Dear Parishioners,

Last Sunday, we celebrated the conclusion of three years of service for one of our sacristans, Nicholas Kennebeck.  He graduated from DuBourg High School this year and will be attending Washington University in the fall.  I want to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to him for his dedicated service.  There are so many small things that have to be in order for even the simplest of Masses at the Cathedral, and Nicholas assured us that there was nothing that we needed to worry about when he was present.  Please join me in wishing him the best as he continues his education.
 
On Saturday, the Cathedral Basilica was at almost full capacity as we welcomed faithful for the celebration of the Ordination to the Priesthood of six men from the Archdiocese of St. Louis.  It was beautiful to see the Cathedral with so many gathered and to hear their strong voices singing the processional hymn “To Jesus Christ, Our Sovereign King”. It truly was a joy-filled day, capped off with the newly ordained receiving their first priestly assignments.  Please join me in wishing them all the best as they begin their life as a Priest.  Please do remember them and all priests in your daily prayers.

This Sunday, June 6, we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.  Following the conclusion of the 12 noon Mass, we will have our traditional Corpus Christi Procession through the parish grounds to Catholic Charities. This will be a wonderful display of our faith in the Real Presence and a great way to demonstrate our faith in the wider Central West End Community and St. Louis.  The Feast of the Body and Blood of the Lord and the procession with the Blessed Sacrament will remind us of our pilgrimage to Heaven, and is a prayerful edifying act of the entire church.

Mark your calendar for the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that will be celebrated on Friday, June 11. The beginnings can be traced to the Fathers of the Church, including Origen, St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Hippolytus of Rome, and several more.  St. Bernard of Clarivax gave the expression of this devotion to the Sacred Heart “form” in the 12th century with his famous prayer “O Sacred Head Surrounded.”  The feast reminds of the burning love of God for each one of us symbolized in the heart of Jesus.

The Cathedral’s mid week music program, normally offered on the first Wednesday of each month, was postponed this month due to the holiday.  Please join us this Wednesday, June 9, at 4:00 pm, virtually or in person, for 20-30 minutes of beautiful music played on our magnificent Cathedral Organ.  

After being on hiatus for over a year, Donut Sunday returns to the Cathedral!   Parishioners and their guests are invited to join us after both the 8 am and 10 am Masses on Sunday, June 20, for refreshments and fellowship.  Please see the bulletin for more info.

Following updates from St. Louis City and St. Louis County officials, as well as those from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Archdiocese of St. Louis announced the following changes to the mandates in place to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus:

The mask mandate now only applies to all parish faithful who have not received a vaccination against the COVID-19 virus. Following the CDC guidance issued yesterday, capacity restrictions and social-distancing measures at archdiocesan parishes will be determined by the parish pastor based on the size and construct of the parish and what he deems is needed to provide for the safest possible environment. These changes in the guidance are effective immediately.

Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski leaves in place the dispensation for Sunday Mass at this time but will be re-evaluating the need for the dispensation in the coming weeks.