October 12, 2025: Mass Schedule & Marian Consecration

Dear Friends of Our Lady of Divine Providence,

I hope that you are enjoying our new family bulletin. I want to take this opportunity to reiterate the mission of the pastoral planning process, Beacons of Light. Its purpose is not to close churches, but to consolidate parishes, so that we can more effectively evangelize. While this requires sacrifices now, it will enable us to bear more fruit in the future. Archbishop Casey frequently reminds us that the Resurrection only comes after the Crucifixion. We will reign with Christ only after enduring trails and death with him. Focusing solely on the Resurrection is a mistake, as is forgetting the Resurrection as we endure trials. Our path goes through the Cross, to Glory.

Implementing necessary changes to adequately address the needs of our current situation won’t be easy, and we have only just begun. We unfortunately don’t have the resources to keep five churches open, and our resources are shrinking, instead of growing. So, we need to consolidate, pool our resources, and tighten our belts, knowing that we face greater hardship ahead. However, we can look forward to that hardship with radiant hope, because we know that the Resurrection follows the Crucifixion.

We have consolidated the parish offices and are now working to ensure that the administrative section of the parish office functions smoothly and effectively, so that it can communicate transparently. I am aware that we still have work to do in this area, and I won’t be satisfied until we do better. We have also begun our family catechesis, and our next big step will be to reform the Mass schedule. We plan to implement a new Sunday Mass schedule on January 11, 2026, with a revised daily Mass schedule to begin in November (see page 5 of this week’s bulletin). I don’t know what the Sunday schedule will look like yet, but I hope to be able to keep at least one Mass per weekend per parish for now.

This Sunday, we begin a time of consecration to Mary. I spoke about this last Sunday, at our first Sanctuary gathering, our new adult faith formation opportunity on Sunday evenings. (Tonight, our topic will be, “why do we do what we do at Mass?” – I hope to see you there! 6:15 pm, St. Vivian Gather Rooms)

Starting today, as a parish family, we will pray daily to Mary, and then on the feast of Our Lady of Divine Providence we will consecrate ourselves to Her. Every day after Mass, the priest and people will pray together a prayer to Mary known by its Latin title Sub Tuum Praesidium (Under Thy Protection). It is a short prayer and makes up part of the daily preparation for consecration. It is also one of the oldest, if not the oldest, recorded Christian prayer outside of the Bible. I invite and encourage you to engage with the full daily preparation for consecration, which can be found online on the 2025 Marian Consecration page of the family website.

Mary is the Mother of us all, and we can be best united together as Her children. Our parishes and our society now experience division and antagonism which is not Christian. We can become more Christian by being more devoted to Mary. As her Son, Christ was devoted to Mary; as Christ's disciples, we should also be devoted to Mary. Our society is confused about what a woman is, but Mary shows us what a woman truly is: the most sacred and beautiful pinnacle of creation. As both Virgin and Mother, Mary embodies feminine perfection. She is our life, our sweetness, and our hope. Unity and peace come from loving Her and imitating Her in her faithfulness to Her Son. She shared with Him in His Crucifixion and now enjoys His Glory.

With Mary, we can cooperate with God’s Providence, by which He governs and sustains all things, be missionary disciples of Christ, and be filled with radiant hope.