Today, June 14, 2022, the builders, artist, foundry owner, installed the bronze statue of Our Lady of Sorrows on Sacred Heart Church. The statue is stunningly beautiful, various shades of bronze on the granite color stucco. This is part of our 100th Anniversary celebration in July. Our parishioner, Joel Ernster, artist, sculpted the piece for our centennial. I am so delighted by the outcome. The project took one year to complete. Below is the text from the plaque:

Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows

Sculpture by Joel Ernster

Mary, the Sorrowful Mother, witnesses to the redeeming love of Jesus Christ in his suffering, death, and resurrection. The seven swords seen here refer to the seven Scripture stories where Mary stood next to Jesus’ suffering.

Sacred Heart Parish: One Hundred Years 1922-2022

As we celebrate our hundredth anniversary, we honor Mary, who walked with us in compassion and love and hope through each of these one hundred years.

From her own grief and sorrow, Mary stands next to us in our human suffering. She has offered solace and hope in times of great sickness, from the 1918 pandemic through COVID-19. Across the years she has given comfort to parents who sent their children off to war: World War I … World War II … Korea … Viet Nam … Afghanistan … Iraq. She stood next to our ancestors during the Great Depression, and through all the times of economic distress for every generation since. She held back the raging flames of the Waldo Canyon Fire from destroying our faith and conviction, and comforted us in our fear. She knows intimately the pain of grieving parents, and offers consolation when children are lost to violence or cancer or addiction. She provides hope when we face job loss, abuse, anxiety, and anguish, and lovingly holds our suffering. She witnesses to our need for mercy in the sacraments of the Church. She walks with us to hospital beds and gravesites, and challenges us as we serve our poor, our neighbors in need. She is example and inspiration, guiding us to stand with each other as she stands with us, in compassion and love and hope.

Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.

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Our Lady of Sorrows is the Patroness of the Congregation of Holy Cross, which has served the people of Sacred Heart since 1984. The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is celebrated on September 15.

Dear Followers of Christ,

On this Sunday after Pentecost, the Church celebrates The Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. We name the God of our faith united in the three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are born again in this relationship with God when we are baptized. We even begin every prayer marking on our human bodies the names of the Trinity— Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This gesture bears witness to the world that the mark on our souls reveals itself on our bodies and in every action we perform. We belong to God and God belongs to us. 

The very nature of God is relationship. God is in unity. One name for three persons of the Trinity. We are invited into this very nature. Everything thing we do as Christians is rooted in the Trinity. Our prayer of the Eucharist is an action of the Trinity. We stand along with Christ, offering our lives to the Father, being invited by the Holy Spirit to draw closer to the central mystery of the Trinity.

We also serve in response to God’s longing for unity. We engage in love for the poor and the broken, so to offer the love we experience in faith to those who most need us. The action of the Christian is to bring to the world the unity and harmony of the Holy Trinity. Service is the outcome of our faith. It is the fruit of our prayer. It is the essence of our faith to generate faith, hope, and love in our world. We do not pray by our own will; it is the initiative of the Trinity. We do not serve by our own will; it is the generative action of the Holy Trinity that calls us forth into the world. 

In John 16:12-15, Jesus says to us that there is more to come. The Spirit of Truth will guide us to such a mystery. Even in our lives today, there is more to come in the beauty, harmony, and mystery of God. We are called into such beauty and love. In our prayer as the church, we are called to discern our way in the world. We discern our words and actions, our prayers and service for the common good and the rich harmony of God’s plan in the world. 

In our generation, we rely on God to show us peace, even when we think we are powerless in war. We rely on God to show us the dignity of life, even when abortion and the death penalty are real. We rely on God to show us how to understand one another, even when we live in conflict with our family, our neighbors, and other nations. The common good begins with our reliance on the Holy Trinity. Unity and harmony are revealed on earth only when we truly believe we are God’s beloved. We are caretakers of heavenly love in every action and in every issue on earth. The Holy Trinity forms our lives, our faith, our worship, and our ability to live with others. 

Jesus said to his disciples; “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of Truth, he will guide you to all truth.”

God give you peace,

Fr. Ron Raab, CSC, Pastor

Dear Followers of the Risen Christ,

This gospel, John 20:19-23, is one of two options for Pentecost. It is a familiar scene to us since it was proclaimed on the Second Sunday of Easter. It speaks beautifully today of the gift of peace given to us after Jesus’ resurrection. 

Pentecost is the summation of the Easter season. It boldly proclaims the gift of the Holy Spirit that is with us for all eternity. In many ways, Pentecost pushes us out of the nest and into the world to proclaim our heritage of love, peace, and forgiveness. We have celebrated Lent and Easter, the core of our faith in Jesus Christ. This feast now reveals to us how to live and how to be in our very fragile and difficult world. We confidently bring to the world the Holy Spirit that guides us, heals us, and offers us a path to our eternal home. God has promised to never leave us. We belong to Jesus Christ, and he belongs to us. 

