The Pastor's Pen
October 4, 2026
On a Worldwide Level:
8th Centenary of the Death of St Francis of Assisi: “Il Poverello,” or little poor one of Assisi, even on the 800th anniversary of his death, which we observe this weekend, is still found in surveys to be among the most beloved of all the saints. Perhaps it is his profound appreciation and praise for all God’s creation, and his consequent association with love of animals that attracts so many people to him. It is unlikely that his espousal of “lady poverty,” which Francis himself would consider the great achievement of his life, and the spiritual core of the movement he initiated, is either well understood nor all that palatable to the majority of people in today’s very materialistic culture and world. Yet it was in embracing a radical material poverty that Francis of Assisi experienced the freedom which allowed him to establish an intense relationship with Jesus Christ, and that is a lesson that he is ready to teach any who would dare ask him by studying his life! As we remember his passing, let us contemplate a quote from him that invites us to focus upon our own inevitable departure from this world: “Keep a clear eye toward life’s end. Do not forget your purpose and destiny as God’s creature. What you are in his sight is what you are and nothing more. Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing that you have received…but only what you have given; a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.”
Service of the Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi – immediately following the 4 PM Mass this weekend. Blessing of the Animals: leashed, caged, and otherwise safely restrained animals will be blessed on this Sunday at noon. Please gather with your pets near the statue of St. Francis on the lawn in front of the Rectory to the left of the playground.
On A National Level:
Respect Life Sunday/Respect Life Month: The first Sunday in October is always observed as Respect Life Sunday in the Dioceses throughout the United States. This then inaugurates a month of contemplation and prayer in regard to the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. Given the recent legislation in the State of Massachusetts eliminating any restrictions on abortion even up to the point of birth – we appreciate that such contemplation and prayer is more than a simple nicety; it is in truth an urgent necessity! Let us be challenged by the truth expressed by the late St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who said, “ Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love but to use any violence to get what they want!” Indeed, abortions sought for actual physical threats to the life of the mother account for a mere 1.7% of all abortions in the United States. Those sought for serious fetal abnormalities are only 1.2%, and other physical health concerns are another 2.2%, which means that nearly 95% of abortions sought in our country are abortions on demand, sought because the pregnancy is simply unwanted, indeed, considered inconvenient for a variety of social or economic reasons. So Mother Teresa is quite correct in her critical moral assessment that we as a nation are teaching people that it is perfectly all right to destroy another human life to enhance one’s own! When boiled down to that frighteningly immoral principle, all talk about reproductive freedom and the right to choose loses any persuasive force, as we are not free to take a life no matter how dependent it may be to make life easier for ourselves. It may be an inconvenient and unwelcome truth in our day, but in reality , freedom of choice is properly exercised only regarding whether or not to engage in activity that is by its very nature and divine design potentially reproductive! Once a human life is conceived and growing, we have only to respect and protect it! So let us pray for a moral reawakening in our nation and world so that human life will again be regarded for what it is, sacred.
On A Diocesan Level:
Called By Name Sunday: Once again, Bishop DaCunha is asking us to identify and then share the names of faithful young men of high school age or older who appear dedicated to the faith and who may be open to the possibility of one day becoming priests. To submit a name, please fill out one of the cards found in the pews this weekend and return it to the parish office. You may also visit fallrivervocations.org/calledbyname to submit a name. Sharing an older teen or young adult man’s name is a way to honor him for his dedication to the faith and ensure that he will receive resources and support to pray about and discern his vocation. Men named in this initiative will receive a letter of encouragement from Bishop DaCunha, an invitation to a special dinner with the bishop and seminarians in December, and ongoing support from the Vocations Office. You may include names you have already submitted in previous years, which will serve to keep them on the current list to be created. Thank you for your participation in this Important campaign.
On A Parish Level:
Missionary Cooperative: Please welcome among us this weekend Fr. Nicholas Ochieng CP, a Passionist Priest who will speak about his order’s work in Kenya.
We Are Family Campaign Challenge: With one week to go until Columbus Day Weekend, we have already raised $69,340 from 147 families toward the goal of $100,000, which is promised to be matched by generous parishioners if received by October 12th. So if you can make your pledge or donation in the coming week, it may well be doubled if received by this deadline! Thanks to all who have already given to this campaign, which will help us address the work that construction of the Pantry Storage / Parish Library Project has revealed needs to be done.
The Gospel of Matthew: A Deeper Dive: With the expertise of Dr. Brant Pitre to instruct us, we will explore the major themes and unique perspectives found in St. Matthew’s Gospel before the end of Year A of the 3 year cycle of Sunday Scripture in which this particular gospel is read. Class will be held on Sunday evening immediately following the 5:30PM Mass and on Monday at 9:15 AM immediately following the 8:30AM Daily Mass. Let us show our critics that we as Catholics are also serious about understanding the Bible!
Big Winner Next Sunday: Our Summer Raffle will conclude with the drawing at noon on next Sunday, October 11th, in the parish hall. Thus, someone will have an additional $5,000 in their bank account should their name be drawn for first prize. A substantial second and third prize will also be drawn , as well as several smaller prizes. Chances will be sold after the 10:30 Mass next Sunday until the drawing at noon; those who will not be present and wish to be included should be sure their stubs have been returned to the parish office by Saturday, October 10th. Good luck to all who have participated!
Upcoming Opportunities to Experience A Cursillo Retreat:
Men’s Cursillo – October 22-25, 2026 / Women’s Cursillo – November 19-22, 2026
September 27, 2026
800th Anniversary of the Death of St. Francis of Assisi: On the evening of Saturday, October 3, 1226, Giovanni di Pietro di Bernadone, born in 1182, breathed his last in a humble hut proximate to the beloved Chapel of the Portiuncula, a place central to the most meaningful chapter of his life, the last 20 of his 44 years. Nicknamed “Francesco” by his father early in his life, that is the name by which he would be widely known in association with Assisi, the town in Umbria in Northern Italy in which he lived most of his life. It was two decades earlier, in a dispute with his Father, a well-to-do cloth merchant, that Francesco stripped himself of all his clothing in the Assisi Town Square and handed it back to his father, saying that from then onward he would call only God his father. This began a life of ever greater renunciation of material possessions and comforts, living life as a beggar dependent on the charity of others as Francesco preached by word and by example a total trust in the providential care of God. At the time of his death, St. Francis had a band of followers bound to a rule of life and had also established a community of religious women in cooperation with his friend and spiritual companion, Chiara Offreduccio, commonly known as St. Clare. There was also a third order of lay associates, some royalty among them, who put Franciscan principles into practice in their everyday lives, detaching themselves from their wealth and sharing it generously with the poor. St. Francis had certainly shaken the comfort of his day from their spiritual sleep, beginning at Assisi yet spreading far beyond there as well. Having miraculously received the stigmata of Christ in 1224, Francis suffered the pain of these wounds in his hands, side, and feet, all the while losing his eyesight and enduring the physical diminishments which resulted from years of extreme fasting and other ascetic and penitential practices. Thus, when his final illness assaulted him, Francis did not have much physical stamina with which to fight back and resigned himself to graciously and peacefully welcome “Sister bodily death” as a friend and guide to lead him home to God. Asked to be stripped of all clothing and laid on the ground to bear witness that he had emptied himself of all attachments to anything in this world, Francis asked his closest followers to sing the Canticle of the Creatures, which he had composed in 1224, and then he breathed his last in the midst of reciting the words of Psalm 142:
I cry out to you, Lord,
I say, You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.
Listen to my cry for help,
for I am brought very low.
Rescue me from my pursuers,
for they are too strong for me.
Lead my soul from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.
Then the righteous shall gather around me
because you have been good to me.
