Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

Dear Folks,

Fr. Stan Lee arrives this ursday! One of the priests here told him on the phone this week, “never has there been such excitement and anticipation for the arrival of a new priest!” Maybe a little hyperbole, but maybe not!

It was a long year for the priests of St. Mary’s, and we had to trim the Tuesday / Thursday Noon Masses from the schedule, because we just couldn’t cover them. Yes, we kept them going as long as we could, in hopes that another priest might come….well, that day is now here!

So I am adding back to the schedule: Tuesday & ursday Noon masses — beginning Thursday June 25th, the day Fr. Lee arrives and it will be his first scheduled Mass in the parish!

Monday 4pm Summer Mass at Holy Cross Academy— beginning Monday June 29th. If it is well attended, I will consider making this a more permanent addition.

Turkey / Greece?? It was mentioned in here once, but if you are interested in a pilgrimage trip to Turkey / Greece, I had a couple of cancellations this week, and so there is room for another couple or two. Dates: Friday October 23rd to Friday November 6th. Cost $5500 per person/double occupancy. It will be a small trip, with about 20 folks, and an adventure! If you would like to see the itinerary, email me directly: frmosimann@stmaryfred.org

pax,

Father John Mosimann

Dear Folks,

This weekend we are joining the bishops of our country to consecrate our nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus! Yesterday, many families came to the Saturday Morning Mass to receive blessings and prayers to enthrone the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart in their homes!

And beginning this week, we will recite a prayer for our nation leading up to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence! Semiquincentennial, that is one heck of a word! No wonder I typed 250th above!

So what is a consecration like this? It is a solemn act of entrustment by which persons place themselves, their lives, and their future more completely at the service of Christ through the maternal intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

John Paul II often used the language of “entrustment” asking Mary to intercede so that peoples and nations might open themselves more fully to Christ.

Take for example, Pope Saint John Paul II’s motto, “Totus Tuus” (“Totally Yours”) which came directly from St. Louis de Montfort’s teaching on True Devotion to Our Lady. It is a motto that he strove to live and belong more perfectly to Christ by placing everything he was and did under the maternal care of Mary, who always leads souls to her Son.

We can never have too much entrusting ourselves to Our Lord and Our Lady.

pax,

Father John Mosimann

Dear Folks,

Congrats to our Holy Cross Academy Girls Varsity Soccer team! Last weekend one of the girls shared with me that they won the championship and I am sure that many tears of joy were shed! Our Boys Varsity Basketball team went undefeated all season, falling only in the championship game as their singular loss.(This triggers a memory of an intramural team that did the same in seminary. The team we lost to admitted that we would have beat them 9 times out of 10, but they got the one that mattered!) So don’t ask me about that!

I am so proud of the hard work and success of these young ladies and gentlemen! Congrats!

This weekend saw the graduation of our HCA 8th graders. It is always a bittersweet celebration, because it is the end of the first major season in their lives, but also an opening to new horizons! This year’s 8th grade was in PreSchool when I arrived here! Last week, I was able to take them on a field trip to Leesburg to give a tour and celebrate Mass at St. John the Apostle church, and have my favorite Chinese food in the world!! Lots of laughs were enjoyed and the students even listened attentively to my explanation of church architecture!

This week we also celebrated our homeschool High School graduation and Mass of thanksgiving. Congratulations to these students and their amazing parents and co-op team. Much to be proud of! Thanks be to God!

Corpus Christi: today’s feast. What can I say that hasn’t already been said??

Ok, this is my thought for you: To whom do you turn when you are vexed and stressed and unsure of what path to take??

• If you turn to a friend or family member, you must turn to someone who will challenge your presumptions and choices.

• If you have a problem within your family, will your condential friend take the side of your spouse or children, or just echo back your ‘perfection’?

• If it is a life choice, are you turning to Jesus? Are you giving Him sufficient time to quiet your soul and hear His voice within you?

Jesus is the answer.

In the Blessed Sacrament, He has given Himself to us in a manner where He will never, ever run away from us. The answer you seek won’t be found in the back pat or affirmation from a fried. It can only be found by finding Him.

For this reason, I value above all, in times of distress, sitting with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

And if you ask to talk to me about some problem in your life, don’t be surprised if I insist that I won’t meet with you until you have spent an hour in adoration sitting with Jesus.

I have nothing to give you other than Him.

pax,

Father John Mosimann