From the Pastor - Fourth Sunday of Easter

April 24, 2026

Today’s readings on this fourth Sunday of Easter offer us a glimpse into the heart of our loving Savior. He is the Good Shepherd and we can confidently place our trust in Him as we live the stewardship way of life.


This endearing image of Jesus as our shepherd, and His personal love for each one of us, is described in our Gospel passage from John, through the words of Jesus Himself. Here we read Jesus’ description of Himself as the “Good Shepherd.” He says of Himself, “The sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.”


This aspect of our Lord’s tender and personal love for each one of us is a compelling reason to embrace the stewardship way of life — in the offering of our time, talent, and treasure to Him, we can express our gratitude to Him for the incomprehensible love He has for us.


Embracing this way of life certainly requires trust on our part. But Christ has proven Himself worthy of our trust. He “bore our sins in His body.” He calls Himself our shepherd and He offers Himself as the guardian of our souls. He has withheld nothing of Himself and His goodness from us. He would never ask anything of us that would bring us harm. He tells us “I came so that [you] might have life and have it more abundantly.” 


This Easter season, let us resolve to entrust ourselves and our lives gratefully to Him. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026


Pastoral Pondering

As we continue our treatment of the basics of the faith and following up on last week’s discussion of cohabitation, this week I wanted to focus on Natural Family Planning which some people misconstrue as Catholic contraception.


Natural Family Planning: The Catholic Way to Responsible Parenthood

Natural Family Planning (NFP) consists of moral, scientific methods that help married couples achieve or postpone pregnancy by observing a woman’s natural signs of fertility—such as cervical mucus and basal body temperature—without drugs, devices, or surgery.


The Catholic Church fully supports NFP because it respects God’s design for marital love, which is both **unitive** (bonding) and **procreative** (open to life). Unlike artificial contraception, which deliberately blocks fertility, NFP works with the body’s natural cycles through periodic abstinence when needed.


Church Teaching


In Humanae Vitae (1968), Pope St. Paul VI taught that couples may use the infertile periods for serious reasons, while always remaining open to the gift of children. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2370) affirms that methods based on self-observation and infertile periods are morally acceptable because they respect the dignity of the spouses and promote authentic freedom.


NFP is not “Catholic contraception.” The difference is in the heart: contraception rejects fertility in the act itself; NFP involves responsible discernment and periodic continence when there are just reasons (health, financial, emotional, or other proportionate circumstances). Couples should prayerfully discern together, ideally with a priest or spiritual director, avoiding a selfish “contraceptive mentality.”

NFP can also help couples conceive by identifying the fertile window.


Benefits for Catholic Couples

- Strengthens marriage through better communication, mutual respect, and shared sacrifice.

- Respects the woman’s body and natural rhythms.

- Highly effective when properly learned and used.

- Supports monitoring of reproductive health.


Popular Church-approved methods include the Sympto-Thermal Method, Creighton Model, and Marquette Method. Instruction from a certified teacher is strongly recommended.


A Parish Invitation

As the domestic Church, families thrive when they live God’s plan for love and life. If you are preparing for marriage, newlywed, or seeking to grow in this area, contact your diocesan Family Life Office or visit the USCCB Natural Family Planning page for resources and local classes.



May the Lord bless all married couples as they cooperate with God in the beautiful vocation of responsible parenthood!


