Mary & the Holy Spirit… And some practical parish updates
Dear Parishioners of Our Lady of Divine Providence Family of Parishes,
Happy Pentecost! Today we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. They were gathered around the Blessed Mother, as the Bible tells us, in the place of the Last
Supper, which shows the connection between the Holy Spirit, the Church, and the Sacraments. The Holy Spirit transformed the Apostles and made them missionary disciples.
The Holy Spirit is alive and well, and is available to us, also. By centering ourselves on the Blessed Mother and uniting ourselves to the Church, we too can be transformed, live out our fullest potential, and become on fire for mission, filled with purpose and joy. What a blessing that God has given us this opportunity in the Church and the Sacraments, in union with our Blessed Mother!
Many saints have described Mary as both the Mother of God and the Spouse of God, specifically of the Holy Spirit. How beautiful that God would choose her for this role! She is the pride and joy of creation, the most beautiful and precious treasure of the cosmos, the image and mother of the Church and of each one of us. Let us honor her and be devoted to her, so that we can imitate her and—in union with her—be transformed by the Spirit.
Let me shift gears now and briefly mention some practical points:
I met this week with the Archbishop, who decided not to discuss any practical details of the parishes, but wanted to support me better as a pastor. He offered some strong constructive criticism as food for thought, which I will ponder and take to prayer. Lots of practical questions remain unanswered, so we will have to figure those out. Stay tuned for more details.
Please be aware of a possible marijuana dispensary that is intended to be built on Winton Road close to John Paul II and St. Vivian schools. I attended a zoning board meeting to oppose changing the zoning to allow this, along with a number of parishioners from St. Vivian. Unfortunately, the zoning board unanimously voted in favor of allowing the dispensary. I would call on all school parents and parishioners to come to the next meeting, which is tentatively scheduled on Wednesday, June 10 at 5:30 PM in the Springfield Township Administrative Building, because I don’t think we should allow this establishment so close to our schools. Many children walk right past the intended site.
Mass on Monday, Memorial Day, will be at St. Bartholomew at 9:00 AM. Confessions will still be heard before Mass like a normal Monday.
June is the month of the Sacred Heart. I would encourage everyone to join the bishops of the United States in consecrating themselves, and their families and homes, to the Sacred Heart. Sign up online for the novena to be delivered to your email every day, then pray it as a family. And plan to join our Family of Parishes for Mass for the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on Friday, June 12 at 7:00 PM at St. Clare.
In union with Our Lady of Divine Providence, I am excited and confident about the journey ahead together. While it certainly won’t be easy, I am sure that it is worth it. As Jesus said, “in the world, you will have tribulations, but be courageous, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Yours in Christ, with Mary,
Fr. Henry Hoffmann
