Saint Martin Church

06/10/2026

😂😂😂😂♟️😂😂😂😂

06/08/2026

Much like a few weeks ago, I am going to cover a topic this week that is necessary background to answer a question I was asked recently, Purgatory. This may take a couple of weeks before I get to the question that was actually asked, but oh well. The first point is, what is purgatory? According to Catholic theology, every time we sin, we incur a debt. When we go to confession we are forgiven, but that debt remains. In order to enter heaven, we must first pay that debt. Purgatory is where that debt is paid. To put this another way, after our death, if we are in a state of grace we will go to heaven. So, if we do not have unrepented, unforgiven mortal sin we will go to heaven, but nothing imperfect can enter heaven. I know that I am not perfect, and I’m will to place a very large bet that you aren’t either. How do we balance these to realities? I am in a state of grace. My sins are forgiven through Christ’s death on the cross, and I will enter heaven, but I am not perfect and so I cannot enter heaven. The Catholic answer to this conundrum is purgatory.

Purgatory is a one-way trip. If you go to purgatory you will go to heaven. No one goes from purgatory to hell, and no one goes from hell to purgatory either. Purgatory is for those who are worthy of heaven but are not yet ready. It is described as a place of punishment for the sins that we did not fully atone for in our lives. What does that punishment look like? I have no idea. It is possible that purgatory is some sort of Hell lite where there is anguish and suffering until the debt is paid but it is also possible that it is nothing like that. We just do not know.

Our Protestant brothers and sisters will say where can you find purgatory in the bible. There are two places that we point to as evidence of purgatory in the bible, though one of them is not in the protestant bible (which is a discussion for another time). The first is in the Gospels. When Jesus talks about blaspheming the Holy Spirit and he says that whoever blasphemes the Spirt will not be forgiven in this life or in the life to come. It is implied by that statement that some sins are forgiven in the life to come not only while we are still living. The second passage is in Second Maccabees where after a battle the Maccabees are burying their dead and the offer sacrifice and prayers for those who died. Saying it is right and just to pray for the dead. This implies that there must be purgatory. Because we do not pray if our prayers have no effect. If someone has died and is in heaven, they have no need of our prayers. If someone has died and is in hell, our prayers cannot help them. So, if it is “Right and Just” to pray for the dead then there must be a third option where our prayers can have some effect. This is where the Catholic practice of offering a Mass for someone who has died comes from. We believe that the prayers of the Mass help that person to escape purgatory faster.

06/04/2026

FAITH FORMATION: What does that mean?

This term, faith formation, is one that I believe needs an explanation. Information alone does not create transformation. For example, we can memorize the 10 Commandments, and we should, but without developing mindfulness, empathy, or reflection upon sacred Scripture, we might never touch the Living God within ourselves.

We live in an age of information overload. You can learn about any spiritual tradition with a few clicks, watch meditation tutorials on YouTube, or read endless articles about mystical experiences. Yet, despite this unprecedented access to spiritual knowledge, many people can end up feeling more fragmented than ever--drowning in concepts but thirsting for genuine transformation.

Formation is fundamentally different from information. Where information asks “What do you know?”, faith formation asks “Who are you becoming?” It recognizes that authentic spiritual growth emerges not only from what you’ve read, but from how you’ve been changed by your encounters with the sacred.

Our humble attempts to “pass on the Faith,” not only to children, but to adults, is called catechesis (cat-e-key-sis). While the onset of summer may seem like “off-time” for catechesis, it is not! Presently, here at St Martin, Fr Daniel is conducting a study on the Book of Revelation, with nearly 30 people signed up. 4 people have recently contacted the parish about their interest in full Communion with the Catholic Church.

We are, of course, diligently preparing for one of the biggest catechetical events of the year, here at St Martin, Bible Adventures. Is it fun for kids? YES! Is it a community builder for volunteers, and so much more? Absolutely! That said, it is a chance to immerse everyone involved in an interactive way to a deeper experience of 4 real people from our Faith ancestry. With sincere and thoughtful reflections enacted by 4 “actor-interpreters,” we get personal insight into their lives and their mission. Further, through songs, games, crafts, a mission project, and even creative snacks 😊 the stories of the faithful people who preceded the coming of Jesus are told, recounted, told again. It is admittedly kind of sneaky! All of us participating are tilling new ground for ourselves and each other. PLEASE plan to participate and contact Debi ASAP. We need more help and very few have signed up. You do not have to be here all 4 evenings to participate, but let us know when you think you can be here, so we can get 0ur rosters filled.

