Saluki Catholics

06/01/2026

Not too late to sign-up and hang out with some@priests for a few days!!

05/27/2026

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” - Matthew 18:20
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School year 2025-2026

05/20/2026

St. Francis Xavier and the Newman Center are working together on a picture directory for our community. There has been some issues with the QR code in the bulletin, so to make an appointment (for June 15 or 16) you can use this one or simply go to https://instant-scheduling.com/sch.php?page=&lang=en&year=2026&month=06&day=01&subPage=newApp&aNum=3534502&step=2&sceId=&typId=66316&a=

05/14/2026

Bulletin Thoughts from Tim for Ascension (celebrated on Sunday):

In our daily Mass readings a few weeks ago, there was an interesting exchange between Jesus and the apostle Jude (not Judas Iscariot). It is a part of the Gospel of John called the Last Supper Discourses, in Chapter 14. On the night before he was to suffer and die, Jesus told his disciples that the Father would send to them the Holy Spirit, to be with them and to strengthen them to do the works of the Father. Jesus warned them that [because of his crucifixion] “in a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me [in the resurrection], because I live and you will live” (14:19).

Jude was concerned and disturbed by this, and he said to Jesus, “Master, then _what_happened_ that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” This was a change of plan, at least from the viewpoint of Jude and the apostles. They thought the Kingdom of God was coming soon, with Christ rising up to take over the whole world, throw out the Romans, and become everyone’s Messiah, King, and Savior in a new Jewish empire. What happened to the plan?!? What happened to the fulfillment of everything for everyone everywhere? Jesus, why don’t you just make it happen now?

In today’s readings for the Ascension, we get an answer. In our first reading, from Acts, Jesus did in fact appear alive to his disciples, as he promised them he would in John 14. And again, they ask him: now are you going to restore the Kingdom of Israel?? Jesus replied, well, no, not yet. That’s not the plan. Instead, the plan is this: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses…to the ends of the earth.” I have come to save the entire world and establish my Kingdom, that is and always has been the plan; but you all—with the power of the Holy Spirit—get to do the leg work!

Christ ascended, but he did not abandon us. He lives, we will live, he is with us, and the Holy Spirit is with us. As our second reading says, after the Ascension Jesus is now seated in heaven with the Father, but his body—his Church—us!—remains to carry on his work. We have always been a part of the plan, as witnesses and workers and proclaimers of the Gospel in our words and actions and lives. He will be with us, to the end of the age, but it is we who must go out and “make disciples of all nations, baptizing [in water and Spirit] in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Just as all three persons of the Trinity are involved, so are all of us, the members of his body. That is the plan, and it always has been, since before the Fall of Adam and Eve. We are not spectators; we are not subjects; we are apostles, sent out into the world to bring God’s presence and God’s plan to everyone. Jesus was _sent_into_ the world to do the work of the Father; we are _sent_out_ to the world to continue that work in His name.

05/12/2026

Bishop Godfrey has worked quickly to make priest appointments, including many pastor appointments that could not be made official without a bishop in place. Fr. Michael Arockiam has been appointed to be the new chaplain of the Newman Center and Pastor of St. Francis Xavier. We are excited to have a resident priest back in Carbondale! Many thanks to Fr. Joel Seipp and Fr. Bill Spencer for serving us so selflessly over the last year or more.

04/28/2026

Adoration tonight 5:15-6:15! Fr. Joel is out of town, so no mass or confession.

04/26/2026

04/07/2026

Bibles and Brews this Thursday!

04/03/2026

In a recent appeal mailing from the Newman Center, I shared a quote from one of St. John Henry Newman's early sermons ( #22). Newman had been thinking about the question of why Christ only appeared to certain people after His resurrection, and not everyone throughout the world. "[God] showed him openly, not to all the people, but only to witnesses chosen beforehand by God." The Risen Jesus did not go on a world tour to demonstrate the power of God. He didn't appear to Herod and Pilate, or to the Pharisees or in the Jewish Temple, to gloat over them about his victory over death. He only appeared to those whom God had chosen to be His witnesses to the world, to the ones who would be sent out to baptize all the nations in His name.

From that point on, belief in Jesus and His resurrection would not be because of signs, wonders, healings, and miracles. New believers, moved by the Holy Spirit, would come to believe because of the testimony and witness of others. Christians would become Christian because some other follower of Christ had shared their story and witnessed to the Christ alive in their own lives. This is God’s plan to spread the Good News. And we today must be such witnesses. As Newman wrote, "Though we are not witnesses of Christ's actual resurrection, we are so spiritually. By a heart awake from the dead, and by affections set on heaven, we can truly witness that Christ lives."

When Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb learned of the resurrection, she was told by the angel, "Go and tell his disciples and Peter..." Let those words ring out to all of us this Easter season: Go and tell. After forty days of Lenten preparation, prayer, and sacrifice, finally today we celebrate Christ’s victory over death. This Easter season, we will celebrate -not only His own Resurrection, but we will celebrate the countless ways in which every one of us have died—in our struggles, failures, and doubts—and been born anew in release, forgiveness, and commitment. Each of us has a personal resurrection story to witness to and share. The faith that we received from others we must in turn pass along: “Weak though we may be, we should in turn had it on; glorifying Him in our lives, and in all our words and works witnessing Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection!”

We need to tell others that Christ was raised. We need to tell others that He is alive. We need to let others know that we have found the empty tomb in our own lives and then discovered abundant life. We need to share with others how the Risen Christ has transformed our lives and our mission on earth with peace and joy. We need to tell them that they, too, can live forever with God in perfect happiness. So go and tell.

04/01/2026

Updated date: MAY 1st