If St. John Henry Cardinal Newman was thought to be a notable behind-the-scenes influence on Vatican Council II, so was St Francis de Sales, especially regarding the Laity. De Sales was centuries ahead of his time in leading not just monks and nuns but everyone to sanctity, even those, such as soldiers or those at court, once thought beyond possibility. Hope was a hallmark in his guiding lay people to sanctity by a deep confidence in God through all of life’s trials:

Though not surprised, we were disappointed to learn that most of the undergraduates and graduates will not be returning in the fall. This is a great sadness for us at the Harvard Catholic Center, the parish, and for all the students involved. We continue to pivot in our plans for reaching out to those in our care as lovingly and effectively as we can.

We are especially grateful for your generous help during the initial phase of the 90-Days Now – For Your Parish initiative. As you know, 90-Days Now encourages parishioners to rally around their parish, or another parish of their choice, by making a special daily offertory commitment for the next 90 days. This effort is intended to supplement weekly offertory gifts, given the challenges of the current crisis. ALL FUNDS GO DIRECTLY TO OUR PARISH. The link is available by going to www.BostonCatholic.org/donate.

There is a lot of construction going on at St. Paul's this summer as we make restorations to our plaster work and Ascension of Jesus

Congratulations! We are very happy that ten of our First Communion children celebrate receiving the Lord in the Eucharist this Saturday. Thank you to their families for all their understanding as we figure things out during these pandemic days, and thanks especially to Faith Formation Director Catherine Barilleaux for all her great leadership. Congratulations boys and girls!! You remind us how precious Holy Communion is.

The liturgical calendar tells us that this is the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The world around us indicates that these times simply are not ordinary. If I could remind all of us that the best way to face the complications we face is by steeping ourselves in God’s own vision and view of the world. We do that first and best by quiet prayer, by reading the Scriptures and by meditating on, and when possible, receiving the sacraments. Then, the necessary actions which proceed from that commitment will serve one and all in the best way possible. It was good to begin the diocesan Year of the Eucharist last week, with Adoration and a fine reflection offered by our resident seminarian, Bobby LeBlanc. We look forward to making further plans and celebrations known as they are finalized.

This weekend we celebrate the great gift of self-sacrifice: Jesus’ own Body and Blood given to us in the Eucharist, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi (The Body and Blood of Christ.) In our Catholic understanding of this sacrament, we believe that it is Jesus wholly and truly present, human and divine. It is not a symbol, reference, or reminder, but truly Jesus Christ. This weekend we will also inaugurate, with the Archdiocese of Boston, the Year of the Eucharist. Sunday June 14, we will have a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration in the church from 4:00 PM-5:00 PM. You are welcome to attend (no reservation required.)

Starting Tuesday, June 16, 7 pm (CST) a discussion about Dante as Poet and Philosopher. This discussion is the first of a new series on Reason and Beauty in Renaissance Christian Thought and Culture.

The crime and tragedy of George Floyd's death has once again revealed the painful reality of injustice in our country. As Cardinal O'Malley has noted, it is "a narrative which has been repeated often and in multiple locations...but the African American community lives with the experience and memories of these deaths in an entirely different way." Our hearts are heavy for the suffering and outrage so many experience.

Blessed Pentecost to you all. The church is always being recreated anew, so we follow the Spirit’s lead! This weekend, we welcome parishioners back to St. Paul’s on Sunday, May 31 at 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM. We look forward to a reverent, patient, and safe re-opening of our Masses so that all may be served. Things will be very much changed in the next few months, at least, maybe even week by week, so we thank you for your flexibility. Thanks for helping us to do this well!

Please join us in supporting the Class of 2020 gift to the Harvard Catholic Center. Our collective gift will add a sign to the Arrow Street entrance. We've made our gift and we hope you will too. Thank you and God bless you. Ify Ogu, Sam Hand, Kevin Kearns.

As we know, life these days is changed, but not ended! Here is a list of things that you can expect when you return to St. Paul’s for Mass. We are so happy to have you back at Bow and Arrow Streets! As you will hear many times, we are grateful for your patience and flexibility as we find what works best (it may take at least a few weeks.) This could include requests for more volunteers, adjustments of communion procedures, entrance and exit practices, and may-be even change of Mass times and locations. The Archdiocese has made a video available with general norms, and I will offer one for Mass at St. Paul’s as well.

The Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Boston, Bishop Peter Uglietto (a Choir School graduate!), sent a letter to all pastors this week. In it, he reminded all of us that the sacramental and pastoral care of our people are of utmost concern, and that to do that effectively for the long run, we are committed also to following the guidelines of the civil authorities. Realistically, he noted, given the complexities and many decisions that have to be made regarding safe Mass attendance on the diocesan and local levels, it will probably not be an immediate return. The diocese has provided a useful outline of things that parishes should be thinking about, which we have begun to do with our staff.

The Harvard Catholic Center co-sponsors this Zoom event with the Lumen Christi Institute, Tuesday, May 19, 5:00 pm., CDT. This event is free and pre-registration is required. Click on the photo for more details.

On June 3, from 7:00pm to 8:30pm, join the Collegium Institute's Ars Vivendi Arts Initiative for a dynamic evening conversation via Zoom exploring Flannery O’Connor on the imagination, solitude, and the glorious oddities of life. This event is being Co-Sponsored by the Harvard Catholic Center and is free to the public. Click on the photo to register.

A collection of thoughts and photos of the Spring 2020 Undergraduate retreat with Sr. Ann Kateri (AB '99)

This week, we had a Finance Committee Meeting. Though we are always just keeping our head above water here, as compared to many, we have held our own in these hard days. A lot of this is due to many changing over to Electronic Giving. I can’t emphasize enough how helpful this is for now and for the future. Please make the step via the easy process on our website. I am also grateful to the handful of parishioners who have sent generous checks to help us over the hump, and to those who participated in the 90 Days Now initiative. These have all been hugely beneficial!

The month of May always has a sense of new life and hope attached to it. That is not only because spring is in the air, but also because it is a month which turns our minds and hearts to Our Blessed Mother in a special way. I encourage you to make a home shrine to Our Lady outside in a garden or in your house, and pray to her, or in a safe manner, to visit the chapels of Mary in our church. In these days, we certainly rely on her love.

I pray that you are well. The Easter accounts that we hear throughout April and May of Jesus appearing to His disciples in unexpected ways and in unexpected places can be a source of real hope for us. These days challenge us in many ways, and so it’s good for us to keep the eyes of our hearts and minds open and aware to His presence.

As we enter a new phase in the current situation, we are hoping to offer another opportunity for prayer. We will be inviting three people to join us for Adoration for and on behalf of the whole community. (Under the current norms, we are unable to open this invitation to the general public or post when it will take place, as no announcement of public services is allowed.) We are anticipating three times a week with three persons for each occasion. To volunteer, contact Nancy through email or a phone call and she can direct you to the sign-up process.