Bulletin for June 30

Dear friends in Christ,

We return to the familiar green vestments of Ordinary Time this Sunday after a couple post-Easter celebrations in white for Trinity Sunday and Corpus Christi Sunday. You’ll be seeing a lot of green for the next five months as we make our way through the liturgical year. Our readings this weekend for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time could not be more appropriate as they are all about callings, departures and following the Lord. That is the case for Elisha in the First Reading from 1 Kings, and for the Apostles in the Gospel from St. Luke, and finally it’s the case for us at CtR.

Today is the final Sunday for Fr. Ralph Roberts, who culminates five years of service to our community as our parochial vicar. As I spoke before, we are grateful to God for the gift of Fr. Ralph’s ministry with us and we wish him well as he departs us to answer the call of a new assignment at St. Martha parish in Kingwood. We’ll have a special summer Coffee and Donuts gathering after all the morning Masses today for you to say thanks and offer a goodbye hug. Those at the evening Masses on Saturday and Sunday can also visit with him in the narthex as he’ll be present at all Masses this weekend.

I am particularly grateful to Fr. Ralph for his friendship and priestly fraternity and I’ll miss him around the campus. Not as much as the plants, however! I joked with him that now I have to break in not only a new priest, but a new gardener, too! His green thumb has been an extra bonus for us, and he leaves a beautiful legacy in our prayer garden by the Community Center. It was a bit of an overgrown mess until he got hold of it a few years ago and now it is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places to pray on the entire campus. But most of all we’ll miss his laughter and joy and love of the Lord that he radiated in all he said and did. As I mentioned last week, he’ll still be back to visit occasionally and I know he’ll stay in touch. Keep him in your prayers in this time of transition.

Our new parochial vicar, Fr. Vincent Tran, arrives tomorrow, July 1, and you’ll get to meet him over the next several weeks. I’ll have more to share with you on Fr. Vincent next week, but his start date on July 1 rings a bell with me. It was on that day in 2004 that I was appointed pastor of CtR meaning that I am celebrating my “quinceanera,” i.e., my 15th “birthday” or anniversary. Who wants the first dance?!

I remember that day well as it was one of the greatest days of my priesthood. I was honored to be the new pastor of CtR, and 15 years later, I am still honored to be the old pastor of CtR. Thank you for welcoming me on that day in 2004 and thank you for your continued support and prayers today.

Occasionally I’m asked how much longer I will be here. I’m always a little wary of that question. It sounds like somebody wants to help me pack boxes! I understand, of course. Traditionally in the Church, a pastor is assigned for a six-year term, and then, if everything goes well, he often is renewed for an additional six years, but after 12 years, it is not uncommon for him to move to another assignment. So the fact that I’m beginning my 16th year has caused some to wonder how much longer I’ll be around.

As I always say, only two people really know the answer to that question: Cardinal DiNardo and the Lord. And, to be honest, I’m not sure if the Lord has let the Cardinal in on the answer yet! And while it is tradition for assignments of pastors to be six years in length, it is not written in stone. There are several priests who have served longer tenures than me. By way of example, Msgr. Leo Wleczyk in Lake Jackson just retired after 32 years at St. Michael the Archangel parish. I don’t know if I’ll make it here that long (heck, I don’t even know if I’ll live that long!), but that said, I hope to be here at CtR many more years, if God, the Cardinal, and you the people will have me. It’s my distinct and profound honor to be the pastor. I know that I have the best “job” in the entire Archdiocese. I give thanks to God for all the wonderful people at CtR he has brought into my life – those still here and those who have gone before us. I’ve been blessed to baptize, marry, and even bury, so many good people. It’s a joy to walk with you as we live out our calling as His disciples. May God bless our parish now and for years to come.

In addition to saying goodbye to Fr. Ralph and hello to Fr. Vincent, we also welcome Joey White, a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston who will be with us for the next two months. Joey is studying in Rome at the North American College and, as part of his continued formation to the priesthood, he has been assigned as an “intern” with us at CtR. He’s a native of Lake Jackson, from St. Michael the Archangel Church (the very parish where Msgr. Wleczyk was pastor for 32 years). He’ll live with us in the rectory and help out in a variety of ministries throughout all of July and August. You’ll see him at Mass every week and we’re going to put him to work in a number of different ways to get him exposed to life in a big, busy parish. Even though its summer and a bit slower, there is always something going on at CtR. Please be sure to introduce yourself to him and make him feel welcome.

Finally, our Parish Office will close early at 6 p.m. this Wednesday, July 3, and then of course be closed all day on Thursday, July 4. We will have a skeleton crew here from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Friday, July 5 but the front desk of the Parish Office will be open for any needs. Though not a holy day, we will have our regular daily Mass at 9 a.m. on July 4. Come join us in praying for our country.

As we celebrate Independence Day, we thank God for the gift of our freedom and all the men and women who have served our country to win that freedom (and those who continue to do so on our behalf throughout the world today). Many have fought and died to safeguard the way of life we enjoy. Let us not forget the great sacrifices that have been offered on our behalf, all the while remembering the true freedom we have in God through His Son, Jesus Christ. May God bless the U.S.A.!

Peace, Fr. Sean