From the Pastor - Trinity Sunday

June 2, 2023

Today we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Trinity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that the Holy Trinity is the “central mystery of the Christian faith.” (261). The concept of the Triune God — Three Persons in one God — is truly a mystery, almost too lofty for us ordinary people to even begin to grasp. Can the truth of the Holy Trinity teach us anything as everyday Christian stewards? Actually, yes!


St. John Paul II described the Holy Trinity as a “Divine Family,” a community of Persons Who gives themselves completely to each other and Who wishes to share Itself, Its life, with us. These concepts are at the very heart of the stewardship way of life. As stewards, we too, are called to share ourselves and our lives with others.


Our Gospel passage from John reminds us that the stewardship way of life is nothing more and nothing less than the imitation of our Most Holy Trinity. “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes might not perish but might have eternal life.” He gave Himself, in the person of His Son, for the love of us. We must love this God back now by giving ourselves, our lives, to Him.


Amazingly, the more we give of ourselves to God in love, the more we will find the “grace of the Lord, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit within us.” The God of the universe — this mysterious, Triune God — invites us to an ever-deepening intimacy with Him when we make our lives a loving gift to Him and to others through the stewardship way of life. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2023

 

Pastoral Pondering

I first want to offer congratulations to our seven seminarians who were just ordained to the diaconate. Each of them brings his own gifts and talents to his diaconal ministry and, God-willing, to the priestly ministry next year. As a priest who has worked for many years in vocation work, it always brings me joy to see the fruit of the labor. Please pray for each of them as he begins his service to the Diocese and to the various parishes where each will serve during this summer.


I also want to officially welcome Manuel Mora who began full-time with us this past week as the Director of Sacred Music. Manny has already been helping us with various things over the past couple of months, but I am excited that he is now with us full-time.

Additionally, I want to thank Danilo Formolo who has been serving as our interim director. Danilo, since Advent, has gone above and beyond to ensure that our music program here at St. Mark did not suffer. He has given himself selflessly despite having a full-time job and family responsibilities outside of St. Mark. The period between Advent and the end of May are some of the busiest times in the parish. Danilo took it all in stride and kept things going. I am pleased that he will continue to be a part of our music program moving forward.



Finally, Rebekah Martinez has agreed to take on the lead role for our contemporary music for the 5 pm Mass on Sunday. Rebekah has grown up in the parish and is presently a student at UNC Charlotte. She has already been serving as one of our choral scholars, and now will offer her musical talents and gifts in this role. I want to thank Fernando De Urquidi who stepped in after Ben Torres stepped down from the leadership role at the beginning of the year. He has a heart for worship and music, and I am truly grateful for his wiliness to assist.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • August 28, 2026
Living the stewardship way of life is not easy. Dying to self and living for Christ and others requires sacrifice. It is the work of a lifetime. Yet it is also the only work that truly matters and the only life that ultimately satisfies. In today's Gospel from Matthew, Jesus tells His disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me." At first, those words may sound difficult to accept. Why would anyone willingly embrace such a path? Jesus immediately gives us the answer: "Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Everything comes down to love. Jesus loved us completely, giving Himself for us on the Cross. He continues to give Himself to us through His Word and, most especially, in the Eucharist. Each day we are faced with a choice: to live for ourselves or to live for God and for others. The second path is more demanding, but it leads to lasting joy and the promise of eternal life. Christ assures us that He "will come with his angels in his Father's glory and then he will repay all according to his conduct." May we choose each day to lose our lives for Christ's sake, offering them back to Him in grateful response to His immeasurable love. ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026 Pastoral Pondering Two Italian dioceses (Rome and Ventimiglia-Sanremo) recently blocked planned Catholic funeral Masses for two prominent Freemasons after their Masonic affiliations became publicly known just before the ceremonies. This happened on August 7–8, 2026, and applies longstanding Church discipline rather than a new nationwide policy from the Italian bishops’ conference. Since some folks asked about this, I thought it would be a good article. The cases - Rome: Bruno Battisti D’Amario (88), a classical guitarist and professor closely linked to Ennio Morricone’s film work, died on August 5. His funeral Mass was scheduled for August 7 th at Santa Maria in Montesanto (the “Church of the Artists” in Piazza del Popolo). The Grand Orient of Italy (GOI) publicly eulogized him as a “master brother,” founder of the Roman Giuseppe Leti lodge, composer of the GOI’s official anthem, and holder of senior positions (including twice president of the Lazio District College of Worshipful Masters). Cardinal Baldassarre Reina, Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome, consulted the diocesan legal office and denied authorization for the funeral Mass, allowing only a brief prayer as a gesture of Christian charity. - Ventimiglia-Sanremo (Liguria): Mario Tarducci (73), a former Venerable Master of the local Mimosa lodge (no. 985, Orient of Bordighera), was scheduled for a funeral the next day at the parish church of San Marco in Camporosso. Bishop Antonio Suetta learned of the affiliation only after arrangements were made—via local news and public Masonic death notices. After consulting the family and pastor, and noting the simultaneous Rome case, he suspended the ecclesiastical funeral under the same principles, limiting it to simple prayers outside. Canonical and doctrinal basis Both decisions explicitly invoked Canon 1184 of the Code of Canon Law. It denies ecclesiastical funerals to those who, without signs of repentance before death, are “notoriously apostate, heretical or schismatic” or “other manifest sinners” whose funerals would cause public scandal among the faithful. This aligns with the Church’s consistent teaching that Freemasonry is incompatible with Catholicism. The 1983 Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declaration (under then-Cardinal Ratzinger) reaffirmed that Catholics who join Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion; the negative judgment on Masonic principles remains unchanged. Public, high-level membership without known repentance creates the “public scandal” element that triggers the canonical denial. These were not blanket bans on all Freemasons but responses to notorious cases where the affiliation was openly proclaimed by the lodges themselves, making a Catholic funeral appear to endorse or ignore the incompatibility. Similar past applications have occurred (e.g., high-profile cases involving public scandal). Pastoral care for the grieving family is still encouraged—Mass intentions or a memorial Mass sine corpore (without the body present) can be offered.  In short, two bishops applied existing law firmly once the memberships became public and notorious. The episodes have drawn attention precisely because they reinforce the long-standing discipline amid ongoing tensions between the Church and Freemasonry in Italy. It also reminds all of us that one cannot present themselves as Catholic and live in a manner that contradicts longstanding teaching of the Church.