From the Pastor

From the Pastor - Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

By John Putnam • May 29, 2026
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity — the central mystery of our faith. Though the Trinity is a profound mystery, it also reveals something very practical for us as Christian stewards. The Trinity is a communion of Persons who give themselves completely to one another. This self-giving love is at the heart of the stewardship way of life. In our Gospel, we hear, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” God gives Himself to us out of love. We are called to respond in the same way — by giving ourselves back to Him and to others. The more we give of ourselves in love, the more we experience “the grace of the Lord, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit” within us. This Triune God invites us into a deeper relationship with Him — one that grows as we live a life of gratitude and self-gift through the stewardship way of life. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026 Pastoral Pondering In light of the blessing of the ordination of ten new priests for the Diocese of Charlotte and the 34 th anniversary of my own ordination (May 30 th ), I thought it would be good to reflect on the importance of the ministerial priesthood in the life of the Church. The Catholic priesthood (ministerial priesthood) is essential to the Church's life, mission, and sacramental reality. It flows directly from Christ's own priesthood and enables the Church to continue His saving work until the end of time. Rooted in Christ's Priesthood Catholic teaching holds that Jesus Christ is the one eternal High Priest (Hebrews 5:1-10, 7-10). The ministerial priesthood does not replace or compete with His but participates in it in a unique way. Priests are ordained to act in persona Christi Capitis ("in the person of Christ the Head")—especially in the sacraments. This differs essentially (not just in degree) from the common priesthood of all the baptized , by which every Christian offers spiritual sacrifices, lives a holy life, and witnesses to the Gospel (1 Peter 2:5, 9). The ministerial priesthood exists *for the service* of the common priesthood, to build up the Church as the Body of Christ. Key Roles and Importance Priests exercise a threefold ministry (teaching, sanctifying, and governing), called the three Munera, that mirrors Christ's: Sanctifying the People of God : Priests are the ordinary ministers of several sacraments, above all the Eucharist . Through them, Christ's one sacrifice on the Cross is made present in the Mass. Without ordained priests, there would be no valid Eucharist in the Catholic understanding. They also forgive sins in Confession, anoint the sick, baptize (in ordinary circumstances), and celebrate other sacraments. This makes divine grace accessible in a tangible, ecclesial way. Proclaiming the Word : Priests preach the Gospel, teach the faith, and guide consciences. They are "co-workers" with bishops in shepherding the faithful. Governing and Serving : As spiritual fathers, they lead communities, counsel, perform works of mercy, and foster unity. They do this not by their own power but as instruments of Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "In the ecclesial service of the ordained minister, it is Christ himself who is present to his Church as Head of his Body, Shepherd of his flock, high priest of the redemptive sacrifice, Teacher of Truth." Apostolic succes sion ensures continuity: Bishops ordain priests through the laying on of hands, tracing back to the apostles. This sacramental character is indelible—permanent. Why It Matters to the Church The Church cannot fully be the Church without it in Catholic doctrine. The priesthood guarantees the valid celebration of the Eucharist (the "source and summit" of Christian life) and the other sacraments that nourish faith. It maintains the Church's hierarchical structure for unity and ordered mission. Priests enable the laity's priestly vocation by providing the sacraments and pastoral care that empower everyday Christians to live out their baptismal calling. Historically and theologically, the priesthood fulfills and surpasses the Old Covenant priesthood, making Christ's mediation present across time and place. Vatican II's Presbyterorum Ordinis (Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests) emphasizes that priests are "taken from among men and appointed for men in the things that pertain to God" (Hebrews 5:1). Their celibacy, obedience, and life of prayer are oriented toward total availability for the Gospel and the flock. In short, the Catholic priesthood is not an optional "clergy class" but a divine gift by which Christ continues to shepherd, teach, and sanctify His Church. Catholics believe that through faithful priests, grace flows to the world, making salvation accessible and the Church a living sacrament of Christ's presence.  Let’s thank God for the gift of our newly ordained priests and ask the Lord to continue to send workers into the vineyard.

From the Pastor - Pentecost

By John Putnam • May 22, 2026
Throughout our readings today for Pentecost Sunday, we see the powerful truth that the Holy Spirit gives us gifts and guidance in a deeply personal way. We are meant to use these gifts to build up the Body of Christ — each in our own unique way. In our first reading from Acts, we hear of the dramatic outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. A strong driving wind filled the house, and tongues of fire came to rest on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues. Notice how personal this moment is. The Spirit came upon each individual, equipping them in a unique way to share the Gospel. The same is true for us today. Embracing the stewardship way of life means allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us in using the unique gifts He has given to each of us for the mission entrusted to us. In our Gospel, Jesus sends His disciples forth: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” This is our mission as well. But we are not sent alone. Jesus gives us His peace — “Peace be with you.” As this Easter season comes to a close, let us be at peace and resolve to rely more fully on the Holy Spirit as our guide through the stewardship way of life. ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026 Pastoral Pondering This weekend we are celebrating a number of events that I am extremely thankful for. First, three of our own parishioners were ordained deacons on their road to the Priesthood. Bradley Loftin, Patrick Martin and Connor White were ordained deacons by Bishop Martin. I have had the privilege of watching each of these young men grow up, in many respects, and mature in their discernment of God’s call in their lives. Each will be serving in a parish this summer. Deacon Loftin will be serving at St. Eugene in Asheville, Deacon Martin will be serving at St. Matthew in Charlotte and Deacon White will be serving at the Cathedral of St. Patrick. Secondly, on Pentecost afternoon we will be receiving our candidates, those who received baptism in a non-Catholic Christian church, into the full communion of the Catholic Church with the reception of Confirmation and Holy Communion. Each of them has studied and prayed and prepared for this special occasion. Please pray both for our new deacons as well as our newest Catholics. These events are a reminder that God is never outdone in generosity, and He continues to produce an abundance of fruit when we willingly open our hearts and cooperate with His grace. Happy Pentecost!!