Celebration of the Transitus (Passage) of St. Francis of Assisi: On Saturday evening, October 3rd, 2026, the 8th Centenary of his death, we will prayerfully recall the passing of St. Francis of Assisi with this traditional liturgical service celebrated immediately following the 4 PM Mass. We invite you to gather in the pews in the transept closest to the choir area. Following the service, which will not last more than 30 minutes, you are invited to partake of some light refreshments in the Religious Education section of the Parish Complex, at which almond cookies will be served as customary. According to tradition, Francis himself requested these cookies as a final treat shortly before his death from his friend, the Lady Jacoba, who had first made them for him when he met her in Rome while there to request Papal approval for his order. Let us prayerfully remember this most beloved of saints and trust that in turn he will remember us when our own passage from this world is inevitably upon us!
Blessing of the Animals: On Sunday, October 4th, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the traditional Blessing of the Animals will take place. Dogs should be leashed, and cats kept in crates, and other pets appropriately restrained from interacting with other animals for the blessing, which will take place in front of the St. Francis statue on the grassy area to the right of the front entrance to the Rectory.
Adult Formation – the Gospel of St. Matthew: In Cycle A of the three year cycle of Sunday Mass readings, the Gospel of St. Matthew is heard. Before this cycle concludes on the 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time, let us review what we have heard with the aim of a deeper understanding of the message of this important Apostle and Evangelist. A class will be held on Sunday evenings at 6:30 PM following the 5:30 PM Mass and on Monday mornings at 9:15 AM following the 8:30 AM Mass. The class will be approximately 50 minutes in length and may require 6 sessions scheduled over the coming weeks.
Only Two Weeks to Go: The drawing for the grand prize of $5000, along with a substantial second and third prize and several other smaller prizes as well, will take place at noon on Sunday, October 11th in the parish hall. You don’t have to be present to win, but you do have to have a stub or two or more in the drum to have a chance to win! Now is the time to purchase your chances and return your stubs so as to avoid the last-minute rush! Books of chances, which are $20 each or 3 for $50, are available at the entrances to the church; be sure to return the stubs in the basket next weekend or to the parish office by Saturday, October 10th! Good luck!
September 20, 2026
When You Pray, Say?: The disciples were insecure about how they should pray so they asked Jesus to teach them, and as a result we have what we know as the Lord’s Prayer. Yet in truth we have a translation of that prayer which comes to us from the early translations of the New Testament from Greek and Latin into English in the 15th century, and these may not be as precise as we may have thought. That became clear last Sunday when we read the Parable of the Merciless Servant and came to appreciate the connection between that parable and this prayer, as its lines actually refer to “debts” owed and forgiven rather than trespasses. But if we look further, we will find other subtle differences that are worth contemplating, as they may help to deepen the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer for us.
According to language experts, this is a more accurate translation of the Lord’s Prayer into English from the original Greek;
Father of ours, the one in the heavens, let your name be held holy (be sanctified)
Let your kingdom (reign) come.
Let your will come to pass on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our supersubstantial bread,
and cancel us our debts as we also cancel the debts of our debtors.
And do not bring us into a time of trial (testing), but rescue us from the evil one! Amen
The familiar doxology, as in “ For thine is the kingdom, etc. “ is absent in original versions; this was added as the Lord’s Prayer was prayed in the early Christian liturgies and so found its way into some early versions of the New Testament Scripture. So when we look at the original version of the Lord’s Prayer a few things do stand out; we are not praying simply for sufficient bread to eat each day but rather for that bread the consumption of which has supernatural effects – which can only refer to the Holy Eucharist! Sin and forgiveness are expressed as debts and debt cancellations, just as in the Parable of the Merciless Servant. As we come to the end of the prayer, we realize that “lead us not into temptation” is a rather muddy translation of asking to be spared from a time of trial, implying a time of severe testing of our faith. Furthermore, we aren’t just asking to be delivered from bad things in general but actually from the one who is the source of all evil itself. So let us pray the Lord’s Prayer three times each day, as is the custom that comes to us from our earliest ancestors in the faith, but let us better appreciate what it is that Jesus wants us to be asking of his heavenly Father by knowing the prayer and its meaning, just as the disciples and first members of the Church would have prayed it.
An Enjoyable Way to Help: On Monday, September 14th, the Christ the King Classic Golf Tournament was held at Willow Bend Country Club as 150 golfers assembled themselves into various teams to play this coveted course. Thanks are due to the golfers who participated and to our sponsors, especially the most generous among them, including Jim Bopp, John & Barbara Buckley, Deb Journalist, George & Thalia Logan, Jack & Cathy Brennan, The Palanza Group (designer & builder of our Pantry Project), and Bill Chapman of Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Services. We must also thank the numerous donors to the silent auction, as we appreciate that the generous cooperation of players, sponsors, and donors made this event a significant financial success. A check for $45,000 was presented to our Financial and Resources Assistance Ministry to assist the working poor here in this area of Cape Cod to obtain a home or keep the one they have by providing assistance with first and last monthly rents, security deposits, or a missed rent or mortgage payment. The Committee that takes responsibility for planning and organizing this event includes Jean Dennis, Deb Journaist, Joe Mooney, and the late Marion Mooney, who was involved in the planning before her passing in July. Thanks to all for a job very well done and for a successful tournament that is benefiting a very worthy charitable cause!
We Are Family Annual Campaign: We have hopes of reaching $100,000 by Columbus Day Weekend so that it will be matched by a contribution of up to that same amount by very generous parishioners. As always, the proceeds from this annual collection are placed in our Building and Grounds Account to help meet the costs of any large capital expenses, which this year presently includes finishing the Pantry/Library project by replacing the sprinkler heads and pipes in the fire suppression system in the parish hall, which needs to be upgraded as it is no longer in compliance with present building codes and does not marry well with the system installed in the new construction. This is not a very noticeable investment, but it is a very necessary one, as it enables us to meet the requirements for the occupancy permit for the new construction!
September 13, 2026
A Proud Moment For American Catholics: On this Wednesday, September !6th, a young man from Illinois will celebrate his 16th Birthday, but the truth is he shouldn’t be here at all! James Fulton Engram was born at home and shockingly, was still born; no pulse, not breathing! The medical personnel assisting with the home birth performed emergency resuscitation efforts while an ambulance was called to transport the not living new born to St Francis medical Center in Peoria. Before the ambulance arrived, the child’s father baptized him “James Fulton” a name that had been chosen during the pregnancy, as his parents had decided to name him in honor of the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheehan, also a native of Illinois, who had been ordained a[priest for the Diocese of Peoria. Throughout the pregnancy the expectant parents had prayed for their son asking the intercession of the late Bishop Sheehan, and now as their stillborn son was en-route to a neonatal ICU they prayed all the harder for Bishop Sheehan to intercede for him. The efforts to resuscitate the newborn at the hospital were valiant but unsuccessful, so 61 minutes after the birth these efforts were stopped and the doctors were about to declare infant James Fulton Engstrom dead when suddenly his heart started beating and he began breathing on his own. The doctors were amazed yet warned his parents not to expect a normal child, surely an hours deprivation of oxygen would result in any number of severe disabilities, potentially being blind, deaf or otherwise mentally and physically handicapped. Indeed, an initial MRI taken within days after birth indicated cerebral swelling and potential damage. In the face of such a disturbing prognosis of their child’s future well being the parents of James kept praying for healing through the intercession of Bishop Fulton J. Sheehan. Amazingly, an MRI taken several months after his birth showed no detrimental developmental effects what so ever! Thus now celebrating his 16th birthday this week, within one week thereafter James Fulton Sheehan will have the distinct honor of presenting the relic of his powerful intercessor at the Mass in St Louis, MO that will declare him officially “Blessed” which is the next major step in the long process of official canonization as a saint by the Church. In an interview with the mother of James, she reported that as thrilled as is her son and her whole family about this miraculous intervention that has been officially recognized by the Church, James Fulton Engstrom will be quite ready to humbly step aside thereafter and await the next and final miracle to be worked to complete his patron’s journey to declared sainthood. For all of us as Americans and as Catholics September 24th will be a proud moment as “beatification” will lead to the next and final step toward canonization for the first native born son of America in the Universal Church. Yet that this long and somewhat delayed process looks like it will end eventually in Rome with the first native born American Pope, also a native of Illinois, making the final declaration of Sainthood for Bishop Fulton J. Sheehan, seems much more providential than coincidental!
