Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Jerome,

May the Peace of Jesus Christ be with all of you!

I would like to thank all those who supported our Kermes Festival last weekend with your presence and your collaboration. So much joy abounded with the music, dancing and good food. It was a very successful event. I was quite pleased to see so many new faces, and also old faces of our people after such a long period of COVID-19 restrictions. I hope that our initiative to bring our people back to fellowship at this year’s Kermes Festival will become the motivation for those who have not yet returned to Mass since the City lockdown of almost a year and a half ago to join us once again for Sunday worship.

There were plenty of generous volunteers who made our Kermes Festival successful. The effort of our parish ministers and our volunteers who worked so hard in the kitchen, in the booths, in the organization in general and in all aspects of the Kermes before and after the event was amazing. Our parish is truly blessed to have hardworking people like so many of you. I cannot thank you enough for what I have seen and for what you have shared.

Unfortunately, there are often unexpected mishaps in such large events. Something that can diminish our excitement when we are on top of success and accomplishments. Truly, life is full of the unexpected.

One such mishap took place on Sunday night, at the close of Kermes, when we were pulling down a long strand of lights that spanned across the small parking lot. One of our volunteers, Juan Herbas, fell off the ladder. With the weight of the lights, he was pulled away from the wall on which the ladder was leaning. It was a life-threatening accident, indeed! It was traumatic for those of us who were there to see Juan on the ground, bleeding and groaning in pain, while we waited for the ambulance and paramedics to arrive. My worries for Juan subsided only after I saw him at the hospital on early Monday morning when he was stabilized. His broken ankle requires an operation and a long period of healing. It is tragic enough but could have been so much worse. Many thanks to all those who attended to Juan that night. Sure enough, this was a big learning experience for all of us. I hope that nothing like this ever happens again. The safety of our people is our major priority. Please pray for Juan’s quick and full recovery.

On another note, some of you are probably aware that the Claret Center chose our parish as a counseling site for their interns. They send us a counselor every year. This time, Sister Norma Pocasangre from the Maryknoll Missionaries will be with us for a year. Her contact information is in this bulletin issue. If there is anyone in the parish who could be helped by a counselor while dealing with some challenging personal issues, this opportunity of meeting with Sr. Norma, who is bilingual, might be very good for them.

Also, our new business manager began working with us during the week. Her name is Patricia Palacios. Please introduce yourself to her when you see her at the parish business office. Maire Duggan will continue to be a support to the business manager’s office and our benefactors office.

I am sure that you heard during our weekend announcements the invitation of praying for Holy Vocations during our Solemn Vespers on Sunday evenings. Please come at least once a month and bring your children or grandchildren so that they may be introduced to this beautiful Catholic tradition of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Our encounter with Jesus Christ happens during our public and private prayers. Like the Apostles who sought to bring others to Jesus, we ourselves ought to introduce our young people to Jesus. Our young people are so challenged by the influence of social media which snatches them away from a much deeper meaning of life and success. Our encounter with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament directs us towards a purposeful lifestyle united with Him. Our participation in the Sacramental life of the Church is nourished and cultivated when our connection with Jesus is firm and certain.

The chapel of Notre Dame in the basement of the church (Paulina St. entrance) has Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after each weekday Mass in the evening. In addition to the silent time for prayer, we normally pray together the Compline (Night Prayer) from the Breviary in communion with the entire Church. (See the Mass & Devotions schedule in this bulletin). We have so many opportunities to encounter Jesus Christ in our parish life. Our ability to make time for God and to define our priorities according to our Christian values will usher us to a meaningful and fulfilling life. As we are reminded by St. Peter in the Gospel reading this weekend, “Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:69)

Until next weekend.

Sincerely in Christ and Mary,