Happy Father’s Day: As we celebrate the gift of fatherhood in this Year of St Joseph, it is good to recall the adjectives Pope France used to describe Joseph in his Apostolic Letter Patris Corde: beloved, tender and loving, obedient, accepting, creatively courageous, working, and ‘in the shadows’. Joseph, like so many fathers, gave of himself for the well-being of his family. He put them first. He sacrificed. He served. He embraced sanctity in the loving. Certainly, Joseph did not, nor could not, replace the Divine Person of the Father; yet, Joseph in his role as adoptive father to Jesus, helped Jesus in His human nature to have a face and physical example of Fatherhood in-person and in-the-flesh. Joseph helped form and initiate the close, supportive, and intimate love that Jesus later expressed to others. So much in our human lives is ‘caught’ not ‘taught’, experienced not merely observed, lived not simply learned. There is much in the relational world that we must just receive. Thank you to St Joseph for giving it to Jesus. Thanks to our dads and fathers for giving it to us. St Joseph, pray for our fathers. Amen.
Totus Tuus: It was nice to welcome young people from grade school and middle school to Holy Family from several surrounding New Albany Deanery Parishes this last week as we hosted Totus Tuus. Totus Tuus is a high-energy, high-engagement Catechetical and Discipleship program. The title comes from the Papal Motto of St Pope John Paul II. It means Totally Yours and is an expression of Marian's devotion and consecration. Totus Tuus is facilitated by a traveling group of college-aged Evangelist travel from parish to parish to offer the week throughout the summer. Among the team this year, is Scott Wiles, a Holy Family Parishioner. This is his second tour on Totus Tuus. It is great to see him and the other presenters interact with the students in skits, songs, classroom work, and communal prayer. The children really enjoyed the interactions and learned to love Jesus in the Scriptures and Sacraments. They had the opportunity for Confessions and Mass each day, often prayed part or all of the Rosary, and of course, there was food and snacks, running around, giggles and laughs. The middle schoolers met at night and their gatherings were decidedly more challenging. They too dove into the devotional life of the Church, including the Liturgy of the Hours – Night Prayer together. They had some great group sharing and discussions, and of course, food and snacks, running around, giggles, and laughs!
This year our Totus Tuus offering was a joint endeavor of several New Albany Deanery Parishes. We had over 45 participants with young people and volunteers from, St Anthony, St Augustine, Sacred Heart, and St Mary (NA), Our Lady of Perpetual Help present. Friar Mark Weaver of SMNA and Fr Matt Tucci of St Augustine/Sacred Heart even came to assist with Mass & Confessions a few times this week. Thank you to Theresa Shaw and the coordination team for their successful efforts. It was a great week for the Lord and a great week of collaboration in our Deanery. Something I’d love to see more.
Presbyteral Convocation: I’ll be away from the parish for a conference with all the priests of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis this coming week – June 21-24 – at Saint Meinrad Archabbey. This gathering is a chance to reconnect in fraternity, to recognize those priests celebrating anniversaries & retirement, to be renewed spiritually, to be instructed intellectually, and to be encouraged pastorally. Our featured guest speaker will discuss “Living Christ’s Authority: A Spiritual Theology for Priestly Governance.” Hmmm… we’ll see! Please pray for us. I will be praying for you.
Holy Family, Protected & Led by Joseph, Pray for us.
~ Fr Jeremy M. Gries