October 26, 2025 – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Friends,
As we continue to prepare for the new pastor/rector at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, the Archbishop has announced that Fr. Edward Sanchez will be starting January 1, 2026. We are meeting with him weekly until then for a smooth transition.
Other news:
Catalina Welsch, the administrative assistant at the Cathedral, will be taking a new job closer to her home. We thank her for her faithful service and assure her and her husband Steve of our prayers.
We are happy to announce that Matthew Lawrenz has been hired as the director of music and liturgy at Old St. Mary. Welcome, Matthew!
We have hired Ryan Grinwald as part-time porter for the Open Door Café. He will assist the team in the smooth operation of essential services to those in need.
That’s it for now! Lots of moving parts, but we trust the Holy Spirit in guiding all of us in our efforts at serving Christ and his beloved Church!
Fr. Tim
Welcome to Kaisa Herrmann!
Earlier this month, we welcomed Kaisa Herrmann to our staff. Kaisa serves as the administrative assistant at Old St. Mary Parish.
This addition allows Mary Hessel to take on the new role of wedding coordinator, helping our engaged couples through the marriage preparation and wedding planning processes.
We are so grateful to be able to expand these roles through your continued and generous giving.
October 19, 2025 – Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Repetitio est mater studiorum.”
Repetition is the mother of learning.
(Proverb attributed to Aristotle)
Dear Friends,
It is amazing how things we learned a long time ago by memory as a kid come back quickly in a moment’s notice. We usually call those things we memorized things we learned by heart.
That type of learning seems to be part of how God wants us to know how he operates in relationship to us his beloved children. He wants us to memorize his love for us by heart.
In the first reading this Sunday from Exodus, Moses does the repeated action of raised arms to ensure Divine Presence and victory. In the second reading St. Paul encourages Timothy to rely on what he has learned from trusted sources since infancy. The Gospel of St. Luke tells us of the widow who got what she wanted out of sheer persistence and repeated words.
It seems God likes repeated actions, perhaps not because he needs the reminder, but because we scattered and distracted followers only learn after repetition. Scattered thoughts brought together in pithy phrases contain a treasury of wisdom.
God is always there, but we need to be reminded over and over to be present to him and his great, undying, everlasting, and ever-present care for us. As the saying goes, the opposite of love is indifference. But the more we pay attention and repeat over and over again the truth of his care and love for us, the less indifferent we are and the more passionate in our belief in a God whose name is Love.
Let’s pay as much attention to God this week as we can, and his love for us in all things.
God is love. God is love. God is love…
A first repeatable lesson, and a good start to deeper lessons to be learned in a lifetime of discipleship.
Sincerely, with love,Fr. Tim
October 12, 2025 – Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Last week, Archbishop Grob announced a change in leadership for the Cathedral. After careful consultation, Archbishop Grob has appointed Fr. Edward Sanchez as the new rector and pastor of the Cathedral. Fr. Sanchez currently serves as the pastor of three south shore parishes: Immaculate Conception, St. Augustine and Sacred Heart of Jesus. The time of this transition is yet to be determined but will be communicated to all once known.
In recent years the Cathedral parish community has become truly bilingual with a large Spanish-speaking ministry that is building on the wonderful foundation of the Cathedral parish that has been here from the beginning.
The Cathedral has also continued to open its doors to the whole Archdiocese for sacred celebrations, pilgrims, visitors, and events while operating with limited resources.
Archbishop Grob wants to ensure that the recent pastoral needs of this parish community are being addressed while also being a parish that continues its current ministries. Hence, Archbishop Grob’s decision to appoint a full-time pastor rector who speaks both English and Spanish.
I will remain the pastor of the Family of Four Parishes. As we learn more about the timeline of this transition, we will continue to update you as best we can.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Tim
October 5, 2025 – Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Who can be the Godparents to my child?”
One of the most challenging tasks for Catholic parents nowadays is to find good Godparents. Whether you yourself have been asked to be a Godparent or you are in search of someone who will lead your child on the path of faith, finding a person (or two) who is practicing their faith and lives in a state of grace has become increasingly challenging. So, where do we start?
We all know the honor that comes with such an ask. If you have been given such an honor, the parents see you as a faith model. But is that all it is, an honorary title? Traditionally, God-parenting is more than an honorary role, it is a duty with eternal consequences.
During the baptism ceremony, the celebrant will ask the Godparents, “are you ready to help the parents of this child in their duty?” presumably, the Godparents will say “yes”. But what did the Godparents just sign up for? Simply, to make sure the child becomes the best Christian that he/she can be, that is, a saint.
But realistically, who can do this, “bring their child into heaven? Where is that in the Godparents’ job description”? Whether you’ve been chosen to be a Godparent or a sponsor for Confirmation, here’s what you need to know about this role.
First, the decision as to who should be a Godparent/sponsor should be based upon who would provide the best example of Catholic living for your child and not merely for reasons of maintaining family harmony or honoring a friend. A Godparent/sponsor is chosen for the well-being and faith development of the child. To be a Godparent/sponsor, an individual must meet all of the following:
- Be at least sixteen years old
- Not the parent of the child to be baptized (grandparents may be Godparents)
- Be a fully initiated Catholic (is baptized, confirmed, and received First Communion)
- Be a Catholic in good standing in the Church, meaning, does not publicly endorse beliefs contrary to church doctrine
- Be a practicing member of the Catholic faith (attends Mass regularly).
The Church also understands the challenging task of finding two Catholics who meet these criteria. Therefore, although ideally the child should have two Godparents, a godmother and a godfather, only one Godparent is required by church law.
