4/16/2023

MANY THANKS for your generosity this year in giving to the parish! Because of it, we plan to give a raise of 5% to our employees next year – something we were not able to do this past year. With recent raises given to the public school sector, we have fallen behind our goal of paying our teachers 85% of public school salaries. We need to catch up, as well as to keep pace with inflation. Your generosity has been gratifying – THANK YOU! Incidentally, there is hope that our school might receive some aid from state tax money in a few years, much as city schools are receiving these days (through the diocese’s Missouri Scholar program). So lobby our legislators to promote vouchers (not the word that they use) for private education in rural areas as well as in cities. That would go a ways to helping our financial situation and helping us pay our teachers more. Right now, however, there is no such aid for us.
Megan Johansen is stepping away from her job in the parish to give more time to her family. We are appreciative of Megan’s work and hope she stays active in the parish as she finds time – as many of you know, she is gifted. Megan’s jobs will be filled by a combination of our new staff member, Cathy Handlos, and some other people. Cathy is taking over CGS and will have some other jobs. Included in those taking Megan’s jobs is Fr. Karl Barmann, who will be coming to live at the rectory as a Senior Priest in Residence towards the end of June. He will be helping out in the parish and will be in charge of RCIA (now called OCIA, Order of Christian Initiation of Adults). I am looking forward to having Fr. Karl come live with me permanently and share the workload. Fr. Karl brings a wealth of experience to the parish, so we welcome him!
We will have communion under both species next week at the 10:30 AM Mass for our First Communion class, as it seems appropriate to introduce them to the full sign of Christ’s Body and Blood. The whole parish will be offered both species on the second weekend of May. We will do some review of how to receive from the cup both for those who have done it in the past, and an introduction for those who have not received that way. One is not required to receive under both species – Christ is totally present in a particle of consecrated bread OR a drop of consecrated wine. The physical sign is enhanced, but not the spiritual reality, by receiving under both species. What is foremost in the Eucharist is that we encounter the person of Jesus Christ in our celebration. He comes to us in one another, in the priest, in the Word of God, and in the consecrated bread and/or wine. All these modes are meant to lead us to encounter Christ, who then proceeds to change our lives. Mass is truly a foretaste of heaven.
This afternoon I will be hearing confessions at Conception Abbey from 3 – 4 PM, where they have adoration and are inviting anyone to come, worship, and go to confession as part of their celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday. Come and join us in adoration and Reconciliation and experience the Mercy of God.
Let us continue to thank and praise the Lord for the salvation He brought us through His Resurrection. It is a joy to be your pastor.

Father Albert, O.S.B.