Dear friends in Christ,

     This, That & the Other ... Happy Ascension ... Sunday? Today is Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, which some of us of a certain age will remember as Ascension Thursday, a holy day of obligation to mark Jesus ascension to the right hand of the Father. It still is Ascension Thursday in many parts of the world, and even a few places in the U.S., but the vast majority of dioceses in this country have moved the celebration of this day to the following Sunday. Thus, when you come to Mass this weekend it will indeed be Ascension Sunday. Regardless of when it is celebrated it is a time to recognize that by going to the Father, Jesus is joining earth to the heavenly realm. Where he has gone, we long to follow!

     … Please note that we will not have confessions this Saturday, June 1, so that Fr. Ralph and I can attend the ordination of seven new priests for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. It’s one of the largest ordination classes in recent memory, thanks be to God. Cardinal DiNardo will ordain these men on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in a service that is open to the public. If you’ve never attended an ordination Mass, I invite you to come if your schedule permits. It’s a beautiful and powerful rite of the Church. … We send our congratulations to these new priests (you can read about them and their journey to the priesthood at this link) and look forward to their service in our archdiocese. Please keep them in your prayers as they begin their ministry.

     … At Mass this weekend we’ll have the annual Catholic Communication Campaign second collection. This goes to assist spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ through means of communication (electronic and written). It’s not always easy to get news about our Catholic faith if you are not plugged in (pardon the pun) to either diocesan websites, newspapers, or radio. The CCC helps support those entities, including our Texas Catholic Herald in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, so that you can stay informed on the happenings and teachings of our Church. Please remember them in the second collection this Sunday. … Also this Sunday we’ve got a special showing of the movie “For Greater Glory” at 2 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Redeemer Activity Center. It stars Andy Garcia (he’s good in everything) and Eva Longoria and chronicles the lives and battles of the Cristeros, those brave, faith-filled men and women who fought to save their freedom to worship in Mexico in the 1920s. It’s free and open to all.

     … I mentioned this last week but it bears repeating that we’ve got a special day of prayer planned for moms (and moms-to-be) hosted by our St. Anne’s Society on Sunday, June 2. This is a wonderful group of mothers in the parish and I’m so pleased they are offering this mini retreat entitled, “Promised and Chosen: Come to Renew and Return with Joy.” … This day of prayer for moms and expectant mothers begins at 9 a.m. and concludes with Mass at 5 p.m. All ladies of the parish are invited to attend. It’s free for St. Anne Society members (and only $15 for non-members), but registration is required here.

     … If you are coming to daily Mass tomorrow, Friday, May 31, please note that it will be in the main church and not the chapel as it is the final Mass with our CtR Catholic School kids before they break for summer. We had a beautiful Mass for our 22 graduating 8th graders last night and early this morning our Kindergarten kids, about 60 in total, celebrated their “graduation” into 1st grade in a ceremony where the cuteness factor was off the charts! Congrats to all our graduates, regardless of age! … Don’t forget that this is the first weekend of the month and that’s always our time to help stock the CAM Food Pantry. See the list below for the most needed items this month. … Lastly, and most importantly, God loves you! See ‘ya at Mass!