Friday, June 19th, our beloved Holy Father, Benedict XVI, proclaimed “The Year of the Priest.” The announcement came during the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney, the Cure’ of Ars and the patron saint

of all parish priests. In the announcement, the Pope said: “’The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus’, the saintly Curé of Ars would often say. This touching expression makes us reflect, first of all, with heartfelt gratitude on the immense gift which priests represent, not only for the Church, but also for humanity itself. I think of all those priests who quietly present Christ’s words and actions each day to the faithful and to the whole world, striving to be one with the Lord in their thoughts and their will, their sentiments and their style of life.” The Pope concluded by saying: “To the Most Holy Virgin I entrust this Year for Priests. I ask her to awaken in the heart of every priest a generous and renewed commitment to the ideal of complete self-oblation to Christ and the Church which inspired the thoughts and actions of the saintly Curé of Ars. It was his fervent prayer life and his impassioned love of Christ Crucified that enabled John Mary Vianney to grow daily in his total self-oblation to God and the Church.” Dear parishioners: during this Year of the Priest, Fr. Carlos and I ask for your prayers; that all priests, but especially us, will be faithful to their calling, following the example of Christ, the High Priest.