From the Parochial Vicar - August 19, 2018

August 20, 2018

Pastoral Pondering - August 19, 2018

“Are you a minister?” a stranger timidly asks.

“A Roman Catholic priest, yes!” I reply. “I sometimes come here with our Young Adult Group after our gatherings.”

“That’s cool. I was raised Catholic; went to Catholic school,” the man offers willingly.

“Well, I think it’s time you come back,” I say with a smile and offering my business card. “Here’s my card. There’s a Catholic church right down the road. It’s Saint Mark Catholic Church. We have confessions every day but call me to set up an appointment if you are more comfortable coming at a different time. We have Masses throughout the day on Sunday.”

Astonished, the man pipes up, “I didn’t even know there was a Catholic church in Huntersville!”

That line always gets me: I didn’t know there was a Catholic church in Huntersville. I hear it more frequently than I’d care to admit. It amazes me how busy people get with life that they don’t even hop on “the interwebs” (hat tip to Fr. Becker) to look for a Catholic church when they move here. I just smile, order my beer, and head back to the group of local Catholic young adults at the bar.

It’s a Tuesday night. We have had a handful of young adults reply to the MeetUp.com invitation to join our discussion at the Ranson Road House. There are over 100 young adults that get a weekly invitation to join us for this or that event. Many times, we have around ten people, and sometimes we get upwards of 15 or 20. It interests me when a newcomer walks in. We have had people walk in who were just passing through visiting family or friends and just wanted to spend an evening with other Catholic young adults. Others may be involved in another parish, but just wanted somewhere wholesome to be on Tuesday night because they had no plans. Many times, a “newbie” joins us because they have no other connection to the Church outside of Sunday Mass. Sometimes they come because I hear the loneliness in their voice during Confession and reach around the grille to hand an invitation card to the penitent.

Youth Ministry, as I have written about the last two weeks, is about accompanying our youth and guiding them into an intentional relationship of love. Young Adult Ministry (adults in their 20’s and 30’s) keeps the spark of love for the faith in the hearts of our young adults. It brings together adults who are all at a different place in their faith journey in order to “fan into flame the spiritual gift” (1 Tim 1:6) of their choice to remain Catholic, but sometimes do not know where they belong. Young Adult Group revolves around two main principles. First, in different and engaging ways we encourage one another to “let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Tim 4:12).

When I returned from my conversation at the bar with a beer in my hand, one of our group said, “Evangelizing again, Father?” It is not uncommon for them to witness the power of the little, white Roman collar in public.

What transpired while I was getting a drink and talking to this gentleman who had fallen away from the faith was a continuation of a conversation that began during our young adult meeting, which twice a month is called PATH (Paschal Adoration through History). There were many questions about the Sacrament of Confession and how to approach it. What do you do if you haven’t been in a long time? How can I get over my nerves? I had a bad experience in confession one time when the priest was very hard on me. How can I be sure the confessor will be helpful and kind? When does a feeling become sinful? Little by little, the conversation naturally progressed from the sacraments and faith to society and politics. There was a passionate discussion as I piped in briefly at times to guide the conversation according to principles of Catholic Social Teaching. I encountered a very serious problem, however. I had an empty glass. I excused myself, offering to others who had an empty glass to grab another drink since I was making the walk back to the bartender. Taking the two or three orders, I left the group as they were approaching the subject of immigration.

“That’s really inspiring,” says a familiar voice behind me as I waited for the bartender who was tediously attending to the taps behind the bar. I turned and saw the same man with whom I was conversing with before. “I have been listening in to your conversation. I don’t agree with everything I’m hearing, but I have never heard such intelligent conversation at a bar before. I wish I had a young adult group when I came out of college. I felt like there wasn’t a place for me until I started a family and needed something for my kids. By then, I was getting by just fine without the Church. But now I see that my family is missing something.”

That man came back to the Church. His wife came into the Church. His children will be receiving the sacraments. And the young adults got their beer. Again, they noticed I had been talking to the same man as before.

“Still evangelizing, Father?” one asked again, adding, “Oh, and thanks for grabbing another beer for me.”

I smiled approvingly at the group and said, “Not me this time. You all. You all have been evangelizing.”

That man perceived in his 20’s that the Church lacked a place for him. He simply decided to just get on with his life and leave religion behind only to discover his mistake years later. I think his local parish community was a little at fault, too. This points to the second principle for the Young Adult Group: it is the ministry of John the Baptist. Part of John the Baptist’s mission was to catch disciples and then pass them off to Jesus when he came. The Young Adult Ministry is a “feeder group.” The members frequently participate together in different parish activities and, as a result, individual members discover their own personal interests, gifts, and talents that they can use individually within the community.

