Pastor’s Corner

I. Welcome Fr. Jamie Dennis! Newly ordained on May 28th, with Deacon Basileo Az Cuc, Fr. Jamie will arrive Tuesday, June 14th, to be the parochial vicar (assistant pastor) at Saint Stephen Cathedral. Before I realized there would be a change of assistants here, I have previously planned to be away from noon on Monday, the 13th, to noon on Thursday, the 16th this week. Fr. Jamie will be in good hands with Fr. Suneesh!

II. Welcome Donna Tarantino! On June 1st, Donna Tarantino, Director of Ministries and Volunteers, joined the pastoral team at St. Stephen. The main focus of this new position, recommended by the Finance Committee when I first arrived at the Cathedral, is to oversee Time, Talent, and Treasure for our growing parish. Give Donna a Cathedral welcome as she becomes acquainted with Owensboro and our parish community!

III. Collection for Habitat for Humanity: we have committed $3,000.00 to this Outreach ministry before the end of this fiscal year, June 30. To date we have collected $1,969.00. If you would like to contribute toward this worthy cause, make checks payable to Saint Stephen Cathedral, and put Habitat for Humanity in the memo line. Thanks!

IV. Your Faith has Saved you! Pharisees invited Jesus; sinful woman; bathe his feet with her tears; wiped them with her hair; kiss them—key words and phrases in today’s Gospel, Luke 7:36-8:3. The Gospel depicts two very different ways of relating to Jesus. Simon the Pharisee relates to Jesus as a one-time visitor, maintaining only a surface relationship, having no power to change him. The “sinful woman” relates to Jesus as an intimate, avowing an underlying relationship that transforms her. Jesus reveals the depth of her transformation: “Your faith has saved you.” What is my/your relationship to Jesus? What does Jesus say to me/you?

V. Gratitude Gathering: in thanksgiving for his three years of pastoral service to the people of Saint Stephen Cathedral, you are invited to thank Fr. Suneesh publicly on Saturday, July 16th, after the 5:00pm Mass. Save the date! More information to follow!

O most holy heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love you, and with lively sorrow for my sins, I offer you this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure, and wholly obedient to your will. Grant, Good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, your bles-sing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death.  Amen.