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From the Pastor's Desk (10/26/25)
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From the Pastor's Desk
10/26/25
"Be Merciful to Me, a Sinner"
On this Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus continues his instruction on prayer today with the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector in the Gospel of Luke (18:9-14). Christ places special focus on those who pride themselves on their own righteousness — the nemesis of prayer. “Righteousness” is a recurring theme in the Gospel of Luke, and will lead to the kind of contempt that Jesus himself will experience at the hands of Herod. As a result, Christ’s words should come as no surprise. The Pharisee — the poster boy of self-righteousness — totally lacks any sense of sin. While he may not be greedy, dishonest or adulterous, he is prideful, judgmental, grandiose, vain, conceited, haughty, arrogant, boastful and uncharitable. There is plenty wrong that needs contrition and confession. The paradox lies in the way that the Pharisee prides himself in not being “like the rest of humanity.” In this way, the Pharisee disassociates himself with Jesus who deliberately identified himself with sinners. Unfortunately, the Pharisee failed in his attitude toward God. He believed that he had run up a formidable credit-balance with God. Therefore, he forgot God in his debt. Secondly, he failed in his attitude towards others in his life. He was lacking in humility, the soil in which all other virtues flourish. In this man we see everything that Jesus challenges us not to be: an arrogant, self-reliant, complacent sinner. The Pharisee made no room for God in his life.
Saint Carlo Acutis Prayer Service
This evening at 6:30 PM, I will be participating in a special prayer service with Fr. Celestine, Fr. Gilbert and members of our Middle & High School Youth Ministry, as we celebrate the life of newly canonized Saint Carlo Acutis. We will gather in Our Lady of Fatima Church for Adoration, prayer, song and reflection. May Saint Carlo pray for us, especially for the youth and young adults of our parish community.
All Saints Day, All Souls Day and the Annual Memorial Mass
This year, All Saints Day (November 1) falls on a Saturday, therefore, it is not a Holy Day of Obligation in 2025. All Souls Day (November 2) happens to fall on a Sunday this year, which means we will not have the opportunity to celebrate the 6:30 AM procession and prayer service at Mt. Olivet Cemetery as was done in the past. Our Sunday Masses (all eight of them) take precedence over any other liturgical celebration on that day this year. The procession and prayer service at Mt. Olivet will return in 2026, when All Souls Day doesn’t fall on a Sunday. Finally, the annual All Souls Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Monday, November 3, at 6:30 PM, at St. Frances Cabrini Church. At this special Mass, we will remember all parishioners buried from our parish over the last year.
Intentional Discipleship Cohort
During these three weeks, eighteen of your brother and sister parishioners are in the midst of the Intentional Disciples Cohort on Tuesday evenings. They are taking this opportunity to learn more about the transmission of our Catholic faith – that is not just about passing on an inherited religious identity – instead, it flows from the experience of lived discipleship in Christ. They learning about this from Dr. Sherry Weddell of the Catherine of Siena Institute, who firmly reminds all in this dynamic program that the call to evangelization cannot be separated from the necessity of intentional discipleship. Deepening our faith in Jesus, sharing the Good News with others, and building a dynamic parish is the focus of this experience which I am blessed to be introducing to our participants in this cohort. As Dr. Weddell reminds us, “Discipleship is the necessary seedbed without which Christian vocation of any kind cannot germinate and grow. Our parishes need to become places where it is normal for adult Catholics to ask, ‘what is God calling me to do?’”
Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion
I would like to invite parishioners to consider joining our current Ministry of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. This is an important liturgical ministry not only in our parish, but throughout the Diocese of Pittsburgh. The ministry and service of the EMHC enriches the spiritual life of the parish by ensuring access to the Eucharist, reaching the sick at home, in hospitals and nursing facilities, and by fostering active participation at Mass among the laity. Potential EMHC candidates should be sincere Catholics, persons known for their goodness, who seriously follow and live our faith. They should be at ease with other people. They must be at least 21 years old, fully initiated into the Catholic Church having received the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist; of sufficient Christian maturity; be a registered member of Mary, Queen of Saints Parish; and with a character and way of life that reflects a serious and well-informed faith and moral commitment. They must have all of the necessary Safe Environment Clearances required by the Diocese of Pittsburgh. They should be persons who foster their own devotion to the Eucharist by participating fully at Mass and show an example to the rest of the faithful by their reverent and prayerful manner. If you feel called to this ministry, please contact Judi Dalton in the Parish Office at 724-775-6363 EX 101. A meeting for interested candidates will be scheduled in the coming weeks, and training will be provided.