From the Pastor - 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

January 24, 2025

In St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, it states “If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it is there are many parts, yet one body (1 COR 12:18-20).


What does this teach us as Christian stewards? It shows us that we all have equal dignity and worth in God’s sight, and that if God sees us as equally precious, we should view each other in this same light. It teaches us to humbly recognize our own gifts as well as the giftedness of every member of our parish family. And, while God designed us to be ultimately dependent on Him, it seems He has also designed us to need each other!


This is part of the beauty and richness of a stewardship way of life. No one person can “do it all in life — whether in family life or parish life. But God does not ask us to do it all. He simply asks us to share the gifts and talents we do have in the season of life we find ourselves right now.


It might feel uncomfortable at first. But the good news is you don’t have to do it all. Do your part, let your brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ do theirs, and know that the Spirit of the Lord is upon us all as we live out this stewardship way of life.

© Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2024


Pastoral Pondering 
On the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Bishop Martin visited the parish and celebrated the parish Mass at 11 a.m. In his homily he challenged everyone to live out their baptismal call and to realize that we are all called to respond to the Lord’s goodness to us. During the distribution of Holy Communion, the Bishop chose not to use the altar rails to distribute, and this was upsetting to a number of parishioners who have been used to our (almost decade-long) practice here; using the kneelers but allowing each person to choose how he or she receives in accordance with individual conscience. Hence, I wanted to address the concern, and, while not speaking for the Bishop in this regard, give some insight into his actions.


Prior to the Second Vatican Council, the universal norm for the reception of Communion was kneeling and on the tongue. Only a priest was allowed to distribute (normally there were no deacons). In 1967, by way of indult (a special permission) Pope Paul VI allowed experimentation with distributing Communion in the hand. This gradually became the norm, and, when the third edition of the Roman Missal was released, Episcopal Conferences were allowed to determine what the norm for Communion reception would be in their territories. In the United States the US Bishops determined that the norm would be to receive Communion standing and either in the hand or on the tongue, in English. However, altar rails were never prohibited. Altar rails are not forbidden in the Catholic Church. In fact, altar rails have a long tradition in the Church and are still used in many places. They serve as a physical boundary that symbolically separates the sanctuary, which is considered a sacred space, from the rest of the church. Historically, altar rails were also used as a place for the faithful to kneel and receive Holy Communion.


After the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the architectural design of churches became more flexible, and some churches chose to remove altar rails to promote a sense of openness and community. However, this change was not mandated by the Church, and the decision to have altar rails or not is often left to the discretion of individual parishes or diocesan guidelines.

Ultimately, whether a church has altar rails can be influenced by pastoral considerations, liturgical styles, and architectural intentions. The presence or absence of altar rails does not affect the validity of the Mass or the sacramental life of the Church but can reflect different emphases in liturgical spirituality and practice.


In terms of the reception of Communion, the communicant retains the right to choose how Communion is received. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal indicates that the faithful may receive either kneeling or standing. The US norm does not nullify this general norm, and, in fact, the Congregation (now Dicastery) for Divine Worship in the document Redemptionis Sacramentum (n. 91) noted that a communicant who kneels is to be respected.



A diocesan Bishop is certainly within his right to request that the United States norm be observed and certainly Bishop Martin has indicated by action that this is his desire. He is presently preparing new liturgical norms to provide guidance and exercise his role as the high priest of the Diocese. Once these are produced, I am sure that they will clarify and expound upon what is presented here. Hence, I would encourage you and even caution not to negatively judge the Bishop. He is acting in harmony with the law and only desires a liturgical unity among his flock. This too should be respected while never denying the legitimate rights of the faithful.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - Palm Sunday

