A Message from Dcn. Dan Finn
Sunday is “World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.” I love being a grandparent. It is wonderful to be with our grandchildren and return them to their parents to change when there is a “poopy” diaper. To be able to spoil our grandchildren and say ‘yes’ to a second scoop of ice cream. To read to them at bedtime and play “Pretty, Pretty Princess,” – I came in second (photo at right).
I see pictures of Ukraine, and some of the most heartbreaking ones are pictures of the elderly who have lived all their lives in a town and can’t make the trek to safety, so they shelter in their homes or a local shelter. How many grandchildren are losing their grandparents in the war?
As I reflect on my parents’ (Gay and Mickey) and my wife’s parents’ (Priscilla and John Stringer) influence on our family, they were such incredible role models. Our children have such warm memories of the family time spent at the Stringer’s cabin on the Shenandoah River near Luray, VA. Weekends that always included swimming, tubing, and family dinners. We always went to mass and said grace before meals. These were weekends bathed in the love of family.
My parents helped build the Church of the Blessed Sacrament here in West Lafayette. After their move to Maryland, they were also active in their parish. Our children have wonderful memories of visiting my parents’ condo in Ocean City, MD with time on the beach building sandcastles, enjoying rootbeer floats (one of my dad’s favorites), and always attending Mass on Sunday and saying grace before meals.
In the second reading, we are called to “stand firm and do not submit to the yoke of slavery.” We are called to freedom from the flesh and instead to “love your neighbor as yourself.” This is the love that our children’s grandparents lived. This is the love we hope to share with our grandchildren. It is a joy just to be there, in their home, on the soccer sideline, at their first reception of the Sacraments. It is so important for us to model the loving of neighbor as ourselves in how we treat each one we meet.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples to “let the dead bury the dead” and “no one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what is left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.” These statements seem so severe. Jesus is challenging his disciples to give the proclamation of Christ’s teaching their top priority. The burial of one’s father is an urgent responsibility, and an honorable person will not allow lesser responsibilities to intrude on it. The one more important responsibility, however, is proclaiming God’s kingdom. Christ is telling his disciples that they must make a major change to follow him. And change is hard. Being a follower of Christ is challenging in today’s world where so many don’t embrace loving our neighbor as ourselves and instead embrace an attitude of “me first.”
When we celebrate Grandparents Day this weekend, let us reflect on how our grandparents reflected the love of Jesus. Let us pause and reflect on how we, as grandparents, parents, sons, and daughters, truly follow the teachings of Christ, love one another, and go make disciples of all nations.
Dcn. Dan Finn
I see pictures of Ukraine, and some of the most heartbreaking ones are pictures of the elderly who have lived all their lives in a town and can’t make the trek to safety, so they shelter in their homes or a local shelter. How many grandchildren are losing their grandparents in the war?
As I reflect on my parents’ (Gay and Mickey) and my wife’s parents’ (Priscilla and John Stringer) influence on our family, they were such incredible role models. Our children have such warm memories of the family time spent at the Stringer’s cabin on the Shenandoah River near Luray, VA. Weekends that always included swimming, tubing, and family dinners. We always went to mass and said grace before meals. These were weekends bathed in the love of family.
My parents helped build the Church of the Blessed Sacrament here in West Lafayette. After their move to Maryland, they were also active in their parish. Our children have wonderful memories of visiting my parents’ condo in Ocean City, MD with time on the beach building sandcastles, enjoying rootbeer floats (one of my dad’s favorites), and always attending Mass on Sunday and saying grace before meals.
In the second reading, we are called to “stand firm and do not submit to the yoke of slavery.” We are called to freedom from the flesh and instead to “love your neighbor as yourself.” This is the love that our children’s grandparents lived. This is the love we hope to share with our grandchildren. It is a joy just to be there, in their home, on the soccer sideline, at their first reception of the Sacraments. It is so important for us to model the loving of neighbor as ourselves in how we treat each one we meet.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples to “let the dead bury the dead” and “no one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what is left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.” These statements seem so severe. Jesus is challenging his disciples to give the proclamation of Christ’s teaching their top priority. The burial of one’s father is an urgent responsibility, and an honorable person will not allow lesser responsibilities to intrude on it. The one more important responsibility, however, is proclaiming God’s kingdom. Christ is telling his disciples that they must make a major change to follow him. And change is hard. Being a follower of Christ is challenging in today’s world where so many don’t embrace loving our neighbor as ourselves and instead embrace an attitude of “me first.”