Collection in Support of Catechesis of Young People: One of the most central tasks of any community of faith is to hand on, through catechesis, the faith to yet another generation. Surely we all appreciate the importance, as well as the challenges we face in undertaking this important work in our parish. While not all of us can or would want to teach in our Religious Education and Formation Program, we would all want to support those who so generously step forward to do so under the direction Mrs. Jane Costello our Coordinator. Next weekend , September 19th and 20th, we have the opportunity to do our part by supporting the t Collection that is taken u each year to fund our catechetical program for young people, insuring the teachers and their assistants have the materials needed to do the best job possible in our name. So in addition to our prayerful support let us also be generous in our material support as we prepare to embark as a parish on a new year of faith formation for our young parishioners.
Thank You Fr. Tom Wyndham: This weekend after the 8:30AM and !0:30AM Masses there will be an opportunity for parishioners to come to the parish hall to express their gratitude and to extend best wishes to Fr. Tom Wyndham for his service among us here at the parish of Christ the King for what has added up now to many years! The CTK Hospitality Committee will provide “coffee and” so please come and enjoy what they have to offer, as you take the opportunity to speak personally to Fr. Wyndham and to wish him well as he prepares to move to the Regina Cleri Residence for Retired Priests in Boston, truly retiring now after some 19 years of actively doing so, and blessing us all in the process!
Pray for the Golf Tournament: Our annual CTK Golf Classic, a major annual charitable fundraising event , will take place on Monday, September 14th. Thanks especially to our committee members, golfers, sponsors and others who have contributed to its success by providing gifts for the silent auction. All that tis needed now is good weather, so please pray for that!
September 6, 2026
Remembering What Cannot Be Forgotten: This coming Friday will mark the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our nation on September 11, 2001. The impact of such an event is still very much felt by any who can remember it, and to us it seems not so long ago. Let us prayerfully remember all those directly impacted, especially those who lost their lives that day and their still-grieving families. Let us also remember those whose rescue attempts and their consequent exposure to harmful substances have diminished their lives since or cut them shorter than they might have been. Thus, such suffering should inspire us all to pray for and work for peace in our very troubled and divided world. May it also move us all toward a new appreciation of the preciousness of life, and thus a deep reverence and respect for all human life such that acts like these should become what they must be: unthinkable!
Wondering Who Will Work? As we come to Labor Day and rightly honor workers who are responsible for the success of our economy and whatever maintenance or even expansion we may see in our GDP, let us consider the challenge of a shrinking labor force in our country. With baby boomers retiring now in record numbers and the US Population rates declining, reliable statisticians warn us that it will not be all that long before there is a critical shortage of workers in our nation. The ongoing shrinkage in the native population might have been offset by immigration, but with present policies to deport not only “the worst of the worst” but actually anyone undocumented, and even deporting some who have them, the looming shortage is compounded and looks inevitable at this time. While AI may be an answer to fewer workers in white-collar fields, it isn’t a viable answer in construction, farming, healthcare, janitorial jobs, nor in hospitality fields such as hotels and restaurants. Indeed, unless policies change by the beginning of the next decade, there will not be enough people to plant and harvest crops, clean homes, hotels, and businesses, assist frail elders and the sick in hospitals, nursing homes, or assisted living facilities, nor to do dishes and wait tables at restaurants, or to build homes, factories, tunnels, or bridges! A shortage of workers will also impact tax revenues and social safety net programs like Social Security, as there will be fewer contributing while many are collecting! When workers are fewer in number, wages will be higher; thus, the cost for every sort of good and service will increase! Myths that immigrants are a drain on government assistance programs in our country are just that, as the truth is that, documented or not, the majority of immigrants are presently employed and paying taxes and thus making contributions to such programs more than they are receiving benefits from these. So this Labor Day, let us appreciate workers and the positive impact they have on all our lives and the overall good of our nation. Let us never fail to advocate for fair wages and safe conditions for all who work and a secure retirement for them when they age out of the labor force. Yet let us also lobby our representatives for reasonable policies that will encourage immigration and make it possible for those who want to come here to work and better their lives to do so. Let us face the challenging truth that in permitting newcomers easier access to the American dream, we may actually be preventing ourselves from facing an American nightmare of lots of jobs to do and few, if any, here to do them!
We Are Family Campaign: Our grand annual collection is now underway and will continue through to the end of the calendar year. Mailings have been sent to all registered households and should be received shortly if not already. Generous parishioners are offering to match all the pledges or donations that are received by Columbus Day Weekend up to $100,000, which would then enable us to pay the cost overrun on our current Pantry/Library project. Thus, extra costs of over $174,000 have arisen due to the need to replace pipes in our present sprinkler system to match those being installed in the new construction. As ever, the generosity of all the households of our parish must be relied upon to achieve our goals and finish the important work we have started!
Fr. Tom Wyndham: We must say a sad but very fond farewell to Fr. Tom, who, after nearly 20 years of retirement and living on his own in Eastham, has decided that it is prudent to now move to the Regina Cleri Residence in Boston, an assisted living facility for retired priests of the Archdiocese of Boston. Fr. Tom has long been helping here at Christ the King Parish and will be greatly missed. Receptions at which gratitude and best wishes may be expressed to Fr. Tom will take place next Sunday, September 13th, from 9”30 AM to 10:15 AM and then at 11:30 immediately following the 10:30 AM Mass at which Fr. Tom will be the celebrant.
Fr. Jaroslaw Lekarski: Once again, Fr. “ Jarek” will be visiting us from Poland beginning on this Monday evening and continuing through to September 19th. Please extend a hospitable welcome to Father if you encounter him at Mass or on the property during his stay!
Summer Raffle: If you are leaving Cape Cod after this holiday weekend, don’t forget to take a book of chances with you for our annual Summer Raffle with a grand prize of $5000.00 plus several other prizes to be drawn on Sunday of Columbus Day weekend. You do not need to be present to win, but the stubs from your chances must be in the drum to be eligible to do so!
August 30, 2026
Sad Division: On Last Sunday we heard the Gospel of St. Matthew relate the account of the profound confession of faith uttered by Simon son of John, as inspired by God at Caesarea Phillipi. Consequently newly named Peter is designated by Jesus as “the rock” upon which he will build his church, Thus, when I studied Ecclesiology in the Seminary the book we were assigned to read was WHERE PETER IS which refers to a quote from St. Ambrose of Milan in the 4th century “Where Peter is, there is the Church” reflecting the ancient understanding that Peter and his successors are the essential foundation on which the church founded by Christ is built and it is by their unique Petrine Ministry and under their authority that the church remains united. This ancient understanding is then an appropriate lens through which to view and understand the recently well-publicized difficulties the Church has experienced with the Society of St. Pius Xth (SSPX). This Society established by the late Archbishop Lefebvre as a protest against the legitimate changes in the liturgy that resulted from the Second Vatican Council has once again defied papal authority and undermined church unity by ordaining bishops without the explicit approval of the Pope. Therefore, SSPX has automatically excommunicated themselves from the Catholic Church according to our Canon Law. This is now the second time this has happened, the first time being under the pontificate of Pope John Paul II, which was later healed by negotiations with Pope Benedict XVI. The SSPX refuses to accept the Mass prayed in vernacular languages or the priest celebrant facing the congregation, vested in simplified and thus more original style vestments rather than the elaborate ones of the high Middle Ages. For them, the only legitimate Roman Missal from which to celebrate the Mass is that published in 1962 just before Vatican II’s reforms. Consequently, they will only use the Roman Canon or Eucharistic Prayer I as we now call it. From the Church’s perspective the Second Vatican Council was the largest Ecumenical Council in Church History and its first truly official act was the vote taken on December 3rd and ratified by Pope Paul VI on December 4th, 1963 in which the document on the Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, which mandated changes to make the Mass more accessible and thus participatory was approved with 2,147 bishops voting in favor and a mere 4 opposed! Such a nearly unanimous vote by such a large majority had to be inspired by the Holy Spirit, or the decisions not only of this Council but any that had preceded it would have to be in question! Thus from the Church’s perspective the SSPX insistence on rejecting the authority of an Ecumenical Council and its reforms of the Liturgy is to undermine the Church’s Teaching Authority itself and its proper view of Tradition as organic and developing rather than static. So while all schisms are scandals and thus painful, we must pray that, ultimately, through dialogue, compromise, and apology, this split will be healed again. In the meantime, all who continue to join the SSPX clergy in their defiance of the pope and rejection of the reformed liturgy risk the same automatic excommunication as the Society itself. Until this schism is healed, all must be aware that the sacraments of Penance and Matrimony which SSPX clergy celebrate are no longer merely illicit, as are all the sacraments those clergy celebrate, but these two sacraments in particular are now no longer considered valid by the Church of Jesus Christ that must be One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. That Church will always be the one in which Peter’s successor is found as the undisputed leader and highest authority!
