My dear friends,

In the early 1960’s the bishops of the universal Church and expert theologians gathered in Rome in what is called the Second Vatican Council. It was an important time of prayer and discernment and resulted in various important documents helping us to better understand the truth of God revealed in Jesus and who we are as His Church. In 1964 they wrote and published the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, called Lumen Gentium (Latin for “The Light of the Nations”). It says that the “divine mission, entrusted by Christ to the apostles, will last until the end of the world, since the Gospel they are to teach is for all time the source of all life for the Church. And for this reason the apostles, appointed as rulers in this society, took care to appoint successors.” (LG 20)

Could we possibly hear more comforting words than what Jesus says to the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15? "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And the woman's daughter was healed from that hour.” Like her we go to the Lord with our needs and hopes - for ourselves, our loved ones, the whole world - and we know He hears us. In the same Gospel Jesus says “how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.” (Matthew 7:11)

Welcome back to school to our students, families and faculty in the parish grade school! Last Wednesday we opened the gates for the new academic year and are praying it will be a holy, safe, and successful year indeed. Our young people seem excited to be back in the classrooms (air-conditioned, glory be to God!), and our parents seem happy the kids are back to school…

It’s worth sharing the school’s mission statement with the entire SJV Parish community, and hope you will join me and Mr. Doug Weivoda, the principal, in prayer for our students, families, and faculty:

What a great couple of weeks we are having here at St. John Vianney! The Lord knows it's hot here, but it won't slow us down...Congratulations to our two Holy Cross Seminarians, Chris Mulholland, C.S.C. and Ben Sasin, C.S.C., who recently renewed their religious vows here and at Andre House of Hospitality. We are grateful to them for their devotion to Jesus and service to the Church and pray for them as they return to Notre Dame to begin this new year of theological study and religious life formation.