Pastor's Corner
A Message from Father Pat
THE YEAR OF SAINT PAUL
This weekend, the worldwide Church begins a year of celebration in honor of Saint Paul the Apostle, the patron saint of our Parish. Saint Paul is thought to have been born between the years 5 and 10 A.D., and the year 8 was selected as the “official” year of his birth for purposes of commemorating its 2000th Anniversary. The celebration starts this weekend because it coincides with the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29.
It would be hard to overstate the importance of Saint Paul in the history of salvation and of the Church. A very large portion of the New Testament was written by and about him. He and his companions were the first to bring large numbers of Gentiles—people other than Jews—into the Church, and to fight for their rights to equal access to Baptism and the other Sacraments. His reflections on who Jesus is, the reasons and means by which he saved us, our eternal destiny of life and union with God, and the ways in which we are called to live as Christians have shaped almost every aspect of our Christian belief and practice. His presence at the end of his life and martyrdom in Rome, together with that of Saint Peter, have led to the recognition of that City as the center of the Universal Church.
During this Year of Saint Paul, Christians throughout the world will be studying his life and writings, trying to apply his example and his teachings to our life in this modern world. Those of us who are members of a Parish dedicated to Saint Paul should make special efforts to learn from him what it means to be a Church community and what this should imply for our worship and our actions both within and beyond the Church.
Let us then celebrate and honor our Patron Saint and ask for his intercession as we try to learn from him and follow in his footsteps.