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A good number of parishioners have been exceedingly supportive of many things we do at our parishes, from our fundraising efforts to our social events. Our two respective Golf Outings in June have really taken off like a rocket and we are planning for a parish picnic at St. Patrick's on the last Sunday of August.
That said, the primary goal of our parishes is to save souls and the Masses we celebrate are called "the source and summit of our Christian life," the door through which we learn how to enter heaven. Our Friday night Spanish Masses at St. Anne are drawing about fifty people... on a Friday night!!! The St. Anne Novena takes place from July 19-26, where scores of individuals have been healed through the veneration of that beautiful relic.
I have come to find out that St. Pio of Pietrelcina is a wonderful source for those who suffer from cancer; many who have venerated his relics have found great stress relief from this veneration, if not a total healing of their cancer.
I came to find out about the St. Pio Foundation from Connecticut from an associate of mine who brought these relics to the west side of Kankakee County. As parishioner Jean Gibson has urged us to offer these type of devotions to the parish, we thought that the Padre Pio devotion would be important for us to offer.
Towards this cause, we have spent about $3,000 to bring the relics from Bridgeport, CT (any donations to offset the cost would be appreciated). A custodian will be delivering these first degree relics to St. Patrick's (including the bandage covering Padre Pio's stigmata, a scab from his wounds and a strand of his hair). As promised, I will celebrate Mass in English at 9:15 a.m. and in Spanish at 6:00 p.m. I will hear confessions between the two Masses while the rosary will be recited every hour on the hour.
We have received calls from around the Midwest from souls who wish to venerate the relics. Following their stay at St. Patrick's, the relics head to Washington, DC for a Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated by His Eminence, Wilton Cardinal Gregory. This is a really important event for the salvation of souls, so please feel free to join us at this wonderful, spiritual event!
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