I am out of town this weekend, so just a short hello from the Pastor! Welcome to Fr. Patrick Baikauskas, OP who is presiding and preaching at the Masses this weekend. Fr. Patrick is our newly appointed part-time Associate Pastor, and as the summer continues, he will be a more regular presence at St. Margaret of Scotland. Welcome, Fr. Patrick!

This week, I am in Guatemala with a group of friends. 17 years ago, I accompanied my friend Dyan to Guatemala as she adopted her daughter. This summer, that daughter is turning 18, so her mom has arranged a return trip to Guatemala for family and friends, and I am happy to make the journey once again. We are flying to Guatemala City, but spending most of our time in Antigua and in the area around Lake Atitlan. We are also journeying to the northern part of the country to visit the Tikal UNESCO World Heritage site. Most of our time will be doing tourist things like visiting the villages, markets, coffee and chocolate farms, volcanos, and Mayan remnants, but I am also excited that we are spending a day in the city of Santiago Atitlan, the place where Blessed Stanley Rother ministered and died. Blessed Stanley was a priest of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, and is the only American priest to be declared a martyr and beatified. Last year, Fr. O’Toole and I visited his Shrine in Oklahoma City, and now I am thrilled to see where he ministered and preached in Guatemala. I will be praying for our parish family; please pray for me!  See you next week.

Next weekend is our Annual Mission Appeal for the benefit of the Friends of Joseph Upko Hospitals and Research Institutes in Nigeria. We will welcome Dr. Nicholas Maxwell, who will speak to us and ask for our prayers and financial support.  Please pray for the success of the annual Mission appeals throughout the Archdiocese of St. Louis!