April 28, 2024

We offer our heartfelt congratulations and prayerful best wishes to the boys and girls from Assumption Parish who received their First Holy Communion yesterday. As they remember this very blessed and special day, may they make full use of the graces that they will receive from this Holy Sacrament.

As April draws to a close and we move into May, the pace of parish life quickens. Several beautiful celebrations mark this space of time. The first is May 6, where we celebrate our parish May Crowning. Since May is the month dedicated by popular devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is only fitting that we afford her special acclaim on the first days of this month. Come to church at 6:30 p.m. on the sixth and participate in this beautiful service to honor Mary, Queen of May.

Let us also hold in prayer those 8th graders from our parish who will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation with the young men and women from St. Michael Parish in Independence on May 15. Last year, their young people received the sacrament at our parish; this year, the celebration is held there. May the Holy Spirit in his sevenfold gifts enlighten and strengthen our youth so that they become vibrant members of our faith community who share their gifts to bring others to Jesus. 

This Thursday, May 1, we celebrate a feast that receives very little mention, but is very important: the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker. Originally, this feast was instituted in 1955 as a response by the Church to the "May Day" celebrations of the Communist Bloc countries who would use this date to showcase their military might and prowess. Pope Pius XII hoped that, by celebrating the dignity of human labor used for good and productive purposes would overshadow the destructive and often evil purposes that weapons of way signify. In the world theater, especially between Palestine and Israel and Russia and the Ukraine, this is needed now more than ever. 

As we honor St. Joseph and seek his intercession, let us pray that the product of our labor be used to promote good-will, harmony and peace in our world, and that all have a dignified standard of living from the work they perform.