Fourteenth Week In Ordinary Time

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ 

In our readings this week, we are witnesses to the prophet Ezekiel who God sends to the people. The people, however, are not too keen on the words that comes from the prophet. It is only through the power of the Spirit that Ezekiel can raise up and go out to do God’s work.  The prophet’s responsibility is to God’s call. He cannot force people to receive God’s word. God has given humankind free will. Just like Ezekiel, we are called to persist, preach and teach in spite of the situation we are in. 

Jesus himself returns to this hometown of Nazareth and faces opposition. Jesus recognizes that his preaching is radical and most of the people of his time could not handle it. Moreover, Jesus persisted and continued to preach, teach, heal and bless. We too must move beyond opposition to the will of God. 

Preparation and registration has begun for the Archdiocesan Youth Conference (AYC) which gathers participants from all over the local Church. AYC is the largest evangelizing event for older adolescents that the Archdiocese hosts annually. The youth conference will be held at the Hilton Americas Hotel on July 26-28, 2024. To Register for AYC go to  AYC 2024 (swoogo.com). If you are interested in donating towards the AYC scholarship fund to help a youth of our parish attend who are unable to afford the full price, it would be GREATLY appreciated.

Next, mark your calendar for August 18, 2024 for the celebration of the 59^th anniversary of our parish. Planning has already begun for the celebration of our parish with, food, fun and prizes. We will have further details as the weeks go by on how we can make the celebrations of our parish a wonderful event for the church and community. 

I do want to address the approximately the over 1000 registered families here at STHY that we have no record of your giving to the Church. We do acknowledge that many are giving to the Church through the weekend collection; however, STHY needs you start moving toward electronic giving. Go to https://www.sthyacinth.org/online-giving to sign up and give online. 

The National Eucharistic Congress is a historic event that will celebrate the gift of Christ’s love in the Eucharist. The Congress will take place on July 17-21, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The National Eucharistic Congress is the first congress of its kind in America since 1976. The United States has not held a Eucharistic Congress at the national level since before WWII.

The National Eucharistic Congress is expected to draw at least 80,000 Catholics of all ages from across the country. 

A Eucharistic Congress is an especially powerful manifestation of the unity of the Church, where a large number of Catholics gather to worship the Lord in the Eucharist through the communal celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. These gatherings reaffirm and re-emphasize the source and summit of our faith, putting Jesus at the center.

I have been invited along with members throughout the archdiocese and State to attend this conference. I ask for your prayers as we move to celebrate Our Lord in the Eucharist. 

God Bless,

Fr. Reginald Samuels