St. Francis Xavier Parish

09/08/2026

Today, on the feast of her Nativity, we celebrate the birth of Our Lady. Her perfect example of unconditional love and humble devotion reminds us of the impact one life can have on future generations.
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As we reflect on Mary's holy witness, we invite you to prayerfully consider how you will protect your family and guide future generations in the faith by creating an estate plan.
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Preparing a will ensures your loved ones are cared for and allows you to build an enduring legacy of faith for your neighbors at St. Francis Xavier. To learn more, reach out to [NAME] at [EMAIL].

09/08/2026

Every September 8, the Church celebrates the Nativity of Mary!
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Mary was specially set apart from the moment of her conception to play a critical role in our salvation. We can entrust our prayers to her in the same way that God entrusted her to bring his son into the world.

08/23/2026

Today’s Gospel demonstrates that Christ desired to place Peter – and his successors – as the visible head of his Church. Y
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es, God willed from the beginning to leave his Church with a leader who could safeguard the quintessential confession of Christ as the “Son of the living God,” but there’s more to it than this. Peter is given keys to the kingdom of heaven.
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And what are keys for if not to open doors? In a very real way, the mission of our Holy Father is to open up access to God’s kingdom, and there are many examples of this.
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On World Mission Sunday in 2011, Pope Benedict said, “The proclamation of the Gospel is intended for all peoples.” And Pope Francis, speaking at World Youth Day in 2023, emphasized that the Gospel is for todos, todos, todos – everyone, everyone, everyone, without exception.
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As we pray for our Holy Father and the immense task with which he has been entrusted, let us work in our own way to ensure that the doors of our churches, the way to the kingdom of heaven, remain open for all.

08/22/2026

We often hear Mary called the "Queen of Heaven," and celebrate an Aug. 22 feast day for her with that title, but why? In the history of the church, the feast of the Queenship of Mary is a fairly recent addition.
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Pope Pius XII decreed and instituted the feast day in 1954 in his encyclical, "Ad Caeli Reginam" ("To the Queen of Heaven"). Originally, the feast was celebrated May 31 but was reassigned to Aug. 22 in the revised liturgical calendar of 1969.
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"From the earliest ages of the catholic church a Christian people, whether in time of triumph or more especially in time of crisis, has addressed prayers of petition and hymns of praise and veneration to the Queen of Heaven," he wrote. "And never has that hope wavered which they placed in the Mother of the Divine King, Jesus Christ; nor has that faith ever failed by which we are taught that Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, reigns with a mother's solicitude over the entire world, just as she is crowned in heavenly blessedness with the glory of a Queen."
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Whether we celebrate this August feast day in a big way or a small one, taking time to reflect on its history and meaning can help us to better understand Mary's vital role in our salvation.
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From her own free will, she said "yes" to God's plan for her to bear a son. She accompanied him all the way to the cross -- and beyond, after the Resurrection. Spending time with her -- in private reflection or formal prayer -- can increase our love for her and obtain for us graces for our sanctification.

08/21/2026

Call it sin. Call it wrongdoing. Call it failings, or transgressions, or brokenness, or "the human condition." It goes by many names. It's the desolate knowledge that things are not right because we have acted wrongly. Sin divides and shatters. It separates us from God, from those we love, and from ourselves.
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This knowledge burdens us. We can't undo what we've done, but we long for relief -- a new start, an end to guilt, freedom to act rightly, a path out of the wilderness. We want forgiveness. We want to be restored.
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That's what God offers us in confession. The salvation that Jesus accomplished for the human race is something we can experience personally. Forgiveness is ours through confession. It's the road back to God. It's a channel of grace to live with new joy and freedom.
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A few decades ago, the Catholic Church began referring to confession as "the sacrament of penance and reconciliation." It did this to emphasize reconciliation. That's the short answer to the question, "Why go back to confession?" We do it to be reconciled. Reconciliation literally means "to meet again." We've lost our way. Confession is the way back home.
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Many people stay away from the sacrament of reconciliation because they are afraid of God. He's perceived as a judge or a policeman -- angry, suspicious, unforgiving. The truth of the matter is that God isn't like that at all. He is a loving Father who desperately wants us to return to him. In parable after parable, healing after healing, Jesus' message refutes the notion that his Father is a vindictive scorekeeper. God wants us back. He'll go to great lengths to find us.

08/20/2026

The Mass is a unique and marvelous sacrifice. It is the mystical reality in which Christ's sacrifice on the cross is renewed. The Mass is also a sacred banquet where together as the Church family we fulfill Jesus' command at the Last Supper to "Do this in memory of me."
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The Eucharist is the sacramental celebration of the Paschal Mystery -- the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Greek word "eucharistein" means "to give thanks." At every Mass, we give thanks for Christ's one and abiding sacrifice for the life of the world.
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The Church teaches that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, in a way that is beyond our understanding.
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The Eucharist makes present the saving death and resurrection of Christ. We are invited to unite our sufferings, wounds and trials to Christ in the liturgy of the Eucharist. As St. Paul tells us, we are called to imitate what we worship -- Christ -- and offer ourselves as "a living sacrifice" (see Rom 12:1). This is exactly what should happen at Mass.

08/20/2026

08/19/2026

Pope Leo XIV called on the Knights of Columbus to be “prophets of harmony” by promoting the virtues of unity and charity.
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“I express deep gratitude for your orders, continued generosity to the less fortunate, and trust that your endeavors will continue to bear fruit for many years to come,” the Holy Father said in a video message.
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The message was shared with Knights and observers at the Knights of Columbus’ 144th Supreme Convention held this year in Denver.
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“As you gather for these days of discussion, fraternity, and prayer under the theme of ‘In the One We Are One,’ I would like to reflect briefly with you on the importance of promoting the virtues of unity and charity, two foundational principles of your order,” the Holy Father said.
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Recalling Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper that his apostles “all be one,” the Holy Father urged unity.
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“Our Lord asked that this gift of unity be given not only to them but also to those who would believe in him through their word throughout the centuries. However, the preservation of unity is often not easy and it cannot be taken for granted. It must be actively cultivated through honest and humble dialogue.”
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The pope encouraged the Knights “to continue bearing witness to that concord which Jesus so ardently desires,” within families, parishes, and wider communities.
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https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/pope-leo-xiv-calls-on-knights-of-columbus-to-be-prophets-of-harmony

08/18/2026