From the Pastor - Third Sunday of Easter

April 21, 2023

Today’s readings focus on a theme of “sojourning.” As Christian stewards, we know our lives are a sojourn toward the ultimate destination of heaven. 


Our Gospel passage today describes the sojourn of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. The two are dejected and despondent after Jesus’ death. They knew Jesus personally. They had heard the Gospel message directly from His lips. They heard the testimony of the women who discovered the empty tomb of our Lord and saw a vision of angels announcing He was alive. They had been informed by other disciples who went to the tomb that all was exactly as the women reported. 
How much more obvious could the Good News be? 


And yet, at times, the reaction of the two disciples describes our own stewardship journey, doesn’t it? We have the fullness of the Catholic faith, the power of the sacraments, and the support of our parish family. Yet, we often lose our way. We fail to see all the gifts we have been given. We lack trust in the perfect goodness and almighty power of God. 


But notice what happens to the two men when their eyes are opened once again, and they recognize Jesus in the Eucharist — the “breaking of the bread.” They are transformed! Their hearts are set on fire with love for the Lord and their faith. They recall that their hearts began “burning within” as the Lord was explaining the Scriptures to them. When we find we have lost our way, we can go to the same sources as the two disciples on the road to Emmaus — the Scriptures and the Eucharist. 


In this Easter season, resolve to feast deeply on these two sources of grace. They are the fuel that will propel us on our journey towards heaven. © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2023


Pastoral Pondering

I want to thank everyone who assisted in making our Holy Week celebrations so wonderful. The staff and volunteers work tirelessly to put everything together. I am especially appreciative of Danilo and the music ministry as well as our seminarians, Amy Burger and all those involved with RCIA.


I wanted to turn now to a topic that has been in the news a good bit lately; albeit, not as much as it should be. Accidental drug overdose from synthetic opioids is now the leading cause of death for people aged 18 to 45, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Fentanyl, a deadly opioid coming from China across the southern border into the United States, is known to make up the vast majority of these overdoses. This influx of deadly opioids is closely connected with another sad reality, human trafficking.


Since the majority of illegal drug imports are controlled by the Mexican drug cartels, the cartels make regularly extort those who are trying to enter the US via the southern border. Smugglers imposed fees of thousands of dollars on the migrants that most cannot pay and then indenture them into acting as mules for drugs, prostitutes for hire or filling the requirement for new foot soldiers in the various US drug gangs. These groups have no respect for the human person, and they have turned both the importation of drugs and human trafficking into a multi-billion-dollar industry.


As Catholics we have an obligation to work for justice and the protection of individuals and communities. Catholic Charities does a great deal to assist, but action also needs to be taken to encourage law makers to push to strengthen border security and stop the illegal trafficking of drugs and human beings. Should we pray? Yes, we should. However, we also need to act and do what we can to eradicate both of these plagues. According to the CDC, in 2021 more than 71,000 people overdosed with synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl. Those numbers in the subsequent years are only expected to climb, unless we do something about it and speak up.

This link connects to the website of the US Bishops addressing the issue of human trafficking. There are many topics that can be searched there too. https://www.usccb.org/offices/migration-refugee-services/human-trafficking


From the Pastor

From the Pastor - Divine Mercy Sunday

By John Putnam • April 10, 2026
The great feast of Easter has begun, Christian stewards. Let us rejoice and be glad! Just as we embraced the discipline and fasting of Lent, let us fully embrace the joy and feasting that the next 50 days offer. We are called to be good stewards of the Easter season. Our first reading, from Acts, gives instruction on how to do this. Here, St. Peter says that our Lord, “commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead… that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.” How do we ordinary people preach and testify to all God has done? We do so through how we live our ordinary lives — through the intentional use of our time, talent, and treasure for the kingdom of God. Putting God and others ahead of ourselves in every aspect of our lives is the most eloquent preaching we can do. Boldly and joyfully embracing a stewardship way of life is our most powerful testimony. As Christian stewards, we are the modern-day witnesses of an incredible miracle prompted by unfathomable love — the death and Resurrection of our Savior for us. Let us rejoice and be glad and let’s make sure our lives are a testimony to this amazing grace! © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026  HAPPY EASTER!

From the Pastor - Easter Sunday

By John Putnam • April 3, 2026
The great feast of Easter has begun, Christian stewards. Let us rejoice and be glad! Just as we embraced the discipline and fasting of Lent, let us fully embrace the joy and feasting that the next 50 days offer. We are called to be good stewards of the Easter season. Our first reading, from Acts, gives instruction on how to do this. Here, St. Peter says that our Lord, “commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead… that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.” How do we ordinary people preach and testify to all God has done? We do so through how we live our ordinary lives — through the intentional use of our time, talent, and treasure for the kingdom of God. Putting God and others ahead of ourselves in every aspect of our lives is the most eloquent preaching we can do. Boldly and joyfully embracing a stewardship way of life is our most powerful testimony. As Christian stewards, we are the modern-day witnesses of an incredible miracle prompted by unfathomable love — the death and Resurrection of our Savior for us. Let us rejoice and be glad and let’s make sure our lives are a testimony to this amazing grace! © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026  HAPPY EASTER!