A Note From Our Parochial Vicar: April 26, 2026

As some of you know, May is dedicated to our Blessed Mother, Mary. It is sad that many do not understand nor see the need for the Blessed Mother. The truth is that while Jesus is the only One worthy of worship and adoration, Mary has a special part in our walk with her Son.

How? Jesus desires to share His work with everyone, in a way that shows God’s goodness and glory. What He shared with Mary is a unique intercession based on relationship. It was Mary who bore, fed, protected, nurtured and loved Jesus. Mary intimately knows Jesus. And because of that, she is the best model (along with St. Joseph) in loving and knowing Jesus.

The early church understood Mary’s importance. The earliest prayer to Mary entitled “Sub tuum Praesidium” or “Under your protection” dates to the 3rd century, only 200 years after Jesus’ Death and Resurrection. St. Irenaeus, an apostle of Polycarp who personally knew St. John, wrote about Mary’s special advocacy around the 2nd century. The catacombs where the Roman Christians hid and worshipped during persecution, have frescoes dedicated to the Mother of God. There are Eucharistic prayers that stem back to 225 A.D, speaking of Mary and her role in salvation. All of this to say that Mary has an important part in our lives! She wants you to know and love Jesus, and will be with you as a mother in your joys, sorrows, hopes and failures, as you come to know her Son.

I invite you as May approaches to grow in Marian devotion. I recommend praying the rosary daily, learning what our faith teaches about Mary and looking into Marian Consecration. Dedicating ourselves to the Blessed Mother is a powerful way of jumpstarting our faith life and it has potent fruits. I recommend looking into Fr. Michale Gaitley’s “33 Days to Morning Glory” or St. Louis Marie De Montfort’s “True Devotion to Mary.”

We do not worship Mary as Catholics but recognize and honor her role in saying “yes” to God. We rejoice that He has given her to us, as a face of mercy, maternal love and faith to guide us in this valley of tears.

God bless,

Fr. Ben