O Salutaris, Hostia
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Solemnity of Corpus Christi 6 June 2021 O Salutaris, Hostia St. Michael Catholic Church & School 708 St. Michael’s Lane Gastonia, NC 28052 This Week at St. Michael’ Sacred Liturgy Sunday, June 6 7:30 AM Holy Mass—For the People 8:00 AM Adult Choir Practice: G-Hall Corpus Christi 9:00 AM Spanish FF: All buildings 9:00 AM Holy Mass—† Remy Weber Jordan 10:30 AM St. Joseph Consecration 11:00 AM Holy Mass (Spanish)—Priest Intention Class: HFR 12:30 PM Spanish Dance Practice: Gym Monday, June 7 8:30 AM Holy Mass—† Albert & Pauline Monda 6:00 PM Confirmation Rehearsal: Ch 6:30 PM Legion of Mary: HFR 6:30 PM Regnum Christi: G-Hall 7: 00 PM K/C: PCH/K Tuesday, June 8 6:00 PM Holy Mass (Spanish)— Priest Intention 1:00 PM Cursillo 7:00 PM Spanish Emaús Group: PCH/ G-Hall Wednesday, June 9 4:45 PM Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 6:30 PM TSG: Gym 5:45 PM Benediction 7:30 PM Spanish Choir Practice: Ch 6:00 PM Holy Mass—† James Hodgkiss St. Ephrem 6:45 PM—7:30 PM Confessions Thursday, June 10 8:30 AM Holy Mass—SMCS Graduating Class 7:00 PM Spanish Catechists Mtg: of 2021 G-Hall Friday, June 11 6 AM—6 PM Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 7:00 PM Spanish Youth Group: G-Hall 8:30 AM Holy Mass—Richard Evarts The Most Sacred Heart 9:15 AM —10:15 AM Confessions of Jesus 5:00 PM—Spanish Confessions (Cry Room) Saturday, June 12 8:30 AM Holy Mass—Lay Dominicans 9:00 AM Spanish 1st Communion Set-Up: Gym 9:15 AM—11:00 AM Confessions 12:30 PM Spanish 1st Communion Reception: Gym The Immaculate Heart 11:00 AM Spanish 1st Communion Mass— of the Blessed Virgin Mary Priest Intention 4:30 PM Holy Mass—Rick & Igaitte Schilke Sunday, June 13 7:30 AM Holy Mass—† William & Rosemary 8:00 AM Adult Choir Practice: G-Hall 11th Sunday in Level 10:30 AM St. Joseph Consecration Ordinary Time Class: HFR 9:00 AM Holy Mass—For the People 12:30 PM Spanish Dance Practice: Gym 11:00 AM Holy Mass (Spanish)—Priest Intention Please Remember in your Prayers Fr. James Ebright, Sister Mary Olivia Shirley, Amy and We warmly children, Baria Estella Alvarado, Anna Ashworth, Joe welcome Bell, Joseph Berta, A. Bevendez, Marilyn Bickham, Tim Matthew Biddix, J Black, Beth Bradley, Jeffrey Brown, Kristy Brown, Mark Buettner, Jerry Carpenter, Eneida Dimock, Jr. Ceballos, Steven Cherry, Peggy Clark, Dakota, Hutch who has been Dow, Betty Dow, Gail Driscoll, Glenda Downey, Michael assigned for Durkee, Betsy Durkee, Elizabeth Eddie, Greg Edel, Nicholas Escandón, Jill Faille, Frances Ficke, Pete & summer ministry Rebecca Files, Shannon Frazer, Charlie Gallagher, Steve at our parish! Gnandt, Kathy Geoffroy, Penny Godwin, Aleyda Gómez, Shirley Hachey, Harold Harrison, Gwen Hart, Calvin Hebert, Dorothy Henley, Judy Horton, Jacob Huffman, Eric Hunter, Connie Hutter, Peggy Jacobs, Linda Johnson, Robin Johnson, Glenda and Brenda Jolly, Briceida Juya, Mary Kay, Holly Koloziejski, Dick & Kay Landry, Joann & Norman Loughmiller, Lucas Lowe, Stephanie Lowry, Jeff Lugo, Kent Lupton, Maureen Lupton, Doris McFee, Margaret Virginia McCoig, Tere Manjarrez, Rita Mascarenhas, Micheli Family, Milewski Family, Heather Monteleagre, Marion Moore, Wayne & Gloria Moore, John Moore, Linda Morlocci, Caleb Munson, Maile Munson, Lydia Munson, Myshkin Munson, Beckett Munson, MaryAnn For the whole parish! Murray, Kathy Olijnyk, Gerald Orazem, Mary Packard, Charles Pasour, David Peace, H. Pichardo, Ms. Paulie, CONSECRATION TO Amelia Parkes, Gretchen Prendeville, Finley Price, SAINT JOSEPH Patsy & Allen Queen, Ivo Raimundo, Maryely Rebolledo, Sue Ruocco, Bill & Jim Saluke, Gemma Sunday, June 20, 2021 Servin Vega, Maureen Setlock , Bette Shirley, Jim Sneska, at the 9 AM Mass Pat Splawn, Bob Stauss, James Michael Stoute, Cheryl (Father’s Day) Street, McKenzie Tapper, Julie Teague, Maerene Thomas, Tinsdale Family, Orlando Torres, Carolyn Webster, Liliana Wenger, Lisa Wilber, Willis Family, Altar Flowers Joyce Ziolkowski In Loving Memory of For all in service to our country: Matthew Barker, Michael P. Bernard, Jr., Derrick Remy Weber Jordan Dobbins, Andrew and Joseph Chase, Jeffrey Kaldah, Zach Kiefaber, Thomas Terrio, Stefan Zapata by Teresa Weber Sacrament of Reconciliation Schedule Wednesdays 6:45 PM—7:30 PM Fridays 9:15 AM—10:15 AM Saturdays 9:15 AM—11 AM Dear St. Michael Families, It is with the greatest of joy that I introduce myself as the Director of Evangelizaon of St. Michael Catholic Church! That I will have the privilege of advancing the mission of this great parish overwhelms me with gratude. Although a new