Thanks for your generous response to the Bishop’s Lenten Appeal! Our ‘in-pew’ process went well, and I am grateful to the staff and volunteers who worked so hard to make the process as seamless as possible. I also thank you for laughing at the same jokes every year!

Having just celebrated Ash Wednesday, I’d like to share with you again these thoughts on the many uses of ashes.

Wood ashes, with water and some oil can be combined to make soap. What seems dead, dry and exhausted of all energy, now gives one more time to cleanse and renew!

And ashes can be used in compost to enrich the fertilizer. Wood having given its whole life to warm and illuminate, but even beyond the ash helps nourish and bring forth new life.

And ashes can also help gardeners keep insects away when sprinkled around the perimeter. Worms, slugs and snails are deterred by the dry ashes protecting the plant life growing in the garden.

And ashes can be used to polish tarnished metals when combined with water, bringing shine and beauty to that which is worn, tired, and dull.

Ashes: in Soap cleanse, in compost nourish, in gardens protect against pests, in cupboards restores shine, AND on Ash Wednesday mark our repentance and desire to return to Christ. That repentance, by the grace of Christ pouring out His life on the wood of the cross: nourishes you, protects you, shines your soul, and cleanses you.

What appears to be useless is useful in so many ways. I had no idea. I guess folks who were more connected with making their own soap/compost/polish/insecticide in the 2000 years prior to the invention of Walmart might have better known this. No wonder folks have used ashes for millennia as a sign of repentance and renewal.

Pax et Bonum,

Father John Mosimann

Happy Fat Sunday! Yes, Lent is coming, and you gotta get in your feasting before Ash Wednesday! The schedule for Masses on Wednesday is ample: and yes, Ashes are distributed within Masses. In your zeal to get some dirt on your forehead, don’t forget to receive the far far greater gift of communion with the Lord Almighty!

40 Hours: Begin your Lent with Jesus! This year the parish theme and diocesan themes are both directed to renewing our love of the Blessed Sacrament. To that end, all parishes are doing an extra solemn period of adoration and renewal! Ours will be the first full week of Lent: March 7th to 10th. Each evening, Monday through Thursday, we will have a guest speaker, and prayers beginning at 7pm.

For Monday – Wednesday, I have asked several prominent members of our parish to speak: published authors, professionals, speakers, and parents! My hope is that by sharing their gifts, the parish will be enriched with a beautiful perspective which is rooted in family life both practical and profound.  We will have the ‘lineup’ in next week’s bulletin, and I encourage you to be ready for this opportunity to start Lent off with a powerful week of prayer.

The closing night will be Fr. Tipton, Chaplin at JP2 the Great High School, who will speak on the Mass!

We will have a high quality lineup to begin your Lent with a little parish retreat! I hope that you will make plans to be here each night.

Pax et Bonum,

Father John Mosimann