Before the gospel is proclaimed today, we pray and sing the Sequence. It is an ancient hymn that connects us to our heritage, the beginning of the Church in the Holy Spirit. The first line of the Sequence is, “Come, Holy Spirit, come!” I am heartened by this text. It gives me great hope to speak these words again in our common prayer in the Eucharist.

I love this feast. Imagine that for centuries, the Church has proclaimed this short and vital prayer. If these four words are the only prayer you ever speak, it is enough. In fact, it is about our relationship with God and God’s relationship with us. We belong to God and the Holy Spirit resides deep within us. From our baptism, we proclaim the Holy Spirit given to us at the loving font. From the creation of the world, God breathed on the earth and creation came about. We are part of God’s breath. We are part of God’s plan and imagination. 

As we celebrate our 100th year, it is crucial that we rely even more on our relationship with the Holy Spirit. For all these years, our communities have proclaimed in good times and bad, our reliance on the healing grace of God’s care and loving presence. The Holy Spirit has opened our hearts to live lovingly in our world and opened our mouths to proclaim our reliance on God. We can’t forage our path ahead without our reliance on God. We can’t walk a path that is ours alone. We need God and God’s creating presence within us. We need to sing, act, serve, and love in God. We can’t become the People of God, called, the Church, without the gift of the Holy Spirit. So, it is up to each of us to renew our lives in the Holy Spirit on this celebration of Pentecost. 

In the gospel today, we hear the first words Jesus spoke after his resurrection. “Peace be with you.” I invite you to take this to heart. When wars and corruption invade your lives, let Jesus offer you peace. When disappointment in family life makes a home in you, know the peace of Christ. When the failure of the Church invades your space, speak peace as a sign of hope to you and others. When questions arise in you about your purpose and plans, send the prayer again to heaven, “Come, Holy Spirit, come.” This will bring peace in the most unbelievable of circumstances. 

Please, let the Holy Spirit rest in you. Acknowledge your place in God’s love. This prayer makes all the difference. 

Jesus told them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

God give you peace,

Fr. Ron Raab, CSC, Pastor

Dear Believers in the Risen Christ,

In today’s gospel, Luke 24:46-53, Jesus describes his mission on earth. He suffered and rose from the dead. Repentance and forgiveness of sins are preached in his name. Then he tells his disciples, “You are witnesses of these things.”

We too, from the depths of our faith and the glorious love Jesus has for us, are witnesses to his life on earth and to his passion, death, and resurrection. This has been handed down to us. We are partakers of such miracles. We have inherited such wisdom from those who first peered into an empty tomb. We hold in our hearts the Holy Spirit who guides us, loves us, and protects us from harm.

On this Feast of the Ascension, we celebrate Jesus leaving the earth and preparing the world for the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The Risen Christ had to physically leave the earth so the gift of the Holy Spirit could be given to the entire world. We are not alone. We are not abandoned. We are not separate from God. The gifts of God’s love, healing, and hope are made visible in our hearts and in every believer. 

Today, we examine our role as witnesses to Christ. We explore the wonder of Jesus Christ in the very fabric of our existence, in the miracle of being alive on earth. In the complexity of the world, we must believe we are part of a plan to do our part to heal, to forgive, and to work for justice. Each of us holds in our hearts a piece of glory, a treasure of heavenly hope because we belong to Jesus Christ from our baptism. Each week we process down the aisle of the church to receive the Eucharist, to taste for our own lives the incredible beauty and life of the Risen Christ. 

While we are on earth, we hold in our lives the very mission of Jesus Christ. We are to work for the common good, for peace among family, and among all our relationships. We are to seek the love God has for us, to know the wisdom of our ancestors deep within our hearts. We are witnesses to love here on earth. We must never forget our place in the love of God. We must take to heart this responsibility and call to flood the world with the beauty of Jesus’ presence because we belong to such a vision and mission.

Before Jesus parted, he raised his hand and blessed the disciples. We rest our lives under the hand of his blessing. We belong to such a moment when he left the earth and relied on his followers to carry on his mission. Don’t ever forget your call to put love into practice. Don’t let others tell you that you are not good enough for this task. Don’t forget your heart that aches for such beauty and compassion in the Master who healed the sick, forgave the sinner, and opened new paths for the lost. We all belong in him, in the wonder of our Messiah who left the earth so we could carry on his presence in every aspect of the world. All is holy, all is love. You are witnesses of these things.

As he blessed them, he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. 

God give you peace,

Fr. Ron Raab, CSC, Pastor

I am delighted to offer another art sale for the benefit of our Saint Andre House construction. You can, “Buy Now” on the parish website if you are out of town.

