Around the Parish – June 1, 2025
Published on May 31, 2025
Pentecost and 40 Hours Devotion
Next Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, the powerful day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and set the Church ablaze with faith. We continue to pray that the same Holy Spirit will come upon our parish in a special way today. To mark this feast, I invite everyone to wear red next weekend—let’s fill the church with the color of fire as we ask the Spirit to ignite in us a burning love for Christ!
Next Sunday also begins our 40 Hours Devotion, a beautiful time of Eucharistic Adoration, prayer, and reflection. We welcome Father Ian McElrath, my seminary classmate, as our guest preacher for the three days. Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Fr. McElrath and to the visiting priests who will be with us for this time of spiritual renewal.
Sign-up sheets for Adoration are available in the main vestibule and online at ihmercer.org/40-hours. Let’s come together as a parish to adore our Lord truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.
Vacation Bible School
Registration for this summer’s Vacation Bible School is now open! You can register online through our parish website or pick up a paper form at the entrances of church. Let’s make this a great week for our children to grow in faith and fun! ihmercer.org/vbs
70th Anniversary Parish Cookbook
Don’t forget to submit your favorite recipes for our 70th Anniversary Parish Cookbook! This keepsake will be available by Christmas and will feature dishes from our own parish family. What a meaningful way to celebrate our community and share the love! To submit your recipe, visit ihmercer.org/cookbook or contact the parish office.
300 Club
We’re just a few weeks away from our first 300 Club drawing! Don’t miss your chance to be part of the excitement—purchase your ticket today and support the parish in a fun and meaningful way.
Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:
When someone helps you while they themselves are struggling—that’s not just help; that’s love.
Sometimes, the people we love can become like roses—beautiful, cherished, but painful to hold onto.
And if you’re searching for a perfect, faultless friend, you may end up walking alone.
Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy
The Power and Tradition of Mass Intentions
The Mass is considered the greatest prayer of intercession in the Church. This is because it is the perfect offering of Christ to the Father, making present the Paschal Mystery of His death and resurrection. Traditionally, a Priest may be requested to offer a Mass for a specific intention, even if the requester cannot be physically present.
Offering Masses for the Deceased:
Having a Mass offered for a deceased person is an ancient and commendable practice. A Mass is offered to pray for the departed, that they may find peace in heaven. Since each Mass holds infinite value, requesting one or several Masses is of tremendous benefit to the person prayed for, as well as their family, who can take comfort in knowing that their intention is united with the prayers of the Church.
The Mass: Center of Christian Life:
Every Mass is a precious gift from God. It is the center of the Church’s life, known as “the source and summit of the Christian life,” because in the celebration of the Mass, we are brought back to Jesus’ Last Supper, the first Mass. We consciously recall the love of God poured out for us through the life, death, and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ. At each Mass, all the intentions of God’s people, both living and deceased, are included. As Pope Paul VI noted in his motu proprio “Firma in Traditione,” the faithful, moved by an ecclesial and religious sense, join their own sacrifices to the Eucharistic sacrifice, participating more intensely and supporting the Church’s needs, especially its ministers.
Requesting a Mass Intention:
Anyone may request a Mass Intention for a living person, a deceased person, members of a family, or a special intention appropriate to the celebration of the Eucharist, such as World Peace, Vocations, or Respect for Life. The Church allows only one intention per Mass.
Offering a Mass Stipend:
The normal stipend offering for a Mass is $10. However, a Mass Offering can be more or less than the suggested amount, depending on the financial position of the person requesting the Mass. Envelopes for Mass intention requests are available at the entrances of the church. These envelopes can be placed in the collection basket or returned to the parish office. The requester may also ask for a card to be sent to notify someone that a Mass Intention has been requested (one card per intention). Please note that the name of the person(s) requesting the Mass is not announced.
