Saint Marianne Cope - The Catholic Community of Lakeland & Solvay

06/14/2026

06/10/2026

“Jesus offers you the cross, a very heavy cross, and you are afraid of not being able to carry it without giving way. Why? Our Beloved Himself fell three times on the way to Calvary, and why should we not imitate Him?”
— Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

St. Thérèse is speaking to anyone who feels overwhelmed by suffering, temptation, loss, anxiety, or a burden they never asked to carry. Sometimes we look at our cross and think, “I can’t do this.” We fear we will break under the weight of it.

But she points us to Jesus. On the way to Calvary, Jesus fell three times carrying His Cross. He was not weak. He was showing us something important: struggling does not mean failing. Falling does not mean giving up. What matters is getting back up and continuing forward with God’s grace.

Many people think holiness means never stumbling. The saints knew better. Holiness is trusting God enough to keep going, even when you are tired, wounded, or discouraged. The Christian life is not about never falling. It is about never refusing God's help when you do.

Your cross may be heavy right now, but Christ is carrying it with you. The question is not whether you will stumble. The question is whether you will keep following Him when you do.

💬 What is the heaviest cross you have had to carry, and how has it changed your relationship with God?

Someone you know may need the reminder that falling is not the end of the story.

06/10/2026

“You must not complain of your Cross, for it is the very one which will take you to Heaven.”
— St. John Vianney

This does not mean suffering is good in itself or that we should go looking for pain. It means God, in His wisdom and love, allows each cross for a purpose: our purification, growth, and salvation. He never wastes suffering when it is placed in His hands.

When we unite our trials to Christ’s Passion, they take on new meaning. What feels heavy and confusing can become a path of grace. As Scripture says, we share in His sufferings so that we may also share in His glory (Romans 8:17).

Carried with trust, the Cross teaches us humility, loosens our attachment to sin, and strengthens our love for God. It shapes our hearts little by little, helping us rely less on ourselves and more on Him.

Even in the hardest moments, God is working quietly. If we stay close to Him, what once felt like a burden can become the very path that leads us closer to Heaven.

💬 Do you believe your suffering has a purpose… or do you think it’s just meaningless pain?

06/10/2026

Blessed Edward Poppe is a contemporary saint. He died at the young age of 33.

He was an energetic child and an excellent student. His mischievousness saw him often knock things over even putting himself at risk of being harmed. He was also quite stubborn and never left his sisters alone though his sisters would often get back at him and would muss up his hair when he was caught combing in front of the mirror. He was also a big eater and liked to devour treats from his father's store. But in 1902 he received his First Communion and Confirmation and this made him more serious which meant jokes and teasing became rarer.

In spring 1904 his father introduced him to his business plans and had hoped to see his son begin a baking apprenticeship though Poppe remained silent at first though his resolution to become a priest led him to tell his father as much. Not long after a priest friend to his parents gave a favorable opinion of Poppe's vocation to which his father told his mother: "Let's not be selfish. God has not given us our children for ourselves".

He was one of 11 children born to a modest, pious family in Belgium. One of his brothers had become a priest, and five of his sisters became nuns. He felt a call to the priesthood at a young age, but he only entered the seminary on his mother’s insistence. His father had died when he was 16 years old and Edward thought he should take on the family business.

He was drafted to the military in 1910 and served as a battlefield nurse during World War I. His prayers to St. Joseph during that time led to the miraculous freeing of several prisoners of war.

He was finally ordained in 1916 at the age of 25 and served as associate pastor, focusing his ministry to the poor, children and the dying. He also taught catechism and founded Eucharistic associations.

Always a man with a weak constitution, he was transferred to rural Belgium. In 1919, he suffered a heart attack. During his convalescence, he spent most of his time studying, praying and producing thousands of writings against Marxism and secularization.

He also developed a devotion to St. Therese of Lisieux and adopted her spirituality. He had another heart attack in January 1924, and died of a stroke only six months later. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1999.

https://www.aciafrica.org/news/3437/today-june-10-we-celebrate-blessed-edward-poppe

06/10/2026

Venerable Sister Maria Theresia of the Most Holy Trinity, a devotee of St. Thérèse, is on track to become the second St. Louis-based saint.

Read the full story: https://ow.ly/b9Ab50Z9yFH

06/10/2026

On Thursday, June 11, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as part of the 250th anniversary of the nation. A Mass will take place at 4 p.m. EDT.