WE STILL NEED:
-Registered children, generally ages 3 and up to?
Registrations are in the entry area of church on yellow papers. We can also email or regular mail you a copy. Please return ASAP.
- Tribe leaders and assistant tribe leaders. Need about 6 more of each.
-Games area needs 5 or so more “game assistants.”
-Crafts areas needs more hands on deck, all ages.
-Borrowed Hearts needs volunteers for the tribes as they visit their activity area.
-Volunteers for some narrowly focused jobs like: timekeepers/ hall and door monitors / water station monitor / name tags and tribe belts distributed / and to sign out kids as they leave.

Please spread the word! All children are welcome! Volunteers do not have to be parishioners but must be cleared by the Safe Environment office. (Not difficult but just contact that office 270-683-1545 and ask for Janet Hendricks).

-Debi Hopkins DRE at St. Martin Parish

06/04/2026

06/04/2026

🎓Attention St. Martin 2026 Graduates! 🎓

St. Martin Parish would like to recognize and celebrate all 2026
high school and college graduates for their hard work and accomplishments!

If you or a family member is graduating this year, please contact Nicole Gray at [email protected] or 270-929-2954 with the graduate’s name and a recent photo, even if it’s off a cell phone.

We are proud of our graduates and look forward to honoring this special milestone with our parish family!

06/02/2026

TONIGHT
VBS planning session
6:15 - Parish center

06/01/2026

Eucharistic prayer I, also called the Roman Canon, is the longest of the eucharistic prayers. It has been in constant use since the time of Pope St. Gregory the Great in the late 500s. For centuries it was the primary Eucharistic prayer of the Roman Church. From the time of the Council of Trent it was the only Eucharistic prayer allowed to be used in the Roman rite. There have been minor changes made to it but it is substantially the same as it was 1400 years ago when it was organized by Pope St. Gregory the Great. When the Second Vatican Council was convened and the liturgy was reformed the other Eucharistic prayers were composed. Only Eucharistic Prayer II has any other particular history to it. While Eucharistic prayer II was not in continuous use, it is in fact the oldest Eucharistic prayer dating to the early 200s. It was composed by St Hippolytus, and while the modern text is different from that written by St. Hippolytus if you read the text written by St. Hippolytus the inspiration is clear.
This then leads to the question of why does the priest choose a particular Eucharistic Prayer on a particular day? The short answer to that question is whatever he wants to pray. We are not generally given hard and fast rules. That said, the Church does give guidelines on when particular prayers should or should not be used. Eucharistic Prayer I is the longest and most formal of the prayers, and so we are encouraged to use it on days of particular importance. We are also encouraged to use it on the feast day of the saints who are mentioned in it. Eucharistic prayer II is the shortest, and it is generally suggested that it not be used on Sundays because of how short it is. Eucharistic Prayer III is recommended for Sundays that are less important during the Church year, the Sundays of Ordinary Time for example, and for feast days that occur during the week. Eucharistic Prayer IV is the only prayer that has a rule about when it can and cannot be used. Since it must be used with its own preface, it cannot be used on a day that has a preface connected to that day. So, it cannot be used during Advent, Christmas, Lent or Easter because there are prefaces that are proper to those seasons. It also couldn’t be used on a feast day like today. The two Eucharistic Prayers for Reconciliation are recommended for the Sundays of Lent because of their focus on repentance and turning back to God. The last four Eucharistic Prayers are for various needs and occasions. These are generally said only when the Mass is for a particular purpose. For example, if the priest chooses to pray the Mass “For those in Public Office,” he might choose to use Eucharistic Prayer V II. Because the prayers of that Eucharistic Prayer are designed for that specific purpose. In the end it is every priest’s prerogative which prayer he uses. Some priests have prayers that they like more than others. Other priests allow the time to determine which prayer they use. For me I want the people to experience as many of the different prayers of the Church as possible, and so over the course of the year I try to use them all as appropriate.

05/29/2026

✝️ Congratulations, Fr. Daniel Dillard! ✝️

Tomorrow, May 30th, we celebrate and give thanks for Fr. Daniel's priestly ordination in 2009 and his many years of faithful service to God and His people.

For decades, Fr. Daniel has answered God's call with dedication, compassion, and a servant's heart, touching countless lives through the sacraments, pastoral care, and his commitment to sharing the Gospel.

On behalf of the St. Martin Parish family, thank you, Fr. Daniel, for your faithful commitment to the Holy Catholic Church and for your continued service to our parish community. May God continue to bless you abundantly as you inspire others through your vocation and witness to Christ.

Please join us in congratulating Fr. Daniel and thanking him for his 17 years of priestly service!