News - October 2026 RSS Feed

First, I want to thank you for your generous support of World Missionary Sunday. Father PJ Alindogan, pastor of St. Veronica (Howell) and director of the Pontifical Mission Societies for our diocese, extends his greetings and gratitude for our support. This Sunday, there is a gathering sponsored by the parish Marriage and Family Ministry led by Lori McCahill. Please check the bulletin for the various offerings from this ministry throughout the year. Thanks in large measure to Lori’s strong support and well-run ministry, the number of marriages celebrated in our parish continues to grow each year, certainly running contrary to national and diocesan trends.

Today there is a second collection to support missionaries throughout the world. We do not seem to hear as much about the missionary work of the church, but most of the African, Asian, and even some Latin American countries, are still in the mission territory of the church. Father JM Patilla’s cousin, Monsignor Erwin José Aserios Balagapo, is the Undersecretary for the Dicastery for Evangelization, working in Rome. He is the immediate assistant to Cardinal Antonio Tagle. Their work is the oversight of the work of the missions, oversight of the seminaries, bishops, priests, and religious congregations who work in the missions. It is daunting work, as the church is experiencing rapid growth, especially in Africa and Asia. Our contributions help these communities to do the basic work of the church, that we merely take for granted.

As October advances there are many things on our plate to pay attention to. First, we are grateful to Msgr. Thomas Gervasio, V.G., for administering the Sacrament of Confirmation to the eighty members of our parish and school communities this past Friday. A warm thank you to Ciro Saverino, Deacon Anthony Cullen, Kim Galiano, and Lori McCahill, and the many volunteers who walked along with these newly confirmed on their journey.

Welcome to October and the real beginning of the Fall Season. Remember that this is the Month of the Holy Rosary, so I wish to encourage everyone to pray at least one rosary this month for the cause of world peace and the reparation of sins against human life.