Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

Let me renew an exhortation that I share from time to time, because we can all use a reminder. I grew up living in a court and the unwritten law of the land was that you didn’t park in front of your neighbor’s house. This seems to be a ’suburbs thing.’ I do recall how annoyed I was when folks parked in front of our house. Sometimes it seemed intentional, like when there was a spot open in front of their own house. I had to learn to ‘offer it up,’ as we all learn to deal with being human and annoying one another.

Ok, now St. Mary’s. We are surrounded on all sides by a residential neighborhood. And as good neighbors, we must be aware that our parking needs can and sometimes do annoy our neighbors. If you worry that you can’t go to the store on weekends because there will be no parking near your home when you return, yeah…. that is difficult.

There are times when our parking spills out into the neighborhood, and becomes a pain point for our neighbors. As pastor I have tried to address that in part by adding Masses at Holy Cross Academy, especially on our most congested days. We have the tradition of celebrating Easter at the Expo Center. And the City recently added spaces along William Street to help with extra parking.

Additionally, sometimes we are so full of the Holy Spirit at the end of the Mass that we want to fly…. and we fly out of the parking lot with the speed of the eagles. We must not drive through residential side- streets in a manner that is not safe. There have been accidents on William Street!

What can we all do?

1. Please use the parking lot as much as possible. Many folks park along other residential streets when there are still plenty of parking spaces in the lot (obviously b/c it allows for a quicker departure and not having to deal with the lot).

2. When you do park on residential streets, be sure that you are parking where it is permitted! For example, weekday parking is residential only on certain streets. Law enforcement has a duty to ticket this behavior and often does!

3. When you encounter neighbors, remember that you represent Jesus and His Catholic Church!

4. When you drive on residential streets, especially Stafford Avenue, remember this is a neighborhood with children at play.

Let’s be good neighbors, as charity begins with the Lord, and continues as we exit the parking lot and into all of our daily lives.

pax,

Father John Mosimann

This week I am ceding my bulletin note space to Fr. Didier Manseh, the pastor of Notre Dame de la Médaille Miraculeuse of Ahepe, Togo, Africa. This is the home parish of our very own Late Lawson Drackey who works here at St. Mary’s! Several years ago he informed us of storm damage that had nearly destroyed the church in his home town.

Over the last two years, by your generosity, we have sent funds to facilitate the repairs. This week we received the grateful news I share with you below.

pax,

Father John Mosimann

Dear Reverend Father Mosimann,

It is with a great joy that I come to announce to you that we have resumed the celebrations in our new old church. All the honor of this achievement goes to God the Almighty Father, to the Saint Mary Immaculate Conception of Fredericksburg families, to your gratitude and to the devotion of your wonderful staff.

We still have work to do, but we are sure that we are no longer at the mercy of the weather.

On behalf of all the parishioners of Notre Dame de la Médaille Miraculeuse of Ahepe, on behalf of the parish committee and on my own behalf, I would like to say thanks for all you have done for us.

God Bless.

It has been three years since I last offered this, but it is time to bring back the Married Couples Retreat!!

You may know the old saying, “the couple that prays together, stays together”, but what does that practically mean in our busy lives? Some families are committed to praying the rosary together – wonderful! The Sacrament of Marriage is a man and a woman growing every day deeper in love by giving their lives to one another. This is an incredibly enriching gift, because in giving ourselves away we discover a love beyond imagining.

To that purpose, each year (prior to COVID) I offered a retreat for married couples, dedicated to the formation and spiritual growth of their marriage, Teams of Our Lady. The format of the retreat includes short talks, lectio divina, and discussions that provide an opportunity for couples to pray together and deepen their mutual understanding.

Oh Nooooooo!!!!! I didn’t write about the 4th of July last week! And I LOVE this holiday! Next to Christmas, this was my favorite holiday as a child! So Happy [belated] Fourth of July! Do we have a duty to our love our country? Yes. Why?

One way to consider patriotism is found in having a proportionate love of country as the specific community where the Lord has given me life, support, and opportunity. It is no wonder that the Catechism of the Catholic Church touches upon it in paragraphs about the fourth commandment to honor father and mother:

In our brothers and sisters we see the children of our parents; in our cousins, the descendants of our ancestors; in our fellow citizens, the children of our country; in the baptized, the children of our mother the Church; in every human person, a son or daughter of the One who wants to be called “our Father.” CCC 2212.

Human families, parishes, cities, and nations are made up of persons. These communities are an expression of the loving providence of God.

The love and service of one’s country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity. CCC 2239

I think sometimes of an account written by a Catholic convert from atheism, Jennifer Fulwiler. Her objections to faith melted the more she contemplated that her love for her family had to be more than just chemical reactions in a highly evolved, but meaningless arrangement of matter.

Because we have encountered uncreated love, through created beings, we owe to them a veneration of gratitude and respect. To love our families, parishes, city, and country does not mean that we are blind to faults. It is because we love that we can strive to improve every level of society.

Why do I love America? Because Jesus commanded me to “Love the Lord God with your whole heart, mind and soul; and love your neighbor as yourself.”

I hope you enjoyed the holiday. God Bless America.

pax,

Father John Mosimann