Sixth Week of Easter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,  

As we reflect on the readings for this week, we are reminded of the profound gift that Jesus has given us in the Holy Spirit. Even though Jesus is no longer with us physically, Jesus has not left us on our own.  

In the gospel readings this week, Jesus speaks of the coming of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in His name. This Spirit will teach us everything and remind us of all that Jesus has said to us. Through the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to be witnesses to Christ in the world. 

The power of the Holy Spirit is beautifully illustrated in the early Christian community, as seen The Acts of the Apostles, which is completely driven by the Holy Spirit. The apostles preached the Good News with such power that many came to faith and were baptized. The Holy Spirit acted through apostles, inspiring them to boldly proclaim the Gospel and perform miraculous signs and wonders. When the apostles laid hands on the newly faithful, many received the gifts of Holy Spirit. 

As we reflect on these readings for this week, we need to know that evangelization is not something that we can do on our own. We need to let the Holy Spirit act through us and in us. When we share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others, we must do so with a deep awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence and guidance. We must be open to the Holy Spirit to use us as instruments of God’s grace and love. 

For 2023, Cardinal DiNardo has assessed our parish DSF goal at $85,000. DSF supports more than 60 ministries and programs that serve the faithful of the Archdiocese and us here at St. Hyacinth. Go to https://www.archgh.org/ways-to-give/diocesan-services-fund-dsf/donate-to-dsf/ to donate online.  

Next, thank you for your support and patience as we move back towards recovery. We are working diligently to get our systems back on track at the Church. Hopefully, by the time that this bulletin is written, we will have the phone systems up and running. In the meantime, we have moved our parish offices to Guyot Hall. We will be maintaining the regular parish office hours in Guyot Hall.  Please keep us in your prayers. 

Finally, I want to wish all the Mothers of St. Hyacinth a Happy and beautiful Mothers' Day. Please continue to pray for all those who have lost their own mothers from the past year. 

God Bless, 

Fr. Reginald Samuels