The Pastor's Pen

May 4, 2025

Of many things….

Thanks for all who have already made your pledge to help the Annual Catholic Appeal.

What a gift your donation is - helping so many people whom you will never meet

know the love of God in their hearts. This year’s theme, “Messengers of Hope,” piggy

backs on the Jubilee year theme - Pilgrims of Hope, and highlights all the ways we

believers make hope real by our pledges. Thank you for the amazing way you

responded to the Appeal last year. And for your prayerful consideration this year. And,

even if you are not in a position to be able to donate, please sign/return your form as

that will save our staff and volunteers some time with the appeal follow up. And if you

are not able to donate much, know that EVERY gift matters and makes a difference…

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So, our (final?**) Garage sale is ramping up at the Thomas the Apostle Complex, and is

less than two months away. As that happens, the need for volunteers is also

increasing, as items coming in need to be sorted and priced and readied for sale.

Please contact Theresa Brandt at 314-303-1720, at your earliest convenience to

volunteer. Besides being a huge help to the folks running the sale, it is a great way to

meet fellow parishioners and perhaps make a friend or

two in the process.

(** Why the word “final?” in the parenthesis above? There is movement on a potential

sale of the property, and depending on timing of the sale and contract, we may or may

not own the property when next June arrives. We will know something by

the time of this year’s garage sale to make a determination about next year’s….)

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So, to let you know that the scheduled Men's ACTS retreat for this weekend has been

cancelled due to lack of retreatants. Scheduling and calendars are always difficult. And

May is a busy month. But eventually, there is a go or no go deadline that has to be

attended to. And, unfortunately, we did not have the numbers needed when that date

arrived. My thanks to the Team members who gave so much time to their own

formation and preparation leading up to the retreat. (It is a thirteen-week process – of

prayer, talks, planning and meetings for each ACTS retreat. Thank you for your

generosity in that formation.) Stay tuned for updates about the next retreat. It is my

hope that many people take advantage of the many retreat options offered here at

Sacred Heart for their continued development and growth in the faith.

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And, in case you have not heard, Father Gerson was granted his visa to return to the

United States, and has come back to St. Louis. He has been assigned as full time

associate pastor to Christ, Prince of Peace Parish, in Manchester, MO. (and he has

retrieved his possessions from the rooms in the rectory where they had been stored.

So our guest bedroom is back up and running.) Join me in thanking God for allowing

him the chance to return to this, his ‘home diocese.’ And pray that he may navigate

whatever channels are necessary to make his residency a permanent reality.

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“Our” seminarian, Nick Reinagel, has finished his time with our youth group and parish,

and is back, full time, at the seminary, to finish out this year’s course of studies. One

more week of classes and then exams. This summer he plans, among other things, to

make a 30 Day Ignatian Retreat. Please keep him in your prayers. (And,

depending on his pastoral assignment for next year, he might be needing a place to

crash between the end of his retreat/summer activities and the beginning of the

school year. So, if that is helpful to him, we might see him a few more times before the

next school year begins…)

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Finally, a quote from our late Pope Francis, from his last address to the faithful this

Easter Sunday.

“Sisters and brothers, especially those of you experiencing pain and sorrow, your silent

cry has been heard and your tears have been counted; not one of them has been lost!...

The resurrection of Jesus is indeed the basis of our hope. For in the light of this event,

hope is no longer an illusion.... That hope is not an evasion, but a challenge; it does not

delude, but empowers us.”

—Pope Francis (1936–2025), "Urbi Et Orbi"; Easter, 2025