Notes from Our Pastor

September 25, 2022

Dear Parishioners:

You can now register for All Things New parish listening sessions. They will take place here at Seven Holy Founders in the parish hall on Tuesday, November 8, and Thursday, November 10, at 7:00pm. You can register by going to: https://allthingsnew.archstl.org/.

On the registration page you can find a Frequently Asked Questions section that will help you prepare for the meeting. It is a help to understand what you will experience when you gather for the meetings.

In addition to finding information about the parishes that are in our Planning Area #4, you will also be able to access our Parish Workbook. The information in the workbook is a resource to help supply data about the Archdiocese of St. Louis, our planning area and our parish. The information in the workbook was created by the Pastoral Planning Committee of the Archdiocese and validated by pastors and Key Parish Leaders over the last several months. If you go the All Things New website, look to the tab “Ways to Engage” and you will be able to access the information.

A couple of practical matters. You will have to register for the listening session. If you do not have access to the internet, please ask a family member or friend to assist you. If you cannot attend a session, the archdiocese will make public the content presented at the meeting and will offer an additional opportunity for parishioners to provide open-ended feedback through an online survey.

Please pray that the Holy Spirit guides our parish and our archdiocese to new life in the Spirit. “Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and renew the face of the earth and our archdiocese!”

In Christ,
Fr. John

September 18, 2022

“It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead . . . !” 2 Maccabees 12:46

Dear parishioners:

In the Old Testament in the second book of Maccabees we are asked to pray for those who have died, “so that they could be released from their sins.” It is our Catholic tradition to pray for the souls of the faithful departed. We trust in God’s mercy for ourselves and all those we love, but face death as a mystery . . . so we pray for “Eternal Rest, Light and Peace!”

One traditional way we keep those who have died in our prayers is having a Mass said for their intention. Many here at Seven Holy Founders keep that tradition, so many in fact, that there are not enough days of the year to accommodate those who want Masses offered. At this time we are asking those who wish to have a Mass offered, for permission to send that Mass intention to a missionary priest. Not only will the missionary priest be able to celebrate the Mass, the stipend for the intention may also be the only salary he will receive.

Looking forward to next fall when we will most probably be facing the merging of parishes it will also mean a merging of Mass intentions. We may not be able to schedule Masses for next fall until we know the details of any possible mergers.

I ask you to be patient. I also ask those who ask for multiple Masses for loved ones to please limit your requests or be open to sending those Mass intentions to the missions. We will not be able to honor every request here at SHF. We need to keep some days open for the intentions of those who are recently departed.

If there is a day that you’d like an intention and it is not available, please come to Mass and make it your personal intention for that day!

In Christ.
Fr. John

September 11, 2022

Dear parishioners:

I invite you to consider if you might be called to assist in an important ministry at our parish. We have a number of homebound parishioners who are not able to attend Mass on Sunday. Although it is a great blessing that we can livestream the Mass so that they can stay connected to the community, it is important that we try to bring them the Eucharist!

We already have Eucharistic Ministers taking Communion to the homebound and are grateful to them! We would like to have more ministers so that we can reach out and make sure all who would like to receive Communion in their home can do so.

Here are some details if you would like to consider this ministry. You will receive a book with prayers for the visit. Usually, Communion is taken after Sunday Masses, although it can be taken during the week. You will have to have taken Protecting God’s Children training through the archdiocese in order to participate. Although the emphasis in this training is on protecting children, there are also sections on elder abuse. If you or the person you are visiting is concerned about Covid, you can make a simple and short visit at their door so that all are safe. If you would like to take Communion to a loved one, we can assist you. There will be a simple training meeting before you start the ministry to answer any other questions you may have.

Please consider this important and fulfilling ministry and call the office if you have an interest!

In Christ,
Fr. John

P.S. SAVE THE DATE!!! On Sunday, October 16, we will have a Spaghetti Dinner here at Seven Holy Founders! 

For more parish news and information, please check our weekly bulletin.