7 AM Mass: Next Sunday, September 6th, will be the last Sunday until next Memorial Day Weekend on which the 7 AM Mass will be celebrated. We are grateful to all who attend that Mass during the Summer Season and especially all who regularly serve as Ushers, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, and Altar Servers at other Masses who have sacrificed an hour’s sleep to also be present at the 7 AM Mass this Summer!
Back To School For Adults Too? This year, during which we have been listening primarily to the Gospel of Matthew each Sunday, it may be of interest to take a deeper dive and explore the distinct elements of this gospel as compared to the other three. Using a video presented by Dr, Brant Pitre, Fr. Healey will lead this class on Sunday evenings following the 5:30 PM Mass and on Monday mornings after the 8:30 AM Daily Mass, beginning the week of September 27th. Plan your schedule now to attend; Coffee makers and snack providers will be especially welcome to assist!
August 23, 2026
Guide for the Journey: When visiting new places, we usually avail ourselves of some kind of guide service so that we don’t miss what is important to see. So too can it be with life itself; although we all were raised to navigate the ins and outs of everyday life, we weren’t necessarily instructed on how to probe its deeper meaning or discern the direction that is truly right to take. Life will pose questions if we have ears, hearts, and minds open to hear them! Is this all there really is? If not, then to whom do I owe my existence, and what is my destiny beyond what I can presently see? Who is God? How does God speak to me; how can I discern God’s voice? What is God expecting of me? Where is the hand or providence of God in the particular circumstances of my life at this time? How have I responded, or not, to God’s call in my own life? What is next for me in this particular time and chapter of my life if I want to live the rest of my life in accord with God’s will and plan more than my own? Not everyone has to ask every one of these questions, but these are often only the starting point; there are perhaps many other questions besides, depending on who we are and our particular age, place, and stage of life. Some find it very helpful to have a guide to help them with such questions, and we call these guides Spiritual Directors (SD’s). An SD is not a counselor nor an adviser; they do not seek to provide answers or solve personal problems, but to help guide the seeker to find their own answers. In the Christian context some of the basic questions are already answered for us, in that our framework tends to be that of believers who desire to trust that God exists and has sent his Son to instruct us and ultimately to save us, but how that faith is lived out, and how our doubts are navigated and our questions answered will vary with each person in their search and maybe even their struggle for hopeful assurance, meaning and purpose, and ultimately for contentment with God’s will and peace in God’s presence. The parish is able, on a limited basis, to connect you with trained Spiritual Directors if this is something that you are considering as a helpful next step on your spiritual journey. Once connected, the schedule of sessions would be determined with the SD, and in fairness, a stipend would be proper as a gratuity for the SD’s time and expertise as a spiritual guide. Those who may be interested in this service should contact the parish office.
Farewell, Faithful Servants: While we rejoice with Deacon Brendan Brides and his wife Gail that they have recently welcomed another grandchild, at the same time we are saddened that this will take them away from us as they move to Virginia to be closer to their grandchildren and help in their care. Deacon Brendan and Gail have been very immersed in many aspects of parish life and have made a significant contribution to our community of faith as a result, and so they will be greatly missed. On next weekend, the last in August 29 & 30, Deacon Brendan will preach at all the Masses before his departure, so that we may be privileged to hear his always interesting analysis of the Scriptures one more time, and there will be a simple reception after the 4 PM Mass, and a coffee hour after the 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM Masses to allow parishioners to say Thank You and Farewell to Deacon Brendan and Gail.
The OCIA Journey: The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults is a process by which those 18 years of age or older who are not yet baptized or who missed the catechesis needed for the reception of the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist are formed and prepared to be fully initiated into the Church. Our OCIA Team will be ready to begin this process in late September so we are asking those among us who are not yet fully initiated to carefully consider joining others who will be embracing the process of ongoing conversion in a more focused and intentional way as they move toward full initiation at Easter. Please contact the parish office to enroll before OCIA starts in a few weeks.
Don’t Forget the Golf Tournament -September 14th: Items for the silent auction such as gift cards to local restaurants, salons, or stores are still most welcome, as well as some opportunities for sponsorships. Please take a brochure found at the entrances to the church for any further information, and place gift cards marked “Golf Tournament: in the collection basket or through the mail slot in the doors of the parish office. Thank you for your support of this charitable effort!
August 9, 2026
Respect for Life-Further Eroding: The Massachusetts State legislature beginning with the House of Representatives and concluding with a vote in the State Senate on July 31st has removed all restrictions on late term abortions. Previously, Massachusetts set a limit on abortion at 24 weeks of pregnancy, with some exceptions for the life of the mother or drastic medical complications involving the unborn child. If the governor signs the bill, which there is little doubt she will, abortion until birth will be allowed at the discretion of the doctor and patient! While proponents will tell us that this will be rare, you only have to go to the web page of the Abortion Survivors Network to find more than enough cases in which a late-term abortion ended with the delivery of a living infant! Thankfully, at the moment there are still protections under law in such cases that the child, even though unwanted, must be given proper medical attention. Yet the whole situation ends up to be quite schizoid, for what would be infanticide one day will soon be quite legal just the previous day. Bluntly this doesn’t pass the moral disgust test; yet that is what we must apply in judging this and all such situations, because in our pluralistic society we have come to the point where what is truly morally indefensible is being legalized! This becomes ever clearer when one dares take a deeper dive into the life of a child in the womb who begins reflexive movements and even swallowing by 14 weeks, who responds to external sounds between 20 and 24 weeks, and who if born prematurely at 24 weeks has a 50% chance of survival, and at 26 to 28 weeks that survival rate rises to 80 to 90%! Thus while moral reasoning always finds abortion abhorrent, from a purely secular and scientific point of view there are solid developmental reasons to ban abortion after 24 weeks of gestation for at this point this cannot be demeaned and dismissed as a clump of tissue or even simply a developing fetus, as proponents of abortion would be quick to claim. Rather, this is undeniably a growing, feeling, waking, sleeping, dreaming child until birth at full term. Yet to take the life of that child a week or even a day before his or her birth at the discretion of the woman carrying that child and her doctor is about to become legally acceptable in our State. Yet again, the intrinsic value of human life is being denied as our culture assigns value only to the degree that any particular life is esteemed or wanted by those upon whom it must temporarily depend! With this latest legislation our State has certainly traveled quite a distance down the slippery moral slope away from the divine prohibition that “thou shall not kill” ! Yet other “unwanted” lives or those judged unproductive or burdensome have already been targeted unsuccessfully in our Commonwealth, but don’t think for a moment that proponents of “mercy killing” like those of abortion will ever give up until they see that also enshrined in law. Our concern should be compounded by what has just occurred with lifting any restrictions on late term abortions as it can only indicate that the majority of those presently serving in both branches of our State Legislature possess moral compasses that are dangerously defective!! As Catholic Christian people our message must be clear that a moral wrong cannot ever be made right by making it legal, and ultimately divine law is much higher than any civil law; thus the degree of our respect for it and obedience to it will be far more consequential in the long run and especially in the end!
