Well, how was your Eagles bye-weekend last week? Are you ready now for some Monday Night Football against some cheese heads? Although the Eagles had a bye last weekend, the parishes of Saint Aloysius and Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother did not! There was much happening last weekend. I thought that it would be good to share some of the Good News about the Good News that we proclaim and profess. Fr. Sean English, the somewhat recently named Vocation Director for the Archdiocese (taking on that position full-time in the middle of June), celebrated the 10:15am Mass at Saint Aloysius last weekend. He wanted to come to Saint Aloysius, a parish that has two young men studying for diocesan priesthood at our own Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Ambler and another two studying for priesthood at the Neo-Catechumenate Seminary of Redemptoris Mater in Yeadon. I caught up with him and welcomed him from the pulpit towards the end of the Mass that he was celebrating, because I was celebrating Mass and some Good News at Saint Gabriel. Little Lincoln Jude was baptized within the 9:00am Mass there. The Good News of his baptism fit right in with the Good News of the second reading for All Souls Day: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4). My little friend was given a whole new and Eternal Life in Christ! And not only that, but his baptism shows that the Church is alive and growing! Talk about Good News! More growth and Good News continued as Deacon George baptized three children in the Gathering Center at Saint Al’s after the 11:30am Spanish Mass where Fr. Wesly dedicated and held high in a “Lion King maneuver” another newborn (La Presentación del Niño). Following Fr. Sean’s Mass, there were visitors who remarked on how much they enjoyed attending Mass and an older gentleman that asked me how he can go about joining the parish. Good News begets more Good News and it is something that people want to be a part of. It might be likened to all the fans in the stadium singing Fly Eagles Fly after every touchdown, then watching and hoping for the next opportunity to sing. After his Mass, Fr. Sean and I prepared to take a seat at a table in the Gathering Center with three young men that are open to that which God could be calling them. Please keep them in your prayers! Before I sat, a young father approached me to let me know that he was thinking about the permanent diaconate program. More Good News! The Good News continued as the Vocation Director remarked on how the Gathering Center is such a nice space and how wonderful it is for us to offer our weekly hospitality as he sat there with his cup of coffee and delicious morning sweets. The Good News didn’t stop there as he questioned me about the group of young adults that came in gripping their mochas, lattes, and Americanos while sitting at another table across the way. That’s our Young Adult Group, I remarked as I went over and greeted them. There was Good News also in the Children’s Liturgy that has begun once again. This is when the youngest of our parishioners have their own opportunity to “break open” the Good News at their level during Sunday Liturgy returning to rejoin their parents at the Offertory of Mass. Finally, there was the Good News of Fr. Sean telling me that he has a nephew in our school. How wonderful, I said. I didn’t know! Oh but, Father Sean confessed, my nephew told me that he doesn’t want to be a priest! Well, there’s still plenty of time for God to work on that! It’s all a part of the Good News that we profess and proclaim here at Saint Aloysius and Saint Gabriel. It is all a part of the Good News with which we are very blessed indeed! Continue to pray for Good News! Continue to pray for vocations as we welcome one of our own seminarians home this weekend for the Seminary Appeal – and let’s hope for some really Good News late Monday evening that will find us all singing Fly Eagles Fly!
Peace! Fr. Wilson