By John Putnam • April 11, 2025
Two very different responses to our Lord’s passion are highlighted during the Gospel reading from Luke today: the response of Simon of Cyrene and the response of Jesus’ acquaintances. Of Simon we are told, “They took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus.” Whether Simon entered willingly and compassionately into this service or whether he took up the Cross of Christ with a grudge, we don’t know. What we do know is this: Simon did his part faithfully. He stayed near to Christ, carrying the Cross until our Lord reached Golgotha, the site of His crucifixion. We also know that Simon’s family was among the first of the early Christians. Staying near to Christ, embracing the Cross (quite literally), transformed his life and the life of his family. In contrast, near the end of this Gospel account, we are told of another reaction to Jesus’ passion and death, namely that “all His acquaintances stood at a distance.” They knew Jesus! They had heard him preaching and teaching, witnessed His signs and miracles, maybe even benefitted personally from them. Perhaps they did not participate in mocking Him or calling for His crucifixion. But they chose to stay a safe distance from Him when the going got tough. Unlike Simon, they refused to go too near to Christ. Where will you place yourself this week? Keeping your distance from all the pain and suffering Christ endured? Or close by, staying near to Him as Simon did? It is when we go near to Christ that we can be transformed by Him. It is by embracing the crosses in our lives, stewarding them well rather than trying to run from them, that we become His true disciples. ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering As we begin Holy Week and approach the end of the Lenten season, we can hopefully look back and see a fruitful observance of this penitential season. I want to thank all of those who have responded this far and helped us to reach $9 million in pledges and donations for our Growing Home Campaign. We still have a bit of work to do, but your support has been tremendous. We would very much like to increase participation. Remember it is not about equal amounts but equal sacrifice. If you call St. Mark home; then, you are a part of this effort. We need you. This week we are happy to host the Chrism Mass for the Diocese of Charlotte. Bishop Martin will gather with his priests and will bless and consecrate the holy oils and the sacred Chrism that will be used in sacramental celebrations throughout the year. The celebration is open to all who would like to attend. The Sacred Triduum begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. Following Mass, we will process with the Blessed Sacrament to the Kerin Center for quiet adoration. This is also the evening when it is traditional to visit seven churches for adoration. Resources will be provided for those who wish to participate. Good Friday we will have stations as well as the Service of the Passion. Thursday, Friday and Saturday we will be offering confessions. However, PLEASE try to go earlier in the week. We do our best to accommodate everyone, but there is limited time and only a few of us. Have mercy.  Holy Saturday we will welcome our catechumens into the Church. The vigil begins at 8:30 pm with the blessing of the Easter Fire. Easter Sunday, of course, tends to bring a lot of folks to Mass that perhaps we don’t normally see. Please be patient and kind. We do have two Masses at Christ the King High School that might be less stressful options for families. There will be overflow seating in the Kerin Center, but the parking lot only has so much space, sooooo…..Have a blessed week!

From the Pastor - Fifth Sunday of Lent

By John Putnam • April 4, 2025
Once again, this week, we are reminded of what a loving and merciful God we serve. The theme of the readings for this fifth Sunday of Lent are summed up beautifully in today’s Gospel passage from Luke, which recounts the story of the woman caught in adultery. After all those who would have stoned this woman leave the scene, Christ says to her, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” When we turn to God for forgiveness, He is indeed gracious and merciful. So much so, that not only will He forgive our sins without condemnation, but He will also make us completely new creations in Christ. What is more amazing is that this all-perfect and holy God of ours draws so very near to us. Our sins do not drive Him from us, but rather to us so that He can set us free from them. Look carefully at Christ’s actions and posture in the Gospel reading as He deals with both the crowd of people, the Scribes and Pharisees, and the adulterous woman. “All the people started coming to Him and he sat down and taught them.” “He bent down and began to write with His finger.” He “straightened up” when He confronted the Scribes and Pharisees about their own sins. And he “straightened up” when He assured the woman that He did not condemn her for her past. Like a skilled teacher, or loving “big brother,” Christ bends down to where we are, He sits among us, He stands to confront us when needed and He stands to look us in the eye to remind us of our true dignity. We’re all unworthy of the great privilege of serving Him. But that, quite simply, is cause for greater joy in serving Him with all our hearts. ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering This Sunday begins the traditional Lenten period known as Passiontide which draws our attention to a more direct consideration of the Lord’s Passion and death. The images and statues in the church building are covered as a sign of mourning. In the Liturgy, there is a shift of focus from penance and preparation for Easter to a meditation on the suffering and death of Jesus. The readings during these final weeks of Lent increasingly focus on the events surrounding Jesus’ passion and crucifixion. Passiontide culminates in Holy Week beginning with Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, followed by His Passion and death on Good Friday. The core themes of Passiontide are the suffering and sacrifice of Christ, which is seen as the ultimate act of love and redemption for mankind. Catholics during this time are called to enter into Christ’s suffering in a spiritual sense through prayer, penance, and reflection.  In summary, Passiontide is a deeply contemplative period in the Church, marked by somber liturgies, a focus on the suffering and death of Christ, and practices such as veiling statues and images. It is a time for the faithful to prepare spiritually for the resurrection of Christ at Easter, emphasizing the central role that Christ’s Passion plays in Christian salvation. This is our Lenten home stretch, so play to win!
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