OK, you can mark us absent this weekend.

But, we have excuses! Both Fr. Dias and I are celebrating all the Masses at St. Ann’s Parish this Saturday and Sunday. Fr. Simchock is away, and part of the responsibility that falls to St Boniface Parish— with our new parochial vicar in place—includes offering help to neighboring parishes. Of course, we’re grateful that Fr. Fidelis is at hand to celebrate Mass in our absence.

However, we hope this weekend becomes about more than juggling priests around so that Mass can happen.

Remember a couple of weekends back, when Fr Dias arrived. The two of us (and on Sunday 11 a.m., the three of us) celebrated Mass today. I didn’t want just to throw him into the midst of presiding and preaching in a strange community, in a foreign land. He wanted to see how we do things here. That’s an important part of a priest’s introduction to a community. We want to watch and listen.

Now, we’re giving St Ann’s Parish the chance to watch and listen. In October, we’ll be linked parishes. Some of that linkage will involve the lives and ministries of all the faithful. We might combine committees, merge ministries, and share communications. Those are options—not absolute requirements. But, linked parishes are linked because they share the same priest personnel.

Happily, this weekend falls in a special time for St Ann’s—the annual novena to St Ann, Mother of the Blessed Virgin, Grandmother of Jesus Christ. For nine days, we pray (and I know many of us have prayed those prayers for many years) for the protection and prayers of that woman so dear to the heart of our Savior. During these novena days, let’s ask good St. Ann to pray for us all, as we strive to be the Church Christ calls us to be.

Good Saint Ann, Mother of her who is our life, our sweetness, and our hope, pray to her for us and obtain our requests!