On May 1st our parish will continue a decades-long tradition of fun and fellowship for our adult
members when the Women’s and Men’s Clubs of Saint Catherine of Siena host the Progressive Dinner. The evening begins with libations and hors d’oeuvres in Russell Hall and then, after guests
are informed of their host destination for the evening’s dinner festivities, participants head off to meet their host and hostess and dinner companions for a great meal and a wonderful night of conversation and hopefully new beginnings of long-lasting friendships. The whole idea behind this 25 year-plus tradition is to enjoy an evening of fine food and drinks with a mix of old friends
and acquaintances and more than likely some new friends so we can create future memories.
This year a number of homes in our parish community will be opened to guests for this fun evening. Hosts and hostesses will prepare their homes for their honored guests, make a delicious pre-planned meal, and then show their guests just what the Saint Catherine of Siena Parish community is all about—enjoying the gifts and good people of our parish. Who knows what the topics of conversation will be at each table, who the participants will be, and how the tables will be festively decorated. I look forward to this year’s event and will even be a host myself. Joining with Mrs. Anne Davis and her husband, Eric, the rectory will be one of the many homes welcoming dinner guests (whether Anne and
Eric know it or not, my main job is to open the wine and say the blessing before dinner…cooking is another job that is best if I leave it alone!).
I look forward to opening up the rectory that night and hope you will all consider participating in this great event this year. The meal is designed by long-time Progressive Dinner diva Barbara Hopkins and members of the Women’s Club. It is sure to be a delicious meal and a fun night. I hope you will come along!
The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. On this Palm Sunday, one week before the Great Easter Vigil and one day before we, as Catholic Christians, enter into the most holiest of days in our Church liturgies—known as the Sacred Triduum—we hear the very long and telling reading from the Gospel of Luke (22:14- 23:56) about the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. We hear what our God and our Lord have done for us. How He came down from the heavens, abandoning His mighty throne and lofty
home among the angels and saints to dwell among mankind; to teach us the true and righteous way to live thereby offering us an example of humanity, to take upon Himself the sins of our souls—He who knows no sin, to suffer a scourging and Crucifixion— a death like non other the evil of the world has every known—so that we might one day Rise like Him to glorification and to worthy to live with God—as One—forever. And so after hearing this very powerful and descriptive reading we must ask
ourselves one question: "Is my soul worth this much?" God the Father has already given us the answer: AMEN. YES, IT IS. Come, follow me and I will give you Life. Today and in the coming days we will not only hear what our God has done for us, but what He does for us—always—giving the gift of Himself so that we become His gift. A Sacred and Blessed Triduum to us all.
–Fr. Michael
