Letter from the Director
November 3, 2024
Dear Friends of Mary Help,
We have just completed the celebrations of All Saints (Nov. 1) and All Souls (Nov. 2). I sometimes refer to these as “destination feasts” because they point out for us the way and the destination for all Christians and people who know God. More than celebrating individual saints, these two days refer to the whole body of the Church and that eternal life with God is not meant for a few but for all “who hear the word of God and keep it.”
During this weekend, I have been up in New York, participating in several events that help remind us of our final destination. I had the joy of baptizing the young grandson of a brother-in-law on Saturday. It is the couple’s first child, and the parents approached this day with awe, excitement and faith. They had invited a large crowd of family members and friends to be present. Baptism is the beginning of this journey back to God, and I reminded the congregation that it is our responsibility to assist the parents and godparents in raising this child in the practice of the faith – by word and by deed. Baptism is the “gateway sacrament” to the others, and that Baptism needs to be augmented by encountering the Lord in the other sacraments early and often.
Later in the day, I went back to my high school in Queens NY to celebrate the Mass for deceased alums and faculty members at the annual alumni reunion. I have been fortunate to celebrate this Mass almost every year. This is the Mass for those who have completed their journey and were members of the community of this fine high school. I reminded the participants that the school’s motto, “Not for school but for life” meant not only preparation for a successful life here on earth, but most important, the life after this time-bounded life.
On Sunday, I attended the awarding of the Immaculate Conception medal to my long-time friend (since high school), Fr. Edward Sheridan, a priest of the Rockville Centre (Long Island NY) diocese. A “late”vocation – he was ordained at the age of 55 – he has been an outstanding pastor in several places and a great mentor with priests of all ages in that diocese. As he said in his remarks, “I love being priest! I love everything about it, and I am happy to be in God’s service to the people in my parish.” It is evident by watching him that Fr. Ed loves being a priest among his people.
The Church in the United States commemorates National Vocation Awareness Week during this week. We need priests, deacons and consecrated men and women to assist us on this journey that begins at Baptism and ends at the end of our natural lives. We need clergy and religious to help point out the way for us but not be in the way.
We need to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send generous workers to the field. We need to step out and invite people whom we think might have a vocation to consider such a call. We need living examples of priests, deacons and religious who are happy in their vocation (and show it)! These three events in which I participated renewed by spirits and encourage me to want to be a better Salesian priest for the people whom I am privileged to serve in the various ministries at Mary Help and parishes in the diocese.
Let us pray for and encourage vocations in young people, and as we see in Fr. Ed’s life, maybe those who are not so young!
Mary Help of Christians, pray for us!
Fr. John