Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ  
On this feast that is traditionally called “Corpus Christi,” we are reminded as Catholics that we are privileged at Mass to share in Christ’s sacrifice and his risen life by receiving Holy Communion. Each time we respond “Amen!” to the communion minister’s proclamation of “The Body of Christ!” and “The Blood of Christ!,” we are sacramentally receiving Jesus, as he teaches us in the Gospel today – “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” 

As active members of St. Bernadette Parish, we have treasured the innumerable times we have celebrated the Holy Eucharist here in our lovely church.  But we know that Christ our Lord is the same in each and every Catholic Church. Wherever we are invited to celebrate Mass in the months or years ahead will still be the same sacred mystery of Jesus, our Savior, being shared. The location for the Eucharist is secondary to the host of the celebration, namely the Son of God, who invites us every week to come together to praise God, listen to the Word, and share in his Body and Blood.

Guests at St. Bernadette’s This Week:

• Father Steve Bauer is the celebrant this weekend at all of our parish Masses, as I take a weekend away with some of my family and relatives. Father Steve has been here before, filling in for me when I was recuperating from knee surgery. Always glad to have a really good parish priest and good friend to fill in for me.
• Sister Cecilia Gros, School Sister of Notre Dame, from Ghana in Africa, is here this Sunday to thank you, the St. Bernadette Parish Family, for your extraordinary generosity to our parish Lenten Project to help her furnish the new children’s wing of their small hospital in Ghana. Our goal was $6,000, if you remember, and you contributed over $11,000. Sister is very grateful and the people she serves are also.

Guest Next Week
At our Masses next weekend we will host Sister Mary Paul Asoegwu, a Sister of the Daughters of Divine Love Congregation, who works with other sisters as missionaries in especially in Africa, Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, and in other places. Their religious order works primarily with the very poor in these places, providing help for the homeless, the rejected, the challenged children and adults on the streets. They work in hospitals and schools, and also in parishes. 

This will be our annual Missionary Co-op Appeal Sunday. Sister Mary Paul and several other of her sisters will be making their missionary appeal to all of the Lemay parishes this weekend, while they stay the Notre Dame motherhouse on Ripa. I am sure her accounts of their missionary work will be interesting and that your generosity will be filled with love of God’s people around the world.

Next Sunday – Father’s Day
We invite all the men of our St. Bernadette Parish Family to be present next weekend for a special blessing at Mass for those who participate in the privilege of fatherhood – this includes fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, godfathers, and any who provide a fatherly presence to someone.

May God who gives life on earth and in heaven, lead these men to walk by the light of faith and so help your children to attain the good things Christ has promised. AMEN!

“All Things New” Thoughts:
Many of us are suffering from some negative feelings after the recent announcement from the Archbishop about the future of parish life in Lemay – some anxiety, a lot uncertainty, a little dose of anger, a considerable amount of frustration, all mixed in with disappointment. All of this is a recipe for depression. The cure is a healthy dose of hope in Christ’s Church and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit! Be open to the Lord working with us to create a new and better way to be Church in Lemay!