What is a Mission?

01-26-2020Weekly ReflectionFr. John Sims Baker

Next weekend, we will have Fr. Eusebius Martis, O.S.B. with us to preach at the Masses and to introduce our Parish Mission that will follow on Monday - Wednesday, with talks at 10 a.m. and at 7 p.m. for the three days. The same topic will be covered at the morning and evening sessions.

A mission is a time for us as a parish to focus on our faith in an intentional way. The mission talks this year will help us to experience the liturgy as an encounter with Jesus in our lives. We are blessed to have Fr. Eusebius with us for these days. He is indeed an expert on the sacraments and the liturgical life, and he is a master teacher. Some of you might be familiar with Father from the video series: Elements of the Catholic Mass. He was the director of sacred liturgy at the seminary where I served before coming to St. Rose. I can therefore recommend that you attend the mission from my personal experience.

READ MORE

New Routines

01-19-2020Weekly ReflectionFr. John Sims Baker

With the renovations coming to a close in the church, we are getting used to some new routines and locations. The confessionals, for example, are in the back of the church, and the line forms along the back wall. The bulletin board and table that had been in the vestibule are now in the Shepherd's Hallway, where additional information can be found, as well as the lost and found, the "drop box'' for parishioners -- pretty much everything that was on that table and board before. The vestibule itself is now primarily for those who need to step out of Mass for some reason, particularly for parents dealing with a fussy child -- and for overflow crowds, which occur not infrequently. As long as there is room in the church, I ask that you come and find a seat in the church itself. Then the vestibule is available for those who need it. We will get used to the new situation soon enough!

READ MORE

Lift High the Cross!

01-12-2020Weekly ReflectionFr. John Sims Baker

When working on leaks that were coming from the church tower, we discovered that the mounting of the cross atop the tower was in bad shape -- so bad that we had a structural engineer analyze the mounting and redesign it. For the cross to remain lifted high above St. Rose, we need to remount the cross. Otherwise, the cross will have to come down as a hazard. This is an unforeseen and unbudgeted expense, but it is also one that I hope we will support and undertake.

If any parishioner(s) can help to underwrite this expense, please contact the church office. The project is quite complicated for a structure so tall as our tower. The estimate for remounting the cross is $10,000. Lifting high the cross is a great witness in our community, as well as an iconic emblem of our parish itself. Let's keep the cross lifted high!

READ MORE

Prayers Please!

01-05-2020Weekly ReflectionFr. John Sims Baker

By the time you are reading this, I will be in Guatemala. I am enrolled in an intensive immersion course in Spanish at the Priorato de San José in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. I will be taking instruction for several hours each day while living in a Benedictine community and participating in Mass and prayers with the community. My hope is that this will help me with conversational skills, in particular, and with liturgical Spanish. These are both important to me to be able to minister more effectively in a pastoral role for our Spanish-speaking parishioners. I will be in the program for two weeks, returning on January 18.

READ MORE