Dear Parishioners and Friends,

On the initiative of Pope Paul VI, the Fourth Sunday of Easter is designated the Day of Prayer for priestly, diaconal, religious and consecrated vocations, namely, the vocation to life with Christ, in Christ and through Christ.
It is easy to see that more and more baptized people have problems with recognizing their own vocations and taking responsibility for them. This concerns not only the difficulty of making a life-long decision, namely the discovery of a specific vocation – marriage, priesthood or consecrated life, but above all, it is the difficulty of realizing the fundamental vocation of being called to holiness.
This weekend is very important for our parish. Our parish St. Constance School celebrates its 100th anniversary. Today we thank God for the parents, teachers, educators, catechists, sponsors and patrons of the school. You all have profound influences on vocations and the preparation of children in choosing a profession and direction to continue learning. It is thanks to you that we have reached this beautiful jubilee. We thank God for the children and young people who are currently attending our school. Today we also express our gratitude to God for all our school graduates who serve as priests, lawyers, doctors, teachers, and other professionals in various parts of the United States, who carry God in their hearts to those with whom they work. Today I greet those who came from near and far for the Jubilee celebrations. May this gathering be an occasion to deepen your relationship with your beloved school and parish of St. Constance. We invite you more often on different occasions and non-special occasions. I congratulate the Principal, Eva Panczyk, the school board, the teachers and the entire committee for the beautiful preparation of the Jubilee Celebration. After the 100th anniversary of the parish, I am pleased that God has allowed me to look forward to the next 100th anniversary of the school. A parish without a school is like one without soul. I wish and pray for the Lord’s blessing upon St. Constance School for many years to come.
We need deep reflection to understand God’s call, which is addressed to each of us. This reflection is necessary to hear and accept God’s call within our hearts and lives. This has concrete implications for our Christian life. It is very important for us to continually strengthen our relationship with Christ the Good Shepherd, and always, in all circumstances of our lives, whether we are on “calm waters” or whether we are going through “the dark valley.” Today’s Sunday invites us to a special prayer for priests. The priest leads us to eternal life, the way through the living gate – Jesus Christ.
Therefore, let us encircle our priests with prayers and entrust their ministry to Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd. Let us also pray for the growth of vocations to the priesthood. The point is so, that Christ will have enough shepherds for His flock, otherwise it will suffer due to neglect and even be scattered.
God bless!