Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Pastor
~ This week, I will be away on my annual retreat, a time of prayer, recollection, and renewal with brother priests at the Carmelite Renewal Center in Darien, Illinois. Please pray for me this week that I may grow as a faithful disciple, a holy priest, and a wise pastor, and that this will be a fruitful and grace-filled time for me. I will certainly remember the community of St. Margaret of Scotland at the Mass and in my prayers this week. Next weekend, Msgr. Turek and Fr. Tom Condon, OP will be here at St. Margaret to preside at the Sunday Masses.
Looking ahead, on Sunday, August 16, we will celebrate Back to School Sunday and the Blessing of the Backpacks at the 10:00 AM Mass. All our young parishioners returning to school and their families are invited to join that morning, as we ask God’s blessings upon the school year to come, and especially on our students, that they will be safe this year and grow in knowledge, wisdom, and faith. After Mass, all are invited to the school campus. Students can find their classrooms and meet their teachers, parents can take care of paperwork and get information about the school year, and we can show off our school buildings, which have been cleaned and refreshed over the summertime by our wonderful maintenance crew. Ice cream will be available for all! Our new school principal, Dr. Angie Thomas, and all our faculty and staff are looking forward to welcoming our students for the first day of school on Wednesday, August 19. Prayers and blessings on our students, families, and faculty during these final weeks of summer break and as they prepare for the upcoming school year.
It’s been just over a month since I have been the pastor of two parishes: St. Margaret and St. Pius V. Many of you have asked me how it’s going, and well, I’ve been busy! I have been there for Masses and meetings, have been learning about what their community wants and needs, and have been making plans for the future with them. On Sunday, August 23, I will be officially installed as pastor of St. Pius V Parish at their 10:00 AM Mass. Fr. Carl Scheble, who is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and is in residence at St. Pius V Parish, will be the presider and officiant for the Installation Mass. While this is certainly a celebration for the St. Pius Parish community, I would like to invite any members of our St. Margaret of Scotland Parish community to join in the celebration at St. Pius V. While St. Margaret and St. Pius remain two distinct parishes that share one pastor, I hope that in the months and years to come, both parishes can find ways to come together in prayer and fellowship.
One of the ways that we can come together in prayer and fellowship will be at our annual Mass in the Grass, scheduled this year for Sunday, September 13, with 10:00 AM Mass at the Stone Shelter in Tower Grove Park and a potluck luncheon following. This year, both St. Pius V and St. Margaret of Scotland will celebrate that Mass in the Grass together! I started the Mass in the Park when I was pastor of St. Pius many years ago, so many folks there remember it, and though they have not had such a celebration in the park since I left there in 2015, they are excited to have this celebration back as part of their parish life. On that day, both parishes will share ministries and work together on the meal. In the weeks to come, there will be more information shared about the Mass in the Grass, including sign-ups to help cook, serve, and clean up, as well as information about what each family is asked to bring to share for the potluck lunch. For now, mark your calendar and pray for good weather!
