+JMJ
Dear Parishioners,
The REBOOT event with Chris Stefanik last week was amazing! Many, many thanks to Jessica Pehmoeller, Laura Ritzler and our parish team, and all reps from the other co-host parishes that helped make this event happen. Chris gave a very solid, inspiring message, inviting all of us to live wholeheartedly and first for Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Being a family man, even a grandfather, he illustrated how the gospel can be lived in family life in a beautiful way. The world needs men and women like Chris Stefanik to live full, free, holy, happy lives that radiate God's presence to others. We have some plans in place to try to capture the momentum for hearts that were moved by Chris' message. Stay tuned!
On another note, the time has sped by too quickly, making this next announcement quite late: on October 10th, I leave to accompany Bishop Thomas on a pilgrimage to Toledo, Spain and Rome, Italy, and some sites around these two great cities. About two months ago, the Bishop approached me, because there was no priest accompanying him on the trip. Since I know the languages involved, and I am familiar with these places, I was strongly encouraged to join the trip. One pretty amazing confirmation from the Lord for me was the fact that on that very evening, after the Bishop and I had spoken, I sent a couple messages to two priests, asking if they could fill in for the Sunday Masses and a couple weekday Masses when I was gone. Miraculously, by the very next afternoon, we had those Masses covered by those two priests! I took that as a sign from the Lord that it was right to agree to help on this pilgrimage.
One special highlight of the trip is that we will be able to celebrate Holy Mass with the Archbishop of Toledo, Spain on the evening of October 11th. Of course, our diocese is named after the diocese of Toledo, Spain. That's why we are technically named "the Diocese of Toledo in the USA,” to distinguish us from the original Diocese of Toledo, Spain. In our letter to the Archbishop of Toledo, Spain, we sent a picture of a stone that was gifted to our cathedral in 1940, its dedication, from the Cathedral of Toledo, Spain. It's a constant reminder that we are "sister dioceses.” That stone is in the wall of the sanctuary of our cathedral. Then, since our own Bishop spent so much time in Rome, in service of the Vatican's Congregation of Bishops, we should get some great tours of the highlights of Vatican City.
We sent to the Archbishop of Toledo, Spain a picture of our cathedral, which is one of the most beautiful in the midwest. When you are given the opportunity to donate to Living Christ, the diocesan capital campaign, current capital improvements and an endowment for ongoing care of the cathedral are two important goals of that campaign.
You will be able to follow daily highlights of our pilgrimage on the Bishop's Facebook page, or on the Facebook page of Catholic Faith Journeys (the only pilgrimage company I will travel with!), or on our own parish Facebook page. I will be praying for all of my parishioners at the holy sites we visit! Please pray for a fruitful trip for all on the pilgrimage. Pilgrimages transform souls. That's why we do them. Hopefully I will organize a pilgrimage for our parish in the near future.
Have a blessed week!
In cordibus Iesu, Mariae et Iosephus,
Father Poggemeyer