Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

Dear Folks,

You may notice that I always sign my bulletin notes or emails with “Pax” at the end. It’s a little odd—and a little humbling—to see others pick up and use this greeting in emails, as has happened in parishes where I’ve served.

So where does it come from?

The Latin phrase “Pax et Bonum!” was used by St. Francis of Assisi as his common greeting to those he met throughout the day. It can be translated as “Peace and Goodness. ” This is a theologically rich phrase—its depth is not reduced to a casual “peace, bro.” The bonum (goodness) spoken of refers most specifically to God, who is the supreme good. In the words of Our Lord: “No one is good but God alone” (Mk 10:18). All goodness is a smallshare in the infinite goodness of God. Thus, the greeting is truly a wish of abundant blessings upon the person encountered.

The meaning of this phrase struck me deeply in 2000 when I was leading a group of pilgrims to World Y outh Day in Rome. I had never had a devotion to St. Francis prior to that trip. The version of St. Francis I was presented with growing up in the ’70s seemed to be a wimpy projection of various secular values of that era. However, when I walked the same cobbled streets St. Francis once walked in Assisi, heard his words, and prayed at his tomb, I encountered a very different saint. This man loved God with his whole heart, mind, and soul—holding nothing back. Because he had forsaken riches to serve the Lord, he was able to recognize the providence of God wondrously in all of His created works. Hence, we know him as the lover of animals. So, when I sign my emails with “Pax, ” I do so as a brief nod to St. Francis.

Sometimes I’ll use other language variants of the Latin Pax, like: French (Paix), Italian (Pace), Spanish (Paz), or Hebrew (Shalom). But always with the same intent: may you enjoy the peace and blessing that can only come from the Lord of the Universe.

pax (et bonum),

Father John Mosimann

Pastor

St. Mary will have a special collection on July 26 and July 27 for the flood relief efforts in Texas.  All checks should be made payable to St. Mary Catholic Church.  You may also donate online at https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/

Dear Folks,

It is with sadness—but also with trust in the perfect providence of God—that I need to announce that Fr. Renner has been assigned to All Saints Parish in Manassas, effective July 24th. Sometimes there are surprise moves necessitated by the personnel needs of the diocese.

In moments like these, the bishop turns to priests and parishes who can help, and his glance fell upon Fr. Renner and St. Mary’s. This is a lived expression of the promises all priests make to respect and obey the bishop—made real here by a generous “yes” to serve wherever and whenever needed. It’s also a testament to Fr. Renner and to this parish that we are known to respond with faith and generosity.

I am deeply grateful for the work Fr. Renner has done in serving our parish, and especially our Holy Cross Academy families. He has embraced the mission of loving the school with the Heart of Our Lord, and he will be greatly missed. I promise that I will ask his new pastor to loan him back to us for a day this fall so that he can return to HCA and bid adieu to the children!

At this time, we will not be receiving another priest to replace him, though there are some possibilities that could assist us. The Lord never fails to give sufficient grace for any task, apostolate, or burden He asks any priest, layperson, or parish to carry. Since learning of this, I have found myself repeating often: “Jesus, I trust in You. ” I invite you to join me in renewing our trust in His perfect plan.

Next weekend will be Fr. Renner’s last at St. Mary’s, and he will celebrate the 7:00 pm Saturday Mass, and the 8:30 am and 10:30 am Sunday Masses. We will also host a farewell reception on Monday, July 21st, in the Parish Life Center from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.

I believe every priest holds a special fondness for their first assignment, and I know that the feeling is mutual for Fr. Renner. May the Lord continue to bless him with abundant encouragement and generosity in his priestly

 A full list of the clergy changes can be found HERE.

pax,

Father John Mosimann

Pastor