The Feast of the Assumption – The Value of the Devalued Human Body: On August 15th we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, affirming that as bearer of the Christ, Mary’s body was not allowed to undergo corruption, but rather was assumed along with her sinless soul into heaven at her passing. Whatever is said of Mary applies eventually to all the baptized, reminding us that our bodies too, frail and corrupt as they may be now, will on the last day be raised and remade by God and glorified as they are reunited with our souls. Thus being reminded of the future of our bodies in heaven should redouble our respect and consequent treatment of the human body both in life and in death! This is why the church only permits but does not prefer cremation, and insists that cremains be properly buried or entombed, never kept on a mantle at home, nor divided and distributed or scattered in any manner! If we wouldn’t keep the corpse of our loved ones at length in our living rooms, or toss them on a beach or drop them off a boat or from a plane, or cut them up to distribute as mementoes, or place pieces of their flesh in a locket to wear as jewelry, then we should not do any of that with their cremains either!! Let us remember that the corporal work of mercy is to BURY the dead!
Masses for the Feast of the Assumption: Because it falls on a Saturday Feast Day Masses will be Friday, August 14th at 4:00 PM and Saturday, August 15th at 8:30 AM; while the obligation to attend Mass on this holy day is lifted because of its proximity to Sunday, we remind you that while no sin is committed by absence from Mass this year yet neither is any grace received! So all are encouraged to celebrate this important Feast of Mary – which is also the Patronal Feast of our Diocese of Fall River and thus of our Cathedral Church as well!
Many Thanks! Gratitude is rightly expressed to all those in our parish who responded to the Annual Catholic Appeal to assist Bishop DaCunha in supporting the apostolates, ministries, and agencies of our Diocese of Fall River in this new fiscal year. A total of 350 households contributed 380 households contributed $113,359, an increase of $8,244 from last year. While other Christian denominations may emphasize salvation by faith alone, we as Catholics adhere to the more ancient and fundamental understanding that while faith saves us, works bear witness to the authenticity and depth of that faith and are therefore essential! All who contributed are thus participating in all the good works that will be carried out by our diocese in our name as the Catholic people of Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands. Let us trust that God, who is never outdone in generosity, will in turn and in measure bless each contributor for theirs!
Christ the King Annual Golf Classic: On Monday, September 14th, we will hold our annual golf tournament, the proceeds of which benefit our Matthew 25 Fund and in particular, provide support to those in need of finding or maintaining their housing. Those who golf are urged to sign up, as are those who wish to contribute to various forms of sponsorship or donate a gift card to local restaurants or stores for the silent auction. The support of many is needed to make this annual fundraiser a success, so let us all discern a way in which we can best play our part!
August 2, 2026
Stewardship by the Numbers: What Does It Cost to Staff the Parish Office? The Christ the King Parish Office is open for some time each day of the week, including Saturday and Sunday mornings, to be available to parishioners. Beyond what parishioners may visit the office to accomplish regarding scheduling masses, sacraments, and services; registration; or obtaining records, the office staff is taking and relaying messages, arranging appointments with the clergy, and managing the general use of the parish facilities. The office staff must also handle the business of the parish in regard to payroll, bill paying, mailings, and responding to numerous demands from the Diocese for records and reports on various matters. To handle this workload, the office is staffed by three full-time and three part-time employees. The combined cost of salaries for those employees is $177,109 per year. Additionally, the Parish must pay workmen’s compensation insurance of $2,691.00; short-term disability insurance of $2,364.00; Social Security and pension contributions of $15,933.00; and medical and dental insurance benefits of $103,472.00 per year. Thus, the cost of staffing the Christ the King Parish Office per year is $301,569.00 or $5,799.00 per week. Please be mindful of these expenses as you discern your contributions to the collection each Sunday, as that is the primary source of income that the parish receives to meet these expenses. Stay tuned; more Information to follow in this series!
Caring for Those Who Care: A Caregiver Support Group will run for six weekly sessions on Wednesdays from1:15 to 2:30 PM beginning September 23rd. The aim of the group, which will be rooted in our Catholic Faith, will be to offer practical, emotional and spiritual support to those tasked with caring for family members. The group will be facilitated by nurses who themselves are presently or have been caretakers for family members and so have a compassionate understanding of a caretaker’s role and the challenges that they may face. For further information or to register to take part in the group, please contact the parish office.
Lebanese Festival Next Weekend: St Anthony of the Desert Maronite Catholic Church will be having a festival of Lebanese food and music on the parish grounds in Fall River on this coming Friday from 5 PM to 10 PM; on Saturday from 12 noon to 11 PM, and on Sunday from 11 AM to 5 PM. As Lebanon is in the news these days, A festival of this nature provides an opportunity to experience the rich culture and heritage of the often forgotten Christians of the Middle East.
Updates from The Office of Vocations: Fr. Jack Schrader, Diocesan Director of Vocations, is informing us that over 326 names were collected in the Called By Name Initiative in the Diocese, and 28 of those responded to an invitation to attend a dinner and discussion held with Bishop DaCunha. Currently, there are six men enrolled in seminary formation programs, and they will be joined by one more in September. Meanwhile, several others are in serious discernment so the prayers of the people of the Diocese and the action of the Holy Spirit are cooperating to create a new wave of response to the Lord’s Call in this time and place. All the clergy, laity, and religious of the Diocese of Fall River are asked to pray for vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated religious life. A Formal pledge to pray for vocations can be made via the Diocesan Vocations Office website at: FALLRIVERVOCATIONS.ORG/PRAY
Welcome Martin Gamboa: With the recent retirement of Dwight Giddings as manager of the Parish Plant, Marin Gamboa has been hired to take his place. Martin is a jack of many building trades, most especially carpentry and tile work, and has his own remodeling business as advertised in the parish bulletin. Martin and his wife Luz, and two young adult sons, Nathaniel and Dionisio, are faithful members of our parish and are often seen in the front row at the Sunday 5:30 PM Mass. When you see Martin at the 5:30 PM Mass or around the parish plant, please welcome him to his new role in service of us all as the chief steward of our parish’s buildings and grounds. As Martin steps into Dwight’s role on a full-time basis, Dwight will step into Martin’s former role as a part-time assistant sexton working on Wednesday and Saturday mornings to allow Martin both time for his outside remodeling work as well as some well-deserved rest!
July 26, 2026
Supporting A Suffering Minority: With the rise of independent news sources on the internet, it is now more likely that people are more aware of something I have sadly seen firsthand since 1996, after 14 trips to the Holy Land: the Palestinian people are treated unjustly. Be it the confiscation of their lands, the destruction of their houses, the interference in their livelihoods, the travel restrictions and those imposed in general due to life behind a 30ft tall and hundreds of miles long concrete wall, as well as attacks by radicalized Israeli settlers that are carried out with impunity throughout the West Bank. Consequently, those who could migrate elsewhere have done so, but others tied to the land of their ancestors struggle to stay. Tourism is a significant sector of the economy of Israel itself, and this is especially true for Palestinians and in particular for the Christians who remain at the sites of Gospel history in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Nazareth, and other lesser-known locations. Because of the trouble that has erupted between Israel and Gaza, as well as with neighboring countries in the region, tourism is significantly lower and thus many Palestinians are that much poorer. Next weekend, the Ghanem Family from the Bethlehem area will be here to bring to market what Palestinian Christians are known for, which is the carving of religious figures from the olive wood that is native to the Holy Land. Thus, we ask you to browse what the Ghanems have to offer, knowing it represents the work of many carvers from the Bethlehem area who no longer have a reliable market in which to offer these sacred images to pilgrims that used to be numerous but now are not! Thank you in advance for the encouragement you will offer them by taking an interest in these carvings and considering a purchase to help our fellow believers who suffer greatly as they strive to remain as the “living stones” at the biblical sites associated with the ministry of Jesus.
