Pastor’s Letter: October 25, 2026

Pastor’s Letter: October 25, 2026

23 Oct 2026 | Posted by: chadmin

Dear St. Philomena Parish Family,

May the Lord’s blessing be upon you all this day!  This is one of those columns that I’m working on ahead of time…I pray that as you read it my retreat has been fruitful and that you are enjoying a grace-filled weekend! I am excited to share with you something coming up in November as we remember those Souls who have gone before us in Faith…an “End-of-Life Series” that will hopefully help us prepare well for ourselves and those we love. We will have a couple of talks, both with 2 opportunities so that we can work around our busy schedules. On November 6 and 7 at 10am, I will give a talk on Last Sacraments, Catholic Funerals, and Burials…along with sharing a St. Philomena funeral planning resource that we have been working on. We are also planning to have present that day some folks who can help with specific kinds of questions, ranging from funeral home planning to financial planning. Then, on November 17 and 21 at 10am, we will host Msgr. Mark Merdian for a talk on End-of-Life Medical Ethics. Msgr. Merdian is our Diocesan medical ethics expert, who will share with us Church teaching and speak to recent legislation regarding end-of-life decision making. We will have more details to share in the weeks ahead! For this week, we’ll continue with Msgr. Gray’s book study:

Treasure in Clay: The Autobiography of Fulton J. Sheen…Chapter 15

For this chapter, Msgr. Gray asks, “Give some examples of the respect that Sheen had for the different Popes. How did this strengthen his faith in the Church? What did the Popes say to Sheen about being a “prophet of the times,” or about suffering? Although Sheen concluded that he “had done little” in his service of the Church, what did the Popes say about him? What did St. John Paul II say to Sheen on October 2, 1979? (Read the funeral homily at the end of the epilogue for this answer.) Between the extremes of liberal freedom (doing what you please) and totalitarianism (doing what you must), Sheen calls us to an enlightened conscience (doing what you ought). According to Sheen, how does John Paul II call us to live the Kingdom of God, especially in the United States?”

 Answers: Sheen had a mystical experience in seminary of total faith in God and total faith in his body, the Church. He saw this concretely expressed in the person of the Pope, the visible head of the Church. This was the basis for his indefatigable devotion to the Holy Father. Individual examples will vary. Pius XII referred to Sheen as “a prophet of the times” who “will have a high place in Heaven.” John XXIII told Sheen, “You have suffered much, which will bring you to a high place in Heaven.” Before seeing Paul VI, Sheen asked whether he had really done much to serve the Church or cast fire on the earth. Paul VI later praised him for his dedication to the Eucharist, to saving souls, and to the missions. John Paul II told Sheen, “You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus. You are a loyal son of the Church.” Sheen said that John Paul II was sent to the Church in the new millennium to respond to the false mysticism of our times. In the United States, we have radical individualism with deep social divisions. John Paul II was a sign of contradiction as a man of faith that fascinated the world.

Personally, I am always amazed at how relevant Sheen’s teaching is in our modern times. Although some of his examples and humor might sound dated, the explanations of Catholic Faith and his responses to the challenges of our times feel just as helpful today as they would have been in his own day. Last summer I read some of his work on Communism, fully expecting to have to push myself through it. On the contrary, I found it incredibly clear and inciteful!

Treasure in Clay: The Autobiography of Fulton J. Sheen…Chapter 16

For Chapter 16, Msgr. Gray continues… “Explain the three types of conversion or metanoia: those who seek God without being aware, those who acknowledge God but on the edge of their lives, and those who receive supernatural enlightenment. Which of the conversion stories made the biggest impact on you and why? (One of the stories was from a parish census that Sheen performed at St. Patrick, Peoria.) What did Sheen mean when he said most people do not have trouble with the Creed but with the commandments? Is this still true today?”

Answers: Those who seek God without being aware experience conversion but without any clear sense of direction. Those who acknowledge God on the edge of their lives know that they need to reform, but it does not penetrate the heart. Those who receive supernatural enlightenment feel a deep need for repentance from the heart. Stories about individual conversions may vary. Being told what to believe doesn’t touch the heart as much as being told how to act. The Creed tells us what we should accept in our intellect, but the commandments tell us that we have done wrong. The Creed doesn’t tell us that we are bad, but the commandments tell us when we have sinned, and this wounds the heart.

As we come to the end of this column, I’m realizing how quickly the weeks have gone by…just a couple more weeks to finish up Msgr. Gray’s book study! Know of my prayers and blessing for you all this week!

In Christ,
Father Luke