Graduation for our Notre Dame de Lourdes students will be this Wednesday evening with Mass at 6 p.m. Congratulations to our students and their families and best wishes as you embark on your secondary schools. Blessings to our administration, faculty and staff at Notre Dame de Lourdes School for the comprehensive lessons you impart to our young parishioners. Congratulations to all our parishioners who are graduating from high school or universities this year. Your celebrations four years ago were a bit subdued because of the pandemic. Hopefully you have the opportunity this year to celebrate worthily. The following is an excerpt from a Graduation Blessing offered by Father Michael Graham, SJ, at the Baccalaureate at Xavier University (Cincinnati) in 2015.
May God give you the grace to make wise choices and to be faithful to your commitments, always confident in the support of those who love you.
May God bless you with discomforts at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you will live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with the tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you will reach out your hand to comfort them and change their pain into joy.
May your integrity be a gift to the world and may the Spirit of God be with you always.
Flag Day is this Friday, 14 June. According to the website of the Museum of The American Revolution, “On 14 June 1777, Congress passed the first Flag Act, adopting the thirteen-star flag as the official flag of the new United States.” The flag has added 37 stars since then, but apart from a brief period our flag has maintained six white stripes and seven red stripes. We give thanks to God for “standing beside us and guiding us” and for “the proof through the night that our flag is still there.”
Periodically we will provide updates on the priorities and goals of our Next Generation Parish Initiatives. Information will be submitted through e-mail as well as our newsletter and other social media platforms. Today’s focus is on our Discipleship Priority.
It is interesting to see the parish groups that existed last decade and compare them with the groups of the current day. That is not always an apples-to-apples comparison because of the pandemic. Comparing your life in 2024 with early 2020 would be an interesting exercise. What things have been enhanced in your routine, what are you doing with less frequency, what is no longer essential?
The same exercise could and should be conducted for a parish family. What programs and groups existed here last decade? What were the purposes of those organizations? Was there a mix of social and spiritual programs? Who coordinated the programs? What were their strengths? What could have gone better? What are some necessary organizations for a parish of this current decade? Who would be adept at coordinating and leading various programs? How do you spread the word?
To answer these questions, we will be conducting a brief eight question survey to ascertain your needs and the needs of the parish community. Once organizations are identified then the coordination of leadership will commence to build these programs. Finally, it is signing day when you will have the chance to visit a Ministry Fair to peruse the offerings of our Next Generation Parish and to discern where you are best called to Know Jesus, to Love Jesus, and to Serve Jesus.
Peace and blessings!