Today concludes the Paschal feast that began fifty days ago on Easter Sunday. In the gospel, Jesus gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit by breathing on the disciples. The gift of the Holy Spirit enables us to know that the gifts that God gives us are unique to us and we are called to use those gifts for the Glory of God. S. Paul reminds us that all gifts come from God. Instead of comparing our abilities and talents to those around us, let us focus on how we can use our gifts for the good of all. For this Sunday’s Mass we will sing the Pentecost sequence before the Gospel reading. Along with the Easter Sunday sequence, these sequences remain the only two mandatory parts of the liturgy that introduces the Gospel in the Catholic Church. The text of the sequence is an invitation for the Holy Spirit to enter our lives with practical manifestations of divine power and love. Next I want to thank everyone who has wished me well on the celebration of 14 years of Priesthood on May 30th. It has been a remarkable journey. Just remember, I have spent 11 of the 14 years of my priesthood as Pastor of St. Hyacinth.
Next, mark your calendar for August 19-20, 2023, for the celebration of the 58th 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. 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 28-30, 2023. To Register for AYC go to https://sthyacinth.org/archdiocesan-youth-conference-ayc . If you are interested in making an donation 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. Finally, we want to congratulate all our resent High school, and college graduates of our parish. We are proud of your accomplishments. To honor your achievements, we will have a special blessing next Sunday at 10:00 am Mass on June 4th for all our high school and college graduates. Please make sure that you bring your cap and gowns.