CLICK here for instructions and to view the 50 pieces of art for sale.

Dear Followers of the Risen Christ,

In John 14:23-29, the gospel prepares us for the feasts of the Ascension and Pentecost. Jesus tells his disciples that he will leave them and that he will eventually come back. Jesus prepares us for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who will teach us everything. The Holy Spirit will remind us of everything we learned from Jesus. 

Jesus also offers us again the primary gift of the Resurrection, an enduring and lasting peace. Peace is the first word proclaimed after he rose from the dead. Peace is revealed by the Holy Spirit and flows into our hearts and lives if we remain in him. Peace is a gift not yet realized in most human hearts and certainly not in our world. Our ancestors in faith, especially the mystics and saints, offer us stories time and again about how they struggled in life and yet maintained the gift of peace because they trusted in the power of God’s love and in the realization of Jesus’ dying and rising. We may not be saints, but our hearts are also restless. It is our life journey to be instruments of peace in the center of our suffering, our misfortunes, and even on our death beds. Peace is hard to come by, because we must grow into our hearts of faith and that growth takes us an entire lifetime. 

Once again in the Easter season, Jesus also tells us to not let our hearts be troubled. He invites us not to be afraid. This is his message of peace once again. We struggle with faith because we think faith will change us, that God will tell us to live beyond our gifts, wants, and talents. Instead, God is invested in our lives as they are. God uses our gifts and talents for good. The difference is that we understand our lives are in him, for him, and because of him. This is a lifetime of peace. When we can surrender to such beauty and love of God, we become the followers God desires us to be, people who love even in fear, people who imagine even in our stubbornness, and people who believe even in our suffering. 

This Easter season continues to offer us Jesus Christ in images of consolation and wonder. He is the giver of peace. He is the consolation of love even in fear. The Easter season reveals in his resurrection the power of God’s commitment to us. This commitment is in the depths of our baptism. We die to self and live in Christ. We are born again. Easter lives in the connection of our lives as Christians. 

As we approach the Ascension of Jesus and then Pentecost, here are some questions to ask:

How is Jesus inviting you into a greater peace within your own life?

How is Jesus inviting you into a life of less fear, self-hatred, and violence?

How has the Easter season changed your perspective on Jesus Christ and your commitment to him and your commitment within the Church?

Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him…”

God give you peace,

Fr. Ron Raab, CSC, Pastor

I learned yesterday that Jim Telthorst, a priest from Saint Louis died in March. Fred Moleck, (right) also died in 2021.

These two men were champions of Vatican II. I first met them when I was in graduate school at Notre Dame.

Jim lived at Saint Joseph Church in South Bend for five summers while studying liturgy at Notre Dame. He was one of the most profound preachers I have ever heard. When he preached on Sunday, I would sit in the back pew of the church and take notes. However, my heart could not capture his love for God and his enthusiasm for the Church in the era of the Second Vatican Council. He loved people. He loved the gospel. He loved our search for the wisdom of God’s love for us. He was a great mentor.

Fred was an incredible personality. He earned a doctorate in music. The church organ was his home. Our paths crossed many times in our careers. After I left Saint Joseph Church in 1984, he served there as Director of Music. We also lived in Chicago at the same time. His personality was bigger than life. His spontaneous humor, his love for community building through music, earned him much respect by so many people. His was a champion for liturgical music as a vehicle for justice, community formation, and searching for God. His leadership was contagious. I have never laughed so hard as I did in his presence through the years.

I took this photo at the National Association of Pastoral Musicians Convocation in Saint Louis in the summer of 2014. The three of us had lunch that day. It was the last time we sat together. I will miss them.

These are just two of the people I have met through the years that instilled enthusiasm for church life and what the church means in the world. I also grieve the loss of such joy and meaning in the church today. We have lost our edge. We have lost our joy in believing the purpose of the church is for people. I don’t think it was just my youthful enthusiasm that caught their friendship. I believe it was the grace of God aching to show us all that life is worth it and that faith is the only way home.

Monsignor James Telthorst, rest in peace.

Dr. Fred Moleck, rest in peace.

Dear Followers of the Risen Christ,

On this Fifth Sunday of Easter, we listen to John 13:31-33a. In this simple passage, Jesus offers a deep and passionate invitation to love one another. This command harkens back to the Last Supper, when Jesus surrounded himself with his disciples, washed their feet, and offered them his Real Presence in bread and wine— a new covenant, a new way of life, a new purpose on this side of the grave. He offers a new way of seeing the world, a new way to respect the dignity of people and reveal hope to those most in need. Love never fades. 

