Dear Brothers and Sisters,

"You ask how the bread becomes the Body of Christ, and the wine . . . the Blood of Christ I shall tell you: the Holy Spirit comes upon them and accomplishes what surpasses every word and thought . . . Let it be enough for you to understand that it is by the Holy Spirit, just as it was of the Holy Virgin and by the Holy Spirit that the Lord, through and in himself, took flesh." - St. John Damascene

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Holy Spirit. The Catholic Church, as founded by Christ, celebrates the fact that the Holy Spirit was not an isolated event two thousand years ago. The same Holy Spirit that descended upon the first disciples remains with us to this very day. The same Holy Spirit enables all of us to hear Our Lord’s call to follow Him every day. It the same Holy Spirit that enables us to build the Kingdom of God here and now. It is the same Holy Spirit that enables us to do God’s work, while we await His return!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“The most important person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral—a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby’s body… The angels have not been blessed with such a grace. They cannot share in God’s creative miracle to bring new saints to Heaven. Only a human mother can. Mothers are closer to God the Creator than any other creature; God joins forces with mothers in performing this act of creation… What on God’s good earth is more glorious than this; to be a mother?” - József Cardinal Mindszenty

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In the Catholic Church, the month of May is dedicated to Our Blessed Mother. The May crowning is an act of popular devotion in honor of our Blessed Mother that is repeated every year as an expression of our love for Our Lady and it is usually done during the month of May. Perhaps you or someone you know has some confusion about Mary and the role She has in our life. The Church has always taught that Catholics believe our worship is due to God alone. Catholics do not worship Mary. Catholics worship God alone. However, Catholics do venerate Mary and in May we honor her in a special way with our May Crowing. It is appropriate to show our love for our Blessed Mother because she is the Mother of God, the Mother of Our Savior.