From the Pastor - Dedication of Saint Mark Church

By John Putnam • August 21, 2026
This weekend we celebrate a sacred milestone: the anniversary of the dedication of our church building. The readings chosen for this occasion invite us to look beyond brick and mortar and ask a deeper question: What makes a house of God holy? And how do we, the living Church of Saint Mark, continue to be that house? In the First Reading, Solomon stands before the newly completed Temple in Jerusalem and prays with both awe and humility: “Can it indeed be that God dwells on earth? If the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain you, how much less this temple which I have built!” Yet he dares to ask the Lord to keep His eyes open toward this place and to hear the prayers of His people. The Temple was never meant to limit God; it was meant to make His presence accessible to a people who needed a place to gather, to pray, and to be reminded that they belong to Him. Saint Paul takes this truth even further. Writing to the Corinthians, he tells them—and us—“You are God’s building… Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” The foundation of this living temple is Jesus Christ alone. No other foundation can be laid. The physical walls of our church matter. They have been consecrated. They shelter the Eucharist. They hold our baptisms, our weddings, our funerals, and our daily prayers. But the true temple is the community of believers who gather here. We are the living stones. When we treat one another with reverence, when we protect the dignity of every person, when we refuse to allow division or scandal to take root, we honor the Spirit who dwells among us. Finally, in the Gospel, Jesus asks the decisive question: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answers with the faith that becomes the rock: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Upon that confession Jesus builds His Church and entrusts Peter with the keys. Every time we renew our faith in Jesus as Lord, every time we hand over our lives to His authority, we strengthen the foundation of this parish. Saint Mark’s is not simply a building dedicated years ago; it is a community continually being built upon the rock of Peter’s confession and the living presence of Christ. As we mark this anniversary, let us give thanks for the sacred space that has sheltered our parish family. Let us also examine our hearts. Are we living as temples of the Holy Spirit? Are we building one another up on the one true foundation? May the Lord who cannot be contained by any temple continue to dwell richly among us—and may Saint Mark church always be a place where heaven and earth meet in prayer, in charity, and in faithful witness to Jesus Christ. Pastoral Pondering Consecrated church buildings hold a central place in Catholic worship and theology because they are set apart as sacred space—places where heaven and earth meet in a privileged way. The architectural style, the overall design and the artistic elements are all to serve Catholic worship and belief. The following offers some information on the role of church buildings in the life of the Church. 1. They are truly dedicated to God Through the solemn Rite of Dedication, a church building ceases to be ordinary architecture. The walls, altar, and space are anointed, blessed, and consecrated exclusively for divine worship. From that moment, the building belongs to God in a special way. Canon law treats consecrated churches as sacred places that may not be used for profane purposes (Canon 1210). This consecration is not merely symbolic; it affects a real change in the character of the place. 2. They house the Real Presence of Christ The most decisive reason a consecrated church is holy is the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle. Once the Eucharist is reserved there, the building becomes the dwelling place of the living Christ. Catholics genuflect not to architecture but to the Lord who remains present. The church is therefore more than a meeting hall; it is a true house of God. This presence elevates the entire space and gives Catholic church buildings a unique sacred character that persists even when no liturgy is being celebrated. 3. They are the ordinary place of the Church’s sacramental life The major sacraments of the Christian life—Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Matrimony, Ordination and Anointing of the Sick—are normally celebrated within consecrated churches. The building itself becomes the visible setting in which the invisible grace of the sacraments is given. The altar, in particular, is the focal point: it is anointed and contains relics of the saints, signifying that the sacrifice of Christ is offered in communion with the whole Church, living and dead. 4. They image the mystery of the Church Catholic theology sees the consecrated building as a visible sign of the invisible reality of the Church. The physical structure points to the living temple made of “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Just as Solomon’s Temple was the place where God’s name dwelt among His people, the church building is the place where the People of God gather as His temple. The architecture, art, and orientation of the building are meant to lift the mind and heart to the heavenly liturgy and to the eschatological reality of the New Jerusalem. 5. They foster continuity, identity, and reverence A fixed, consecrated place creates a shared sacred memory across generations. The same walls that witnessed baptisms and weddings decades ago continue to shelter the community today. Beauty, silence, and sacred art within the building form the senses and train the soul in reverence. This is why the Church has always insisted on the dignity and permanence of consecrated churches: they shape the faith of those who pray within them.  In short, consecrated church buildings matter because Catholicism is a sacramental religion. God works through material realities—water, oil, bread, wine, and also space and architecture. A consecrated church is not merely a convenient location for worship; it is a privileged locus of God’s presence, a visible expression of the Church, and a permanent invitation to encounter the living Christ.