A new commandment: Love one another. I am always heartened in the Easter season that the images of Jesus are ones of consolation, healing, tenderness, and abundance. He offered his invitation of peace when he first met his disciples after the resurrection. There was an abundance of fish and new life as he met Peter and others at the seashore. The image of “shepherd” is one of great consolation, since we know he chases down sinners and embraces the lost. A new commandment is offered this week, a reflection of what his life on earth and his risen life amid the disciples means to us. I believe with my entire being that he still wants the best for us. He still views his life as a source of love for sinners and for us, who are so slow to listen to his voice and discover his love.

This new covenant is also about what Jesus left us, the Eucharist. His Real Presence is true food, true love, and true forgiveness. There is love in the food and hope for those who share it. We gather, not in private devotion, but in community that aches for such life and love. We feast on his Real Presence in bread and wine. His Body and Blood become a source of eternal life for us who follow his ways. We still gather, after all these centuries, to find the source of love around a table of love. We belong to him. He is our way of life, our commitment toward justice, our way of hope even in sorrow and loss. 

As we approach the Eucharist today, may we realize that love is in our food. In receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, may we respond with intention and vigor. Allow our “Amen” to echo across the church building, creating a space under our roof where we know justice can flourish and hope will have a home. How will you find joy and freedom in the Eucharist this day? 

Today, we also welcome our children to the Table of the Lord who will receive the Eucharist for the first time at Sacred Heart. I am deeply heartened by our young ones who have studied, prayed, and prepared to welcome Jesus into their lives and actions in a deeper way. I appreciate the parents who have prepared their children for this sacrament. Please know of my prayer for all receiving Eucharist for the first time and their families in these beautiful days of the Easter season.  

Today, our children make an incredible commitment. I pray they may always be hungry for God. I pray they may rely on the gift of love no matter what happens in their lives in the future. I pray they may connect their prayer and their service to the weak and suffering. On this day, our children are preparing for their future, and I pray they may always feel welcomed in the church, no matter the events of their lives. 

The Eucharist creates integrity in our search for God. We approach the Altar knowing the source of our lives, Jesus Christ. In his love and mission, we find ourselves open to harmony and hope. We find our place in the heart of Jesus Christ. 

“This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

God give you peace,

Fr. Ron Raab, CSC, Pastor

Dear Followers of the Good Shepherd,

On this Fourth Sunday of Easter, we listen to and pray with this short passage, John 10: 27-30. This Fourth Sunday of Easter is traditionally called, “Good Shepherd Sunday.” This is one of my favorite images of Jesus Christ. He cares for us. He recognizes us. We are known. We are his. We listen in love. We come to know and hear his voice. 

This short gospel starts off with a bold statement from the mouth of Jesus. “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” I suspect this might be all we ever need to hear from him. In this Easter season, we take these words seriously. We have spent the Lenten season sorting through the pain of life to find Jesus at our core. He is our identity. Nothing else takes the place of such love. In his resurrection, new life abounds in us. We need to take time for such prayer, to quiet our lives to hear the voice of the Shepherd. He is our guide if we first get out of our own way. Then we can open our ears and hearts to the sound of his voice. In baptism, we belong to such love. Easter reveals to us that our commitment in baptism offers us the desire to hear his voice, to strengthen our following, and to assure us of our purpose on earth. So, at Easter, we listen carefully and with love. 

This scripture invites us into a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. The Easter event is our door to new life, to new possibilities, to new healing and forgiveness. We rest in the assurance that Jesus cares for us no matter what, no matter how we shun his love or turn our backs on his invitation. Over the course of time, we learn to follow him. I believe this may take us an entire lifetime to explore and to follow. 

In this short passage, we also hear that Jesus and the Father are one. In many daily gospels in the Lenten season, they revealed such unity to us. Over again, the connection to Jesus and the Father was revealed in our liturgies. Without this connection to the Divine, Jesus would never become the Messiah, the one who brings us life eternal. Easter reveals the reasons then why this unity is so important. Jesus does not act on his own to bring us forgiveness, truth, and beauty in our lives and in our world. 

What does it mean for us to pray with the image of the Good Shepherd? How in your life do you need to be found? How in your life do you need to know God will not abandon you? These are important and vital questions for us to consider in the Easter season. I believe the Shepherd chases us down. He embraces us when we want to squirm our way out of his arms. He forgives us when we believe we must do all the forgiving on our own. He loves us when we are unlovable. He speaks when we don’t speak well of others. He claims us when we feel abandoned and lost. He also offers us eternal life when we feel our suffering is the only thing we cling to. 

I don’t know about you, but I want to be chased down by the Shepherd we call, “Good.” Easter is the time for such prayer and surrender to such good. 

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me…”

God give you peace,

Fr. Ron Raab, CSC, Pastor

Read my latest article in The Priest Magazine, May 2022