May 6, 2026

Heavenly Father, we come to you with humble hearts, asking for your mercy upon all mankind. Let your peace flow through nations, across borders, and into every home. Calm the storms of hatred, silence the drums of war, and replace pride with compassion.

Heal our broken world. Let us not grow tired of praying, hoping and believing. May we, in our little ways, be instruments of your peace and love.

Amen.
~ St. Padre Pio


Dear Parishioners,

While we cannot all be missionaries to distant lands, we are all called to take the hope of the Gospel message to those around us.

We know that evangelizing is never easy, for we are never sure how others will respond. When Philip first went to Samaria, he was by no means guaranteed a positive reception. This was shortly after the martyrdom of Stephen and the beginning of the first persecution of the early Church. Philip had escaped to the northern province and found himself among the Samaritans, a mixed-race group who expected the Messiah but were considered heretics by the Jews. As our first reading tells us, there he proclaimed Christ and by his authentic witness won over the people. Through Philip’s ministry people were healed and came to faith, and the Scripture tells us that there was great joy in that city. 

Yet the power he drew on was not his own but the promised presence of the Spirit of truth, the Advocate, promised by Jesus in today’s Gospel to all who love him and keep his word. Jesus promises us in today’s Gospel that he will not leave us orphans. Like Philip, we will never have to toil alone: The promised Spirit will be there to give us courage and strength so we can share about the hope we have in Christ with joyful hearts.

So how do we effectively share the Gospel with others? Writing to the early Church, Peter advises all believers to be prepared for those moments when they will have to explain their hope and faith. His advice is as valid for us today as it was then. To have our explanation ready we first need to know our faith, which requires both ongoing prayer and faith formation, especially Scripture study. Fellowship and sharing are excellent ways to deepen that knowledge and to help us find the words to share our faith with others. But as Saint Peter cautions, our words must be given with gentleness and reverence, not allowing ourselves to be embroiled in arguments, for how we convey the Good News is as important as the words we use. 

But whatever words we use, evangelization also depends deeply on how we lead our lives. If we keep Christ’s commandments, we offer a compelling witness to the Gospel we proclaim.  

Finally, let us not be discouraged, even if we think we have fallen short or believe we have not been the best models of Christian living. Because we can trust that it is the Spirit who will work in the hearts of others, we can safely leave the results of our efforts in the hands of the Spirit. 

God Love Ya!
Fr. Reilly

Happy Mothers’ Day! Please know that all of our mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, and aunts will be remembered in a special way this weekend as Mass is offered for them.




The Alleluia is really a processional song. It is sung for as long as the procession continues and we stand for that procession so that we can greet Jesus, the perfect Word of the Father as he is solemnly proclaimed in the gospel. The song of praise, the Alleluia, is an acclamation of Easter joy. It is always sung. In fact, if for some reason the Alleluia cannot be sung, it is suggested that it not be recited but simply omitted. The Alleluia is used as preparation for the gospel. It serves as our greeting of the Lord who is about to speak to us in the gospel. It is actually a song that accompanies the procession to the place where the gospel will be proclaimed. Alleluia is a composite word from the Hebrew. “Hallel” meaning praise; “lu” is a shortened form for the Hebrew word for people and “ia” is a shortened form of the word for God, “Yahweh.” Saint Augustine said it best: “We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song,”



Next Thursday, is Ascension Thursday, a holyday of obligation. Mass will be celebrated Wednesday at 4:30 PM as well as Thursday at 8:30, 10:00 AM and 12:10 PM.

Please join us!



Our annual Manna Food Drive is here! Manna bags will be available this weekend, May 10-11. 

Please return your filled Manna bag of non-perishable food to our church library no later than Sunday, May 17. You may also use your own paper, plastic or reusable shopping bags (please be mindful of heavy bags breaking).

The recipient of this year’s Manna Drive will be St. Agnes Day Room. Items in greatest need are the following canned items: beef stew, tuna fish, fruit, vegetables, soup and beans (red, black, pinto).  

Thank you for your generosity in supporting our neighbors in need!