My dear parishioners of St. Rosalie,

 
      I was truly blessed to have my first Masses at St. Rosalie on our patronal feast of St. Rosalie, to lead the rosary and walk in the annual procession in St. Rosalie’s honor, and to be welcomed with a fantastic spaghetti dinner.
      A special words of thanks go to so many who made the feast and welcome so memorable: to all those who donated the beautiful flowers which made our parish church so beautiful; to those who provided the donuts and biscuits after the 8:00 a.m. Mass; to all those who planned and executed the procession and the welcome spaghetti dinner; especial thanks to the men who carried the statue of St. Rosalie through the nearby parish neighborhood and to all who braved the extreme heat and gave witness to their faith and love of St. Rosalie on her feast and Our Blessed Lady on her birthday by walking in the procession and praying the rosary; and to those who spent quiet time in Church in prayers and adoration during the procession.
      Let’s remember the intentions of the Procession and Adoration for which we prayed during the Feast:
 

God’s Mercy
Peace in our Families
Personal Needs
Healing of Body and Spirit for the Sick
Good Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life
The Intentions of our Holy Father, Pope Francis
The Poor
The Homeless
The Unemployed
And may I add:
Our Parish Family

 
      Would it be possible for your family during a moment of family prayer each day to continue with the intentions of the St. Rosalie Procession and Adoration?  As one spiritual writer once said: “Prayer is our strength and God’s weakness.”
      Remember, too, that prayer is not only talking to God but also very importantly listening to God speak to us in the silence of our hearts, through the reading of sacred scripture, and in the prayers and readings of the Mass.
      May God bless us, all, in our efforts to be holy, to be saints, and to build up His Kingdom here on earth.
 
Fr. Mark