Dear Parishioners,

 

Again, I offer my congratulations to the 53 eighth graders and adults who were confirmed on Tuesday, April 29. I am grateful for the work and leadership of Jill Papesch. Her oversight of the St. Julie-St. Peter Confirmation program has bore good fruit. Again, thank you Jill.

 

This past Monday, May 5 the Parish Pastoral Councils of St. Julie and St. Peter Parish met together. We reviewed the pastoral activities of each parish and our joint pastoral activities since July of 2024. From delivering over 2500 purple bags last fall to a wonderful parish mission given by a former Hollywood soap star, we were grateful for the good works that God has done in our midst.

 

I also spoke with them about the new Parish Pastoral Council norms promulgated by the Bishop Malesic in March of 2025. One of the main changes for these norms is that the members of the Parish Pastoral Council (like the Parish Finance Council) will be appointed by the pastor, not elected at large. This keeps the council from being a popularity contest. The new norms describe qualities that a pastor should look for in potential council members. These new norms also do allow for the parish at large to nominate potential council members. However, it is the pastor, after discernment and dialogue, who will appoint members to this council.

 

The guidelines do cover things such as term limits and personal conflicts (no members of the staff can be on the council, et cetera). For more information, please see the revised notice about Parish Pastoral Council nominations in this bulletin.

 

On Friday, May 9, William Myers, a parishioner, and seminarian of St. Peter Parish who has helped out at St. Julie Parish for holiday Masses, graduated from John Carroll University through our Borromeo College Seminary program. After much prayer and dialogue with his spiritual director, Will has discerned not to apply to St. Mary Seminary, our diocesan graduate school that prepares men for the priesthood. I am grateful for Will’s openness in seeking out God’s call. We pray that the training he has received will be of service to the Church in some other capacity. God bless you, Will!

 

Among other things, this Fourth Sunday of Easter is also called Good Shepherd Sunday. In our Cycle C readings, we have perhaps the shortest gospel reading of the year. However, these four verses are very telling. They first tell us of ourselves: if we are going to truly be his flock, we need to listen to his voice! They also tell us of Jesus, who is one with the Father and never lets go of us.

 

Last, but certainly not least, this is Mother’s Day! We honor our mothers for their exalted and holy vocation. Their love and sacrifice make us who we are. The Son of God thought so highly of mothers that he chose to be born and raised by Mother Mary!

 

Though we cannot repay a mother’s love and sacrifice, we can express our gratitude and love for them. I pray that the Holy Spirit inspires in us ways of showing appreciation for our mothers that will touch them deeply. Without the investment of a mother’s love for her children, our world would be crueler and colder. A mother’s love inspires kindness and sacrificial charity in her children. And isn’t this just what our world needs?

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In Christ,

Fr. Bob Franco