Letter from the Pastor
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August 17, 2025We have passed the midway of the month of August, the last month in summer. Hopefully, you have had some time to relax and have a change of pace. Leisure and vacations are very important for the mind and soul of human beings.
When one finishes their stay at the world-famous Mayo Medical Clinic in Minnesota the person is given a small card on which there is a diagram in the form of a cross. When the Mayo Clinic opened in 1864, the Sisters of St. Francis staffed the hospital as nurses. There is a word written on each arm of the cross indicating an important factor in leading a balanced life. The four words are WORK-PLAY-LOVE-WORSHIP. This is the key for a healthy life. These four aspects of life are certainly important for our young adults heading off to college or work. If one is to be considered truly educated, one must educate the WHOLE person: body, mind and soul. If one is missing, then life is out of balance.
I would imagine that there is a part of all good mothers and fathers that would like to keep their children as babies; but another part, a better part knows that children are given to us as children only for a short time; and then they need to be set free to become adults themselves. You hope and pray that you did a good job in raising your child, giving them a good home, giving them their faith, imparting to them solid moral values, to be a person of respect, dignity, and honor.
Hard work at one’s studies is important, but more essentially than the books is learning to be a person of good character. One’s character shapes the destiny of a person indeed all of society. I think that all parents naturally want their children to be successful. But it's their character — their honesty, responsibility, kindness, perseverance in difficulty, courage despite danger or social pressure — that makes them more than just successful. If they lack character, brains and success don't count for much. So, it is important to find a good teacher, not an easy one—someone who will lead a student to ask the important questions, and then help to find the truth to those questions. The real mystery of teaching is not that there are questions, but that there are answers.
Although August is the time to prepare for the upcoming school year, preparing for living a well-balanced and holy life is more important.
Diego Velazquez, public domain via Wikimedia CommonsThe Queenship of Mary
This Friday is the Feast of the Queenship of Mary (August 22nd), 8th day after the Solemnity of the Assumption. On October 11, 1954, four years after the proclamation of the Assumption, Pope Pius XII instituted the Memorial of the Queenship of Mary. This memorial was first assigned the date May 31st, however, in 1969, Pope Paul VI moved the date to August 22nd, eight days after the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In large part, this was done to create an octave of anticipation and to show that the Assumption necessarily results in the Mother of God being also the Queen Mother of Heaven and Earth.
We not only have a mother in Heaven, we also have a Queen Mother. As Mary is the Queen Mother of God, we must turn to her with childlike faith and simplicity. As a young child runs to a loving mother in time of need, never questioning her love, protection, and care, so we must run to her in our needs.
Mary, Queen of both Heaven and Earth
intercede for us
your loving and trustful children.
Amen.