beginning for me, it is in many ways the culminaon of a personal adventure that began almost 18 years ago. Raised in Gastonia, NC in a home located in the St. Michael neighborhood (just off Hillcrest Avenue), I grew up in the United Methodist tradion of my family. Confirmed a United Methodist in my youth at First UMC, Gastonia, I lapsed in my religious devoon for several years unl a new zeal for the Lord struck me in my early twenes. I became acve again in the only community and Chrisan tradion I knew and soon thereaer discerned a call to teach the Chrisan faith as a United Methodist pastor. Aer graduang from UNC-Chapel Hill (2000) and upon matriculang at Duke Divinity School (M. Div, 2003), I Encountered, for the first me in my studies, the treasuries of the Catholic tradion, an experience that sowed in me the seeds of a new desire that would develop and mature over me. Two years before taking my first appointment as pastor to a small Methodist community, a pivotal moment for me occurred. I came across The Story of a Soul by St. Thérèse of Lisieux. One Saturday aernoon, while sll a seminary student, I decided to pick it up and to read. As I turned each page, I slowly exposed the spiritual dynamite laden therein. Thérèse’s words detonated in my hands and set me on fire. St. Thérèse made me realize, for the first me, that I too should desire to become a saint, unthinkable for me beforehand, and she introduced me to the Mother I never knew I had: the Blessed Virgin Mary. I became enamored of Our Lady from that point forward, so much so that I, a United Methodist, began praying the rosary (in secret!) almost daily. In 2004 and while a new pastor, two years married to my wife Chrise, also a seminary graduate from Duke Divinity, I began exploring the possibility of becoming a Catholic in full communion. I consulted area priests about my dilemma. Roadblocks confronted me in every direcon. Aer my wife became pregnant with our first child in early 2005, I commied to be the Methodist pastor I believed God called me to be. Nevertheless, I plunged myself deeper into the Catholic intellectual tradion. The saints were my constant companions: John of the Cross, Catherine of Sienna, Thomas Aquinas, Augusne, and, of course, the Lile Flower. I prayed the Liturgy of the Hours, went to Adoraon and, despite one period of lapse, maintained my devoon to the Rosary. I was a Catholic in mind and desire. I wondered how I could also become Catholic in body and soul. Space here prohibits me from outlining all the details, but in 2019 the Catholic wave that started rising in me years before began cresng in April of that year. I consecrated myself to Our Lady according to the methods of St. Louis De Monort; my wife and two children converted to Catholicism soon thereaer; and through the encouragement of the priests of St. Mark Catholic Church in Huntersville, and in view of the divisions embroiling the Methodist denominaon, I knew the me was upon me. Yet, I loved my work. I loved the people I served; but my inner theological conflicts, which I had reconciled before, became impossible to ignore. Aending Mass with my new Catholic family strengthened my resolve. I needed to come home. Through the generosity of the people of Davidson United Methodist, the community of which I was the senior pastor, I took a paid leave in March of this year so that I might focus on the next chapter of my life. My conversion was no longer a maer of if, but of when. The quesons begged, however: Lord, what will I do? Lord, how will I provide for my family? Lord, I am afraid. The voice of the Lord only answered, “I’m calling you home.” Job or no job, I made a firm resoluon to take the step. My hunger and love for Jesus in the Eucharist exceeded my fears of the risks involved. When I saw in April the opening for the Director of Evangelizaon at St. Michael, and knowing it was in the neighborhood of my childhood, I threw cauon into the wind and applied. The more Fr. Rossi described the role, and the more I got to know Fr. Rossi himself, the more excited I became. There was one glaring issue: I needed to be fully Catholic. Aer consulng my wife, I requested the date of my full conversion to be the Feast of the Visitaon of Mary. A fing day, I thought. Mary rocked Elizabeth’s world with her presence, and she surely rocked mine. Thus, aer 18 years of waing, wondering, longing, and yes, even dodging, I am now in body and soul what I have been in mind: A Catholic in full communion. I am a Catholic for one fundamental reason, a reason that will drive my work as the Director of Evangelizaon at St.