will you spread the Good News as a Christian? Let me offer a few suggestions for your consideration. Our parish Soup Kitchen needs more help, especially with the summer approaching and people going on vacation. How about volunteering a few times this summer? The same is true for our St. Vincent de Paul Society? How about helping to deliver a meal to our brothers and sisters in need? When was the last time you visited a loved one in a nursing facility or at home? Consider sending a card to a friend or family member that you may have lost touch with this past year. Instead of a birthday text, send a card with a handwritten note. Smile at the stranger standing in line behind you at the grocery store. Hold open a door. Say thank you. Hold your tongue and replace that complaint with a compliment. Our vocation is to be joyful people who always proclaim God. Let’s all commit ourselves to bringing the Good News to our world today, tomorrow, and always. A few announcements: Mother’s Day … On this beautiful day we remember all of those women who’ve played a special role in our lives. We thank God for their love, kindness, and care. We also lift up in prayer those mothers-to-be who are carrying the gift of life in their womb. On this Mother’s Day may God bless all of those special women, living and deceased, as we lift them up in our prayers. Bible Study … St. A's will be hosting a Parish Bible Study at Kathleen Twyner-Coley's home in May for four Wednesdays (May 1 – 22) from 6:30-8:30 p.m. If you’re interested, please contact Kathleen at [email protected] for her home address. Centering Prayer … Sponsored by the Spirituality Committee of the Parish Pastoral Council will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 19 in our worship space. All are welcome! Annual Parish Picnic … Will be held from 1-6 p.m. on Sunday, August 25 at the St. Patrick County Park. Please mark your calendars. Cecilia Newbill has graciously accepted my invitation to be the chairwoman. Please volunteer to be a part of the planning committee so that we can make this day a success! You can give your name to me or Alfred Guillaume, our Parish Pastoral Council president, and we’ll pass it along to Cecilia. She’ll also be personally reaching out to parishioners. Parish Potluck Dinners … The first post pandemic St. A’s Potluck will be held on May 19, 4-6 p.m. at the home of Alfred Guillaume and Melanie Smith-Guillaume, 14645 Stonington Court in Granger. As customary, please bring a dish to share (hot, cold, or dessert). Beverages will be provided. Children are welcome. Sign-up sheets are on the table in the church foyer. You can also send an email to Alfred at[email protected], or text him at 574-315-1029. On sign-up sheets, please indicate your name, number in your party, what you are bringing to share, and your contact information. Catholic Charities Collection … This weekend (May 12) we will have the annual collection for Catholic Charities. This is the principal human service agency of the Church in our diocese. The money received in this collection will be used to help those who are in need right here in the Diocese of Ft. Wayne – South Bend, Through our food pantries, assistance with rent, utilities, and mortgage payments, job training and housing assistance for refugees, mentoring programs for at-risk teens, mental health counseling, and support for those experiencing an unexpected pregnancy, Catholic Charities strives to share the love of Jesus with our brothers and sisters who are most in need. Please place your envelope in the regular collection. If you don’t use our parish envelopes, please place your donation in an envelope marked “Catholic Charities” or note that on the memo line of your check. THANK YOU for your generosity! Spiritual Companions … The Sisters of the Holy Cross at St. Mary’s College have begun reaching out to our homebound parishioners to be their spiritual companions through phone calls, conversation, and shared prayer. If you know of any parishioner who would be interested, please let me know. Please be sure to let our parishioner know that you’re going to share their name and contact information. Pentecost Collection … On Sunday, May 19 the collection for Seminary Education is taken. The money donated goes to support the formation of those men preparing for the priesthood of the Diocese of Fort Wayne – South Bend. Please place your envelope in the regular collection. If you don’t use our parish envelopes, please place your donation in an envelope marked “Pentecost Collection for Seminary Education” or note that on the memo line of your check. THANK YOU for your generosity! Finance Council … Members will meet on Tuesday, May 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the parish hall. Parish Census … Please help us keep the parish census updated. If you have an address change, a new phone number, or change your email address, please drop a note in the collection basket, or to the parish office, and let us know. It’s important for the parish to have an accurate accounting of our membership. Envelope/Donation Update … I’m working with Our Sunday Visitor on the 2025 envelopes. As I had previously mentioned, in 2025 the envelopes will be mailed on a monthly basis to the homes of those who wish to still use them. I also removed from the envelopes anyone who did not use them over the past few years. The envelopes are an expense to the parish and it’s not a proper stewardship of our money paying for something that ends up being thrown in the garbage. As the envelopes are updated, you may also be assigned a new number by OSV. St. Augustine, pray for us! Fr. John, C.S.C.