Saint Mary of the Assumption
Rev. Fr. Craig R. Eilerman

Dear Parishioners,

My memory is clear of the day in 1960 when the then pastor of St. Mary Magdalene parish, Fr. Bauschard came to our home to enthrone it to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I was four years old and we had recently moved into a new house, so it was also an opportunity to have our new home blessed. Without being told, I knew this was a special occasion; my mother had prepared the dining room table with the image of the Sacred Heart placing two burning candles on either side. Fr. Bauschard was welcomed warmly into our home and then began the enthronement prayers, at one point blessing the image and then blessing all of us with Holy Water making sure to get me extra wet, which brought levity to a solemn occasion. The image was then enthroned in a prominent place in our living room, where it stayed until the day, I removed it after the death of my parents and the house was sold in 2013.

June is the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a devotion that invites us to meditate on the great love both human and divine, that Our Lord has for us.  By enthroning an image of the Sacred Heart in our home we are placing Jesus at the center of our family and our lives. The words of Jesus himself in today’s Gospel reading shows the importance of this act. “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father” At the bottom of this email you can find more information on how to enthrone the Sacred Heart in your home. Dan and Sharon Boyden will be happy to answer any questions you may have and provide you with the necessary information needed for an enthronement.

My warm wishes to all fathers on this Father’s Day. It is a wonderful custom we have in honoring and remembering our fathers each year. Dad’s sometimes do not get the same recognition that we give our mothers. If your father is still with you, thank him for all that he has given and done for you. If he has passed on, honor him with a prayer of thanksgiving to God. If your father is alive or deceased do not let this day pass without acknowledging the importance he has been in your life.

Our attendance at the Lord’s Day Masses continues to go up slowly each week. About 300 people attended the three Masses last weekend. Some people are choosing to attend one of the daily Masses when a much smaller number typically attends, this is a good option as well.  My thanks to those stay after Mass and help sanitize the church and my appreciation to all who continue to support the parish financially with your offering.

As the weather warms, I hope you are able to get outside more and enjoy God’s great gift of nature. One day all this will pass, and we will have stories to tell about the pandemic of 2020.

Let us continue to pray for one another.

Father Craig R. Eilerman
Pastor