I am so very grateful to the young adults who are a part of our group. Each one is there for a different reason. And each one discovers faith, fellowship, fun, and renewal. Whether we are talking about some aspect of the faith, or just getting together at an Escape Room or River Jam, it is the love of Christ that binds them together and to the parish. If you or someone you know is a young adult that would benefit from a crazy group of peers who all desire holiness and truth, reach out to us. Pop in for a visit and bring a friend. Nobody can say that something “isn’t their thing” until they try it.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - All Saints Day

By John Putnam • October 30, 2026
On this Solemnity of All Saints, we have the profound joy of celebrating our brothers and sisters in Christ, the saints. This is an especially meaningful feast for us as Christian stewards. At Baptism, each of us receives the call to holiness and discipleship. In other words, we are all called to become saints. Holiness is not reserved for a select few. It is God's desire for every one of His children. The stewardship way of life helps us answer that call each day. In today's Gospel from Matthew, Jesus gives us the Beatitudes. They reveal the qualities that mark the lives of His disciples and point us toward authentic holiness. As we continue striving to live as faithful stewards, the Beatitudes provide a faithful measure of our growth in Christ. The "blessed" that Jesus describes are not different categories of people who make it to heaven. Rather, they reveal the character of those who belong to Him - the poor in spirit, the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemakers, and all who remain faithful in the midst of trials. None of us can live this way on our own. But as beloved children of God, we receive the grace we need through prayer, the sacraments, and a life centered on Christ. May the example of the saints inspire us to persevere in our own call to holiness, trusting that one day we will join them in the everlasting joy of heaven. © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026 Pastoral Pondering October brought us the Church's renewed attention to mental health. Pope Leo XIV has asked us this month to pray that our communities become places where those who carry unseen burdens find welcome, dignity, and hope- not judgment or silence. Many of those burdens are carried by women and girls. Some have lived through abuse, assault, or trauma that few around them even know about. Recent headlines, including those from Cornell University, have reminded the whole country how widespread these wounds are and how alone many survivors feel. Regardless of the outcome and veracity of the Cornell case, these types of cases exist closer to home. Women in our own parish and community often suffer quietly, unsure where to turn or whether anyone will truly understand. There is help, and there is hope. Healed and Restored, the local Catholic ministry founded by our own parishioner Elza Spaedy, exists precisely for this purpose. Through counseling, workshops, spiritual mentoring, retreats, and a supportive community, it walks with women and girls who have experienced abuse, assault, domestic violence, trafficking, or other trauma. Rooted in faith, it helps them encounter the Divine Physician who alone can restore what has been broken and discover that their wounds do not define them. Many of the women who have walked this path have found real freedom and a renewed sense of their dignity as daughters of God. If you are carrying a wound like this, or if you know someone who is, I encourage you to reach out. Information is available at healedandrestored.org. And if you simply want to stand with those who are hurting, please keep them in your prayers. Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer is to notice, to listen without fear, and to point someone toward the healing Christ offers. May the Lord who binds up the brokenhearted make our parish a place of true restoration.

From the Pastor - 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • October 23, 2026
Today's readings are all about love - God's faithful love for His people and the love we are called to return to Him and to one another. The stewardship way of life is simply the daily practice of these two greatest commandments. In today's Gospel, Jesus is asked which commandment is the greatest. His answer is both familiar and endlessly challenging. He says, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind ... The second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself." Why are these two commandments inseparable? Because both are rooted in love. When we love God above all else, we begin to see others as He sees them. And when we genuinely love our neighbor, we reflect the love we have first received from Him. This is the heart of Christian stewardship. It is simple enough for a child to understand, yet rich enough to spend a lifetime putting into practice.© Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026 Pastoral Pondering - Remembering the Saints and the Souls As October ends, the Church gives us two feasts back-to-back that show who we are as one family in Christ, living and departed. On November 1, the Solemnity of All Saints, we honor all the holy men and women now in heaven. That includes the famous names on our calendar, and it also includes the countless quiet saints no one ever canonized: grandparents, neighbors, and friends who loved God and others faithfully. Their lives remind us that holiness isn't only for a few. It's the calling of every baptized person. All Saints is a Holy Day of Obligation and since it falls on Sunday this year, it is easy to remember the times for Mass. On November 2, the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls' Day), we pray for everyone who has died, especially our own loved ones. We trust in God's mercy and ask Him to bring them fully into the joy of His presence. Praying for the dead is one of the oldest Christian practices and a real act of love. The Church teaches that "all who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1030). Purgatory isn't a second chance, and it isn't a smaller version of hell. It's God's mercy finishing what He began in us. Most of us leave this life still carrying some attachment to sin, and God lovingly purifies us so we can see Him face to face. Everyone in purgatory is already saved and on the way to heaven. The souls in purgatory can't help themselves, but we can help them. Since the earliest days, Christians have prayed for the dead (see 2 Maccabees 12:46). Our prayers, sacrifices, works of charity, and above all the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass can speed their way to God. This is the Communion of Saints at work: the Church in heaven, the Church on earth, and the Church being purified, all united in Christ and helping one another. Ways to take part Complete an All Souls envelope with the name of your deceased loved ones so it can be placed on the altar throughout November. Have a Mass offered for someone who has died. Visit a cemetery and pray for the faithful departed. A plenary indulgence for the souls in purgatory is available, under the usual conditions, to those who visit a cemetery and pray for the dead from November 1 to 8, or who visit a church and pray the Our Father and the Creed on All Souls' Day. Ask a favorite saint to pray for you and your family. These days remind us that death doesn't break the bonds of love. We pray for the souls, we ask the saints to pray for us, and we look forward to the day we'll all be together in God's kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, 0 Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.