July 19, 2026
July 15, 2026
Dear Friends,
This past week one of my favorite individuals had a birthday!
My mother’s sister, Marilyn, my aunt, my Godmother, and a woman I admire so much was blessed acknowledging a new year! I am going to say it because I am proud of her and she looks fabulous! On July 16th Marilyn turned 93 years old! If I can say so myself, you would never know it.
You may not have had the pleasure of meeting my aunt so far, but to give you an idea of her youthfulness and pizzaz, she and Sister Barbara Moore are college classmates and friends. Whatever happened the year these two distinguished women were born, there was some special grace blessing them both!
My biological family is not strong in numbers but strong in love for one another. I am so grateful for Marilyn.
Marilyn’s faith is strong and she has had crosses to bear but has always know the Lord’s words as we have recently heard, “Come to me all you who labor and burdened…” Marilyn’s life has had many blessings and joys and I wanted to acknowledge how grateful I am for her!!!
To everyone enjoying a July birthday or perhaps like myself, you know someone who is having one, celebrate them and let them know how much they mean to you!
Marilyn, Happy Birthday and God Bless you!
Love,
Rob
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Father Rob's Weekly Message
Dear Friends, First of all, thank you to everyone who reached out to me with birthday greetings. I am very appreciative and grateful to the Lord for another day/year to celebrate joys and blessings of my natal life! I lift each of you in my prayers of thanksgiving!!! I was blessed to be with wonderful friends for my birthday and a week following. Some of you know, my “second home” has been in Beverly, Massachusetts. Now, get it right, I’ve never owned a home there, (hello, I do not have that financial realm) but I have been blessed to be part of the North Shore for forty plus years. I won’t bore you, but I met the North Shore of Cape Ann in 1982. The beginning of my journey there was as a Chaplain at Beverly Hospital with a seminary program called Clinical Pastoral Education. It was profound as I was to minister to the pediatric floor and the terminal dying. At this time, I actually lived in the hospital. It will always be a gift to me and my Director, Rev. Don Hunt was a wonderful, instrumental guide in my ministry. Then, a wonderful Pastor, Father Richard Johnson, asked if I would consider coming back the following summer and work with him. The parish was Saint Mary Star of the Sea. Well, it was possible and I did, and my life has never been the same. Many friends/family, I have made over these decades. There have been endless joys. And with love and time, we have had weddings, baptisms, stresses, funerals, and all the life situations we all know as families. I do not own physical property, but I will say, I have in my soul the bounty of family and friends in the most blessed way. I am grateful. As you might have heard and been informed about, Bishop John Bonnici will be with us September 26 for the 5:30 mass at Saint Catherine’s. We invited him to come and he asked if this liturgy would be possible. Well, of course!!! This day we will suspend our 4 PM mass so that we might all come together to meet and welcome our Bishop! I pray you will come and meet Bishop Bonnici. A few times, his presence has been gifted with me to engage in meeting him and having some conversation. After mass, there will be a light reception where you can introduce yourselves and welcome him to our parishes and diocese. If you are in town this weekend, please come and celebrate our mass with Bishop Bonnici and one another! Holding onto summer, Blessings, Father Rob
Dear Friends, Fr. Rob is on a well-deserved vacation! Margie Benza has written this week’s column. Parish Ministry Fair September 12 and 13, 2026 It has been quite a while since we brought our faith communities together to offer a hands-on and visual opportunity to see where God is working through us in ministry. It’s also a moment of discernment where God may be calling you to serve. Our Ministry Fair will be held at both parishes after Masses on the weekend of September 12th and 13th . Each parish will offer information on their respective ministries with a chance to speak with someone, or take a flyer and sign up if you’re so moved. Think of the Ministry Fair as an opportunity to meet other parishioners, and share our time and talent with each other and for each other. From greeting or serving as a lector at Mass, helping with our faith formation ministry, serving those in need, to working in our Community Garden, there are so many ways for you to spread the good news of our faith through your actions. Our gospel continues to call us to serve one another in small ways ang large ways in our parishes, our city, in Kentucky or globally to name a few. A small example that I have seen personally is parishioners serving the homeless and hopeless. A small kindness filled their hunger and offered them hope and dignity. Join us, won’t you, for this opportunity to be the hands and hearts of Jesus in someone’s life? See you after Masses in the Parish Life Center at Transfiguration and in the Schnacky Center at St. Catherine’s. Margie Benza Pastoral Associate
Dear Friends, Fr. Rob is on a well-deserved vacation! Anne Gallagher and Karen Luke have written this week’s column. Parents, this is a special message just for you! (And everyone else, please share this message with a busy parent you know.) If you are anything like us, when the calendar flips to August, those "September scaries" start creeping up, and the anxiety about the fall family schedule begins. Everything can get overwhelming very quickly! Our prayer for you this month is that each of you can STOP, take a DEEP BREATH, and open a quiet space in your heart to listen to what God is speaking to you. As parents, we focus so much on our kids, but God desires to spend time with YOU too! Here are some opportunities coming up this year to help adults grow in faith. Please take a moment to prayerfully consider God's invitation to you. Adult Fellowship Nights: On Wednesday nights in October, join us for a free dinner and small group conversation at St. Catherine's, beginning at 6PM. Our topic is "Four Weeks to Fruitfulness", and we will be looking at the upcoming Sunday Mass readings and reflecting on how they speak to our daily lives. If you are looking for a fun way to jumpstart your prayer life and connect to our faith community, this short-term commitment is a great place to start! Childcare will be provided. Please RSVP to Anne by Oct. 1. Order of Christian Initiation for Adults: If you have never been baptized, been baptized Christian in another denomination, or been baptized Roman Catholic but never received First Eucharist or Confirmation, you are a candidate for the OCIA program. AND, if you are already a fully initiated Catholic but would like the chance to explore our Catholic beliefs more deeply alongside those who are preparing to be initiated, you are welcome to participate too! Sessions begin in the fall, and candidates are received into the Church at the Easter Vigil. Contact Karen for more info. Other great opportunities for adults coming up this fall include: ·Women’s Bible Study ·The Ignatian Spiritual Exercises ·Silent Directed Retreat Parent Survey: It's now been three years since St. Catherine and Transfiguration combined our lifelong faith formation offerings into a shared program. In that time, we've been blessed to get to know families from both parishes, to watch our ministries thrive, and to accompany so many people of all ages as they grow closer to God and the Church. THANK YOU for all you have done to support us and our faith community through these changes! Looking ahead, we know that there will always be more changes in store. While we are NOT planning any major changes to our program offerings in the 2026-2027 formation year, we need to use this time to intentionally and prayerfully plan for the future. Your voice matters to us. Please take the time to thoughtfully give us your feedback on some of the questions we are asking as we look to the future. Click HERE to take the survey. We are also convening a Faith Formation/Youth Ministry planning team to advise us as we set goals for the coming years. Please prayerfully consider joining us! We will be praying for all of you as we enjoy these last weeks of summer and gear up for the year ahead. Please hold us in your prayers as well! Peace in Christ, Anne and Karen