When we celebrate Grandparents Day this weekend, let us reflect on how our grandparents reflected the love of Jesus. Let us pause and reflect on how we, as grandparents, parents, sons, and daughters, truly follow the teachings of Christ, love one another, and go make disciples of all nations.
Dcn. Dan Finn
Dcn. Dan Finn
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Announcements
St. Tom's Hospitality Ministry Returns
Our Hospitality Ministry is returning in a new way! Currently, St Tom’s is seeking greeters and joyful ushers to help ALL feel welcomed to our parish. Please prayerfully consider your involvement with this very important ministry. A volunteer session is scheduled for THIS Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Church. For questions, email ambassadors@boilercatholics.org. For more information about the Joyful Greeter and Usher roles, visit St. Tom's website.
Millie's will open Monday
Millie’s Thrift Shop will open its newest location HERE in the former Thomas More Room downstairs starting this Monday, June 27. The smaller “boutique-style” thrift store is offering primarily junior and young adult apparel for resale and a percentage of proceeds from sales will benefit our campus ministry programs.
No Confessions Tuesday, Wednesday
Our priests will be in Tipton this Tuesday, June 28, and Wednesday, June 29, so there will be NO confessions. Mass will take place with Fr. Ted Dudzinski as the celebrant.
Lunch celebrates the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle
Next Sunday, July 3, the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle and his impact on Christianity in India will be celebrated with a lunch after the 11:00 a.m. Mass. The lunch will be prepared and hosted by a group of Indian descendants and friends. All are welcome. RSVPs are requested. Email kuhnjeff12@gmail.com.
Religious Publications, free of charge
Staff recently completed some spring cleaning around the church and collected a number of religious publications that are no longer needed for our ministry programs. They are available in the Gather Space to anyone who would like them, free of charge. Please help yourself after Mass this weekend.
St. Tom's Trivia Night on June 29
Join parishioners for an evening of fun fellowship during St. Tom's Trivia Night THIS Wednesday, June 29, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in Newman Hall. Fr. Luan Pho with help from others will host the event that includes a variety of trivia topics from the Bible to pop culture as well as snacks and drinks. There is no cost to attend.
Prayer Intentions
In order to make room for new intentions, the list of individuals in the weekly bulletin was recently removed. If individuals on the former list still need our prayers, please resubmit their names using this link or call the Parish Office, at (765) 743-4652.
Totus Tuus canceled
Blessed Sacrament announced this week that the Totus Tuus summer youth program scheduled for late July has been canceled due to a lack of volunteers to support the program this year.
Theology on Tap returns July 5
Theology on Tap returns on Tuesday, July 5, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Harry’s Chocolate Shop. Fr. Luan will speak on “Current Issues in the Church.”
St. Tom's Leader Named to USCCB Eucharistic Revival Team
Last Sunday marked the opening of the Church’s National Eucharistic Revival, and Dee Bernhardt, director of Campus Ministry, recently accepted an invitation to serve on the Revival’s Campus Ministry Team for national implementation at colleges and universities.
An initiative of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the Most Rev. Andrew Cozzens, who serves as the USCCB’s secretariat for Evangelization and Catechesis and chair of the Revival, extended the invitation to Dee. She is an obvious candidate and an incredibly qualified member of this Team, according to Fr. Tom McDermott, OP, pastor. Entering her twelve-year at St. Tom’s, Dee has served at seven institutions in four states over her career. She holds master’s degrees in religious education, Christian spirituality, and certification in spiritual direction and retreats. She is also a certified professional campus minister, chaired the Catholic Campus Ministry Association (CCMA) for two terms, and has coordinated and spoken at many national Catholic campus ministry conferences. Dee was recognized for her contributions by the CCMA in 2011 with the Forsyth Award, the most prestigious award for campus ministry leadership in the United States.
The Eucharistic Revival is a three-year movement across the United States to heal, convert, form, and unify all by encountering Jesus in the Eucharist. A living, loving relationship takes time, and a relationship with Jesus Christ is no exception. Hence, the Eucharistic Revival allows three years for discernment, encounter, and grassroots response on the diocesan, parish, and individual levels. The Revival will culminate in July 2024 with a historic gathering in Indianapolis during the National Eucharistic Congress event. For more information on the Eucharistic Revival and its timeline, visit https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/.
Dee Bernhardt
Director of Campus Ministry