What Are We Building?: A recent visitor complimented the parish on the construction of “a lovely new chapel”! I had to correct them that it isn’t a new chapel, as we already have a very beautiful historic one that is attached to the Church and named in honor of St Jude, which was renovated seven years ago. What we are currently constructing is not for worship, yet it is nonetheless to be a very holy place, for this will be a primary location where the Gospel preached in the Church and in the Chapel will be put into practice! Indeed. This will be the new location of our very extensive Christ the King Food Pantry, which assures that over a hundred households struggling with food insecurity are able to have something basic to eat each week. While the Protestant Reformation caused not only much sad division, it also created some lasting confusion as it emphasized that we are to be saved “by faith alone” and not works! Thus some call themselves Christians who think that by simply believing in Jesus Christ they are saved; neither worship nor good works are required! Yet the more ancient Catholic tradition relies on the wisdom of St James, the brother of the Lord, who wrote: “show me a faith without works, and I will show you a faith that is dead”! We also rely on the 25th Chapter of St. Matthew to remind us that ultimately we will be judged on our ability to recognize Christ and to serve him in the poor, the hungry, the sick, the newcomer, and the imprisoned, most especially those being held unjustly! Thus we cannot be authentically Christian without worship nor works, as these are actually two sides of the same coin in our Catholic understanding. Indeed, our works demonstrate the sincerity of our faith, for it is charity that bears the most powerful witness to belief in all Jesus preached in word and deed! Realistically, we can’t all volunteer at the weekly pantry as there is simply not enough room for all of us to do so, but we can be an integral part of this good work by supporting it. There are several ways in which we might do so, and chief among those are donating to the “CTK-Matthew 25 Fund,” which purchases the bulk of the food that is distributed each week by the Pantry ministry. We can also contribute canned goods and other nonperishables by purchasing these and placing them in the boxes located at the local grocery stores or at the entrance to our parish hall. We can purchase a $25 gift card or several to a local grocery store each month and place these in the Sunday collection basket or through the mail slot in the doors to the parish office: We can also contribute to, or attend the fund raisers which support the CTK Pantry Operations Fund which provides the technical equipment and other supplies needed to run the pantry, as well as fuels and maintains the vehicles used by the pantry, and also maintains the essential refrigeration equipment. Last but not least, we can still contribute to the CTK Pantry Project, which is providing the funding designated for this very necessary new construction, which in the end will provide a secure and adequate home for the Pantry’s extensive storage needs. All in all, this new sacred space for the concrete exercise of Gospel charity should be completed and dedicated by our Bishop in the late Fall. On that day all who have been a part of supporting any aspect of this charitable ministry should be justifiably proud of this tremendous accomplishment and consoled as well, rightly anticipating the words of the Lord which we all should long to hear: “Come you are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world – for I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me to drink …..!
July 19, 2026
The Whole Truth – Stewardship by the Numbers: The Fiscal Year for the Church closes on June 30th, so over the next couple of months we will be analyzing our income as a parish versus our expenses, and reporting that to you as is our custom at or around the Feast of Christ the King in an annual report. Yet before the final report is compiled and issued, it may be of interest to you what the actual costs are that go into the overall expense of maintaining Christ the King Church and Parish Complex and staffing its Church, Rectory, Office, and Programs. The first question that might be raised and thus answered is what does it cost to have a resident priest? Secular priests, as are most Diocesan Priests who staff parishes, are entitled to a salary set by the Diocese. Currently the base salary for a parish priest is $37,305.00, which increases by $108.00 per year for every year of ordination beginning at the 6th. Additionally, all pastors receive a $1,500.00 per year bonus on top of their regular salary. Thus the salary for your present pastor during the past year, who has been ordained for 38 years, is $42,819.00. The salary for the Parochial Vicar who has been ordained for 30 years is $40,740.00. Additionally, the Diocese collects $700 per priest per month from the parish for the Clergy Pension fund, and $2,100.00 per month per priest for health Insurance through the Diocese’s plan with Blue Cross/Blue Shield. This overall cost of having two priests in the parish is $150,759 per year or a weekly amount of $2,899.00. These salaries and benefits are actually quite modest by most standards of a profession that requires no less than eight years of academic preparation post-high school, and are considerably less than that of a Pastor or Assistant Pastor in a mainline Protestant Church. Ironically, these salaries are as nothing compared to the astronomical annual incomes of Pastors of Mega Churches in the United States who are usually far less educated than Catholic priests or most mainline Protestant Ministers! These are not the only costs of priests for the parish, as they are entitled to room and board, so we will examine the actual costs of operating a Rectory in a future column. Priests are also entitled to spend up to $1,000.00 per year at parish expense for continuing education or spiritual formation such as a retreat. Yet Secular Priests are personally responsible for all medical and dental co-pays and costs not covered by their health and dental insurance. They are not provided any funds for vehicles nor the costs of fueling, maintaining, and insuring these; such costs can be tracked and deducted from their income taxes. They must also provide their own albs and clerical clothing and purchase any vestments they would prefer to use beyond those which may be provided by the parish. Diocesan Parish Priests are also responsible for making their own investments for retirement, knowing that once they retire they will receive a taxable pension of $2,000.00 per month along with a Social Security check that is less substantial than average given their modest earnings upon which this amount is based. Secular priests are also responsible to acquire their own retirement housing otherwise they must request to be admitted to the priests retirement home and acceptance will be allowed should there be sufficient room for them and at a cost to them of $900 per month, When a retired secular priest is no longer able to live independently and needs assisted living or nursing home care this expense is not provided by the Diocese but must be funded by the individual priest. So too, the costs of his funeral expenses and burial arrangements are the responsibility of the secular priest or his family. Often people confuse secular priests and their income and expenses with those of religious priests such as Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans etc. whose religious communities receive payment from the parishes or schools they may staff and then the order usually distributes a small monthly stipend to each member for personal expenses but all other costs of housing, food, transportation, insurance, healthcare, retirement, funeral and burial are covered by the religious order. No one should ever enter the priesthood with the notion that they are going to make money, and none of this should thus be read as whining in any form; rather it is just a thoroughly honest revelation of how priests are supported depending on whether they are secular diocesan priests or religious priests, and the consequent cost to a parish for having them in residence. Please be mindful of these costs when you discern the amount of your weekly offering in support for the parish! More revelations to come!
Aid For Venezuela: Baskets remain at the entrances to the Church this weekend to receive whatever monetary assistance you may wish to offer for those suffering the devastation of the terrible earthquakes in Venezuela. Let us all be as generous as possible, as our parish’s contributions will be gathered with those of other parishes in the diocese to hopefully accumulate a substantial amount to offer those affected some practical help.
Following Up on the Message of Last Weekend’s Gospel: The Parable of the Sower and the Seed is an allegory that Jesus used to explain the sometimes challenging phenomenon of belief and unbelief as we may encounter it ourselves even among family members or close friends and associates. Many parents fret about the state of their own children’s religious belief and practice even after years of proper religious formation and sometimes formal Catholic Education. Donna Erdman, our Pastoral Associate, recommends a book that may be very helpful to parents. It is titled RETURN: HOW TO DRAW YOUR CHILD BACK TO THE CHURCH, authored by Brandon Voght, a best-selling author who is the executive publishing director for Word on Fire Catholic Ministries.
The Bust of the Upright Man: Once again, Dr. Gilbert Lavoie, our seasonal parishioner, along with his wife Bonnie, has lent us for our contemplation the beautiful bust which depicts Christ as he is raised up from the dead as discerned from Dr. Lavoie’s extensive study of the Shroud of Turin. Dr. Lavoie has written books about this mysterious image and applied his own medical expertise to analyze the blood as it appears on the Shroud and, more recently, to associate this image as being that of the final sign of his divinity as promised by Christ in the Gospel of John. If you place Dr. Gilbert Lavois’s name in your search on Amazon, you will find his books should you wish to purchase them to take a deeper look into his unique and valuable insights after studying the Shroud across nearly five decades.
