Dear Friends,

    When you enter the Church this weekend you will notice that the images of the Stations of the Cross have been temporarily replaced for the summer by a series of portraits of saints and holy men and women. Some may wonder why.

    The Stations of the Cross invite us to walk with Jesus on His journey to Calvary. They remind us that the Christian life is not always easy and that the path to holiness passes through the Cross.   

    While the images of the Stations are not physically present during these summer months, they have not disappeared; in fact, the Way of The Cross is very much before our eyes in the lives of the saints now displayed throughout the church.

    These men and women come from different centuries, countries, cultures, and walks of life. We see St. Charbel, the humble Lebanese monk; Servant of God Dorothy Day, who served the poor and challenged the comfortable; St. Augustine and his faithful mother, St. Monica; St. Oscar Romero, who gave his life for the Gospel; St. Maximilian Kolbe, who died in place of another prisoner; St. Isidore the Farmer, finding holiness in ordinary work; St. Martin de Porres, known for his humility and charity; St. Joseph, the quiet protector of the Holy Family; St. Thérèse of Lisieux, who showed us the “little way” of love; and St. Gertrude of Nivelles, a woman of prayer and hospitality.

    Each of them embraced the Cross of Christ in a unique way. Their lives demonstrate what discipleship looks like when the Gospel is taken seriously. They remind us that holiness is not reserved for a select few. It is the vocation of every Christian.

    The beautiful artwork is the work of Nancy Marek Cote, whose talent helps bring these holy men and women before us in a way that invites reflection and prayer. We are grateful for her gift and for the opportunity to contemplate these witnesses to the faith. You can learn more about here at  https://www.mareksaints.com.

    As you move through the church this summer, I encourage you to spend a few moments with these images. Ask the saints to pray for you. Reflect on their lives. Consider the particular way each one carried the Cross entrusted to them. In doing so, we may discover more clearly how Christ is calling each of us to carry our own.

God bless you all!

 Fr. John