July 12, 2026
Contemporary Wedding Trends: Creating A Sacred Covenant or Putting on a Big Show? Recently, a prospective bride inquired what a wedding in Church might look like, as she had never been to one! Should we be surprised? Sadly, no, because contemporary trends are fast moving away from Church Weddings and more toward outdoor or commercial venues. If you read comments online as to why, you will hear that it is simply more convenient to have a ceremony in the same place as the reception so there’s no gap in between for guests for whom the couples re trying to “create an experience”! You will also read that couples are simply not affiliated with “ organized religion” nor are they willing to accept the requirements that many churches rightly have regarding formal marriage preparation, nor the restriction on timing, decorations, or attire that churches may impose, Yet the real question that is missed and which needs to be raised is what does being married at a beach, a country club, or other staged venue like Madison Square Garden with a friend or relative officiating really mean? That is a difficult question to answer and may vary with each couple who seek to overtly personalize and sometimes even make private their spoken promises! What we do know is that it doesn’t mean what marrying “in the Church” means! While online comments speak of shopping around for a substantial aisle or a beautiful sanctuary, some complain about restrictions in changing the lighting or the décor of the Church as if it were a Hollywood set instead of a sacred space!! Couples who seek to marry here in our parish are told that while Christ the King Church is a beautiful ecclesiastical building, if it burnt down before the day of their wedding they could still get married “in the Church” because that means getting married in accordance with a now ancient tradition that defines marriage as a sacrament that therefore belongs not only to the couples who enter it but also to the community of believers in Jesus Christ whose brand of unconditional, unending love marriage is meant to be a living sign! Therefore, Christian couples rightly get married in a sacred place where the Cross of Christ looms large and before an altar where the Sacrifice of Christ is perpetuated for as he laid down his life for us all the groom and the bride are promising to lay down their lives one for the other, and acknowledge as they do that it is by God’s grace that they will be able to keep their word as they remain faithful to one another forever! That is why the proper officiant is an ordained minister of the Church, and the sacred covenant being established between the couple is created by standard vows that have been spoken by many generations of couples, which express a love that is permanent and unconditional, spoken before God and two official witnesses. Church Weddings therefore can be simple or elaborate depending on the number of attendants and attendees, but at their essential core they remain the same, and that is perhaps too very ordinary for those competing with others for the most personalized and memorable show a la Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden transformed at no little expense into a garden! Yet the Church rightly tries to reign in the elaborate and discourages the overly expensive while it emphasizes the essential as it reminds couples of the very sobering truth that a wedding is merely for a day, but a marriage is meant for a lifetime; therefore, the required preparation to covenant a sacramental marriage which many contemporary couples claim to resent is actually equally as important as the wedding celebration itself!
Trivia Night-July 18th, 5:00 PM: Sign up now for a fun evening of great food and friendly competition as we reveal how much trivia we know about the land we love; the United States of America! Form a team or come as individuals, prepared to be assigned to one, which is a great way to come to know other parishioners with whom you will be playing!
Golf Tournament- September 14th, 2026- Willow Bend Country Club: A chance to play this exquisite course and to be part of an important charity fundraising event at the same time! The Christ the King Classic Golf Tournament, which annually raises funds to help support the work of the Financial and Resources Assistance Ministry of our parish as it seeks to help people to acquire a home or retain one by providing a rent or mortgage payment as well as first, last, and security deposits, which are often beyond the means of the working poor in our area of Cape Cod. So gather a team or sign up to be assigned to one, or if you do not golf, consider being a sponsor or contributing a gift card to a local restaurant, store, salon, or tickets to a theatre or sporting event for the silent auction that is part of the program on the day of the tournament. Brochures are available at the entrances of the Church or through the parish office.
Annual Summer Raffle: A Mailing has gone out to all registered households with chances to our annual summer raffle with a grand prize of $5000 and several other prizes besides. Books of chances are also available at the entrances of the Church. If you are not on our mailing list, please take one or two books for yourselves or to sell to others and return the stubs and donation by placing an envelope marked “Raffle” in the collection basket or through the mail slot of the parish office. Drawing is held on Sunday of Columbus Day Weekend at noon in the parish hall; you’ve got to play to win!
July 5, 2026
250 Years; Celebrating America the Beautiful and Challenging America the Heartless: In 1883, Emma Lazarus composed a poem for the fundraising efforts to create a pedestal for the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. The poem is now permanently enshrined on a bronze plaque in that pedestal. Entitled “The New Colossus”, it reads as follows:
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
with silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
This poem sums up quite well what has been and should continue to be the promise of America as a refuge where the poor, the tired, the oppressed of the world might finally find a home in which they would first and foremost be free and in that climate have every opportunity to prosper. Surely this is what happened for the majority of our forebears who arrived here from the British Isles, or the continent of Europe, because they sought better lives for themselves and those who would come after them, and for many America has surely delivered on that promise. Yet ironically, as we celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the founding of our nation, and the freedoms and opportunities generations of our families have enjoyed, we are faced with the uncomfortable truth that recent waves of immigrants coming for the very same reasons as our own ancestors, or fleeing even worse forms of poverty and oppression, are no longer finding rhe welcome that the Statue of Liberty represents and America promises. The present administration had campaigned on the slogan “Mass Deportation” and painted newcomers with the broad brush of criminality! Not yet having the right documents, even when those documents are in process, has caused many to be abducted from homes, schools, churches, and workplaces and incarcerated in not just uncomfortable facilities but what objective observers have called inhumane conditions. Just this past week, those who were recently welcomed here from Haiti and Syria have had their protected status undermined by our Supreme Court, and now a million more people could have the foundation of the new life they were invited to build here unexpectedly taken out from under them! This is not America the Beautiful that we should rightly love; it is rather America the heartless that we must work to change! Indeed, that sort of cruelty should be unacceptable to all people of goodwill and most especially abhorrent to people of a faith based in the teachings of Jesus Christ, no matter what denomination of Christianity with which they affiliate! On this 250th Anniversary of its founding, we must be grateful to our nation for the welcome given to our ancestors and thus for the rights, freedoms and opportunities that we enjoy today on account of it. Yet as Christians called to love our neighbor, including strangers, we should not passively condone shutting the door on law-abiding, hard-working, tax-paying newcomers; rather, we should be lobbying our lawmakers to create reasonable paths to citizenship that will enable them to stay just as our forebears were welcomed. To fail to see this, and to remain either indifferent or worse even hostile toward recent immigrants and their plight would convict us of a moral blindness of which it would be wise to repent! So as we celebrate America as Beautiful for what it promised those who came before us and has delivered for us, let us lobby to restore that same welcoming heart in our moral, social, and political culture in our nation as we embark on a new chapter of what we pray will be its long history.
Looking Ahead:
All Things American- Trivia Night: On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, our Catholic Women’s Club will host a special Trivia Night on Saturday, July 18th following the 4 PM Mass. Great Food will be served, a cash bar will be available, and lots of fun will be had at this patriotically themed event. So form a team, or be assigned to one, but register to participate – you will be glad you did!
CTK Classic Annual Golf Tournament: Our Annual Golf Tournament will be held on Monday, September 14th at Willowbend Country Club. The proceeds of this event benefit our charitable efforts to assist people to acquire a home or remain in one, which is often a great challenge, especially for the working poor here on Cape Cod. Informational Flyers are available at the entrances to the Church. Golfers are encouraged to form a team and to participate; those who don’t golf might consider being sponsors of the Tournament or providers of items for the silent auction that is part of the day.
Thank-You! Gratitude is extended to the 300 households of the parish that have donated or pledged to support the various apostolates, ministries, and charities of our local Church, which is the Diocese of Fall River, through the Annual Catholic Appeal. God, who is never outdone in generosity, will surely reward with his blessings those who sacrifice in this way to support the good works which bring honor to his name!
June 28, 2026
A Month Of Remembering Many Martyrs: June began with the feast of Justin the Martyr of the Second Century and as we come to the end of the month we will have celebrated nine feast days of martyr’s and as some of these like the Ugandan Martyrs of the 19th Century, and the First Martyrs of Rome in the middle of the First Century we are reminded of the courage and unshakable faith of many who would give up even their very life before denying Jesus Christ or violating his teachings. On Monday, we will celebrate the Solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul, who were martyred r during the persecution of Nero. This feast has been faithfully celebrated in the City of Rome, beginning some five decades even before the Edict of Milan in 313 AD finally broke any ban on the public practice of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Why are the Martyrs so important to us? Because, to a person, they gave an example of what true faithfulness to Jesus Christ might have to cost us all. Yet, fortunately, in our day and in our region of the world, actual martyrdom is unlikely, but we have seen it in places not so far away nor unfamiliar to us, like Libya, where in 2015 a group of 21 Coptic Christian men was beheaded by radical Islamists. For us today, a similar challenge is faced not literally as a matter of life or death, but often as a matter of social acceptance or rejection. Indeed, there are plenty of opportunities in the contemporary culture where, like the martyrs, we can either stand up for the faith and the teachings of Christ’s gospel when they are being questioned or ridiculed, or we can cave to social or political pressure to remain silent so as not to be dismissed or rejected by others. What will it be for us? Are our eyes open to the affairs of our nation or those of this world that clearly contradict the Gospel? Do we have the courage to challenge trends in the culture that are sanctioned by “everyone is doing it,” even though we know these to be morally wrong? When Henry VIII broke from the Church of Rome in 1535 and named himself supreme head of the Church in England to divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn, there were 21 bishops of dioceses and 26 abbots in the House of Lords. Yet most all acquiesced to the King in silence to preserve their own position and power. It was primarily Bishop John Fisher, whose feast is observed on June 22nd, who had the moral integrity and courage to say that only the Pope as successor of St Peter, can be the chief shepherd of the Church that is authentically founded on the Apostles by Jesus Christ and also said he was willing to die if necessary to defend the indissolubility of Christian marriage as preached by Christ himself. Well, Bishop Fisher died on the scaffold on June 22, 1535, but his example of moral courage lives on, along with his good name, while those without the same conviction and courage are remembered in disgrace or are otherwise completely forgotten! As we conclude this month of feasts celebrating the witness of many martyrs, let their example of upholding the truth that comes from God and defending the Church that proclaims it inspire us to do the same, no matter the cost to us!
Close of the Annual Catholic Appeal: The end of June brings with it the end of the Catholic Appeal, an annual request from our Bishop to assist him financially to assure that the apostolates, ministries, and programs sponsored by the Church of Fall River will not only continue but flourish in the fiscal year ahead. Thank you to the 281 households that have donated or pledged to the Catholic Appeal already, may those who have not yet done so be inspired by the Holy Spirit and the good example of others to do something to support these good works and thus be part of something greater than themselves and of benefit to many.
National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. In celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday, a National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is being held from May 24-July 5 and will include different routes with stops in 18 dioceses, including the Diocese of Fall River from June 29-30. The theme of the pilgrimage is “One Nation Under God,” and the particular route, which began in St Augustine, Florida, and will stop in our Diocese on the way to its end in Philadelphia, PA, has been dedicated to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first U.S. citizen to be canonized. Opportunities to take part in the pilgrimage as it travels through our Diocese include Masses, Eucharistic processions, and Adoration in Easton, New Bedford, and Fall River. Please check the schedules provided at the entrances to the Church or available on the website of The Diocese of Fall River and plan to participate as we all pray for our Church, diocese, and country on this significant anniversary of the signing of our Declaration of Independence as a nation.
June 21, 2026
Father’s Day: On this weekend we join with families throughout the nation as we honor our fathers, grandfathers, step fathers, god fathers and second fathers, For us as people of faith we best express our love and gratitude through prayer and so we will offer all the Masses on this Sunday for all fathers, living or deceased, and impart a special blessing to the fathers who are present with us at Mass this weekend.
The Emiliani Project: This weekend, Charles “Chuck” Navarette, a deacon from Oceanside, California, will be visiting us with his wife, Rebecca, and their two children. Rebecca is the daughter of our parishioners, Rick and Lynn Provencher, and the sister of Pete Provencher and his wife, Sarah, who coordinates our Youth Ministry. Deacon Chuck will be preaching at all the Masses this weekend and introducing us to the Emiliani Project, of which he is a co-founder. This Project is named in honor of St Gerolamo (Jerome) Emiliani, an Italian layman of the Veneto region of Italy who was born in 1486 and who died in 1537 after contracting the plague while trying to help care for its from the Veneto region of Italy who was born in 1486 and died in 1537 after contracting the plague while trying to help care for other victims. This saint, who was an impious youth, had a conversion experience while serving in the military as a young man and being freed after being held captive, crediting his release to the intercession of the Mother of God. Thereafter, Jerome devoted his life to God and to good works on behalf of others in need, establishing orphanages and hospitals, and even a fraternity of secular priests, although it is uncertain whether he himself was ever ordained. St Jerome Emiliani is especially venerated for his care of poor, neglected, or orphaned children and so has officially been named their patron saint by the Church. With this as background, Deacon Chuck will inform us of this project, which is named in honor of St Jerome Emiliani because it seeks to house, feed, and educate poor and vulnerable children in the region of Medellin, Colombia. Certainly, it is appropriate as we celebrate Father’s Day to remember those children, many of whom lack a loving father’s presence in their lives, to learn what is being done to help them and consider playing a part in that noble effort.
On Prayer for Vocations: We must face the difficult truth that we ourselves are at risk of becoming fatherless, in the sense that unless present trends soon turn around, it may not be too long before we do not have a sufficient number of spiritual fathers to serve our parishes and minister the sacraments as priests. So on this Father’s Day, let us also pray for our spiritual fathers as well, and each of us deepen our commitment to pray for and promote vocations to the priesthood!
The Time Has Come: Beginning on the 1st of May, the annual Catholic Appeal opened, and now the official close of that appeal on the 30th of June is drawing near. Thank you to the households of the parish who have already contributed, and those that have not yet done so are asked to make their pledge or donation during the coming week. The Catholic faith that we profess is radically communal in its creed and practice, calling us to be in solidarity with our fellow believers in faith and charity under the authority and with the spiritual guidance of our bishop. Indeed, it is our bishop appointed by the successor of St Peter, who provides the essential link that makes us part of the worldwide Catholic Church. Thus, the ‘ Local Church” to which we belong cannot be limited in our understanding simply to our parish alone but must actually encompass the whole Diocese of Fall River! In our name as its members, the Diocese carries out charitable good works and sponsors apostolates, ministries, and programs that put our Catholic faith into action on a broader scale than any one parish can ever do on its own. So, Bishop daCunha asks for our help each year in funding these many good works. Let us respond to his request with loving and generous hearts!
Let Us Say Thank You: For better than three decades, Dwight Giddings has been managing the care and maintenance of the buildings and grounds of our parish. While appearing younger than his age, he is past that point at which most people retire, and so will be stepping down from his long-held full-time position as plant manager on the 30th of June. As he does, Dwight leaves the parish plant with its many challenges and its extensive grounds in very good shape thanks to his conscientious care and dedication over these many years. So let us express our gratitude to Dwight for his good stewardship of what our founding pastor, Monsignor Tosti, and our original members have bequeathed to us: a beautiful house of the church in which to worship and adequate facilities in which our programs and activities may take place and to which we may generously welcome outside groups to enjoy as well. Thank you, Dwight, for all your many efforts to maintain these buildings and grounds in as good a shape or better than we have received them; as a community of faith, we will be ever grateful to you!