The Good Newsroom will carry the USCCB’s coverage of the livestream of the Mass.

Learn how to watch the livestream here:
https://thegoodnewsroom.org/how-to-watch-and-listen-to-the-mass-of-consecration-of-the-united-states-of-america-to-the-most-sacred-heart-of-jesus/

Photo courtesy of USCCB

06/10/2026

St. Margaret of Scotland (c. 1045–1093)
Feast Day: June 10th, Traditional Calendar
Patroness of: Scotland, large families, death of children, widows, and those working for Church reform.

Saint Margaret of Scotland was a pious queen, devoted wife, loving mother, and one of the most influential Catholic women of the Middle Ages. Born into the English royal family, she married Malcolm III, King of Scotland, and became queen in 1070.

Margaret used her position not for luxury or power but to promote the Catholic faith throughout Scotland. She encouraged reverent worship, supported Church reform, founded churches and monasteries, and worked to bring Scottish religious practices into closer harmony with Rome.

Despite her royal duties and raising eight children, Margaret lived a life of deep prayer, penance, and charity. She personally cared for the poor, fed orphans and widows, and often served meals to needy people with her own hands before eating herself.

In 1093, shortly after learning of the deaths of her husband and one of her sons in battle, Margaret died peacefully. She was canonized in 1250 by Pope Innocent IV and is honored as the patroness of Scotland.

06/10/2026

Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus 🙏

(composed by Pope Pius XI)

O sweetest Jesus,
whose overflowing charity toward men
is most ungratefully repaid
by such great forgetfulness, neglect, and contempt,
behold us prostrate before Thy altar,
eager to repair by a special act of homage
the cruel indifference and injuries
to which Thy loving Heart is everywhere subject.

Mindful, alas,
that we ourselves have had a share
in such great indignities,
which we now deplore
from the depths of our hearts,
we humbly ask Thy pardon
and declare our readiness to atone
by voluntary expiation
not only for our own personal offenses,
but also for the sins of those who,
straying far from the path of salvation,
refuse in their obstinate infidelity
to follow Thee,
their Shepherd and Leader,
or, renouncing the promises of their Baptism,
have cast off the sweet yoke of Thy law.

We are now resolved
to expiate each and every deplorable outrage
committed against Thee.

We are determined to make amends
for the manifold offenses against Christian modesty
in unbecoming dress and behavior,
for all the foul seductions
laid to ensnare the feet of the innocent,
for the frequent violations
of Sundays and holy days,
and the shocking blasphemies
uttered against Thee and Thy saints.

We wish also to make amends
for the insults to which Thy Vicar on earth
and Thy priests are subjected,
for the profanation,
by conscious neglect or terrible acts of sacrilege,
of the very Sacrament of Thy divine love,
and finally for the public crimes of nations
who resist the rights and teaching authority
of the Church which Thou hast founded.

Would, O divine Jesus,
we were able to wash away
such abominations with our blood.

We now offer,
in reparation for these violations
of Thy divine honor,
the satisfaction Thou didst once make
to Thy eternal Father on the Cross
and which Thou dost continue to renew daily
on our altars.

We offer it in union
with the acts of atonement
of Thy Virgin Mother
and all the saints
and of the pious faithful on earth.

And we sincerely promise
to make recompense,
as far as we can with the help of Thy grace,
for all neglect of Thy great love
and for the sins
we and others have committed in the past.

Henceforth,
we will live a life of unwavering faith,
of purity of conduct,
of perfect observance
of the precepts of the Gospel,
and especially that of charity.

We promise,
to the best of our power,
to prevent others from offending Thee
and to bring as many as possible
to follow Thee.

O loving Jesus,
through the intercession
of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
our model in reparation,
deign to receive
the voluntary offering
we make of this act of expiation.

And by the crowning gift of perseverance,
keep us faithful unto death
in our duty and the allegiance we owe to Thee,
so that we may all one day come
to that happy home
where Thou, with the Father
and the Holy Spirit,
livest and reignest,
God, world without end.

Amen.

06/10/2026

U.S. Bishops Affirm Advancement of a Cause of Beatification and Canonization for Monsignor Joseph Francis Buh

During their June Plenary Assembly, the bishops of the United States held a canonical consultation on a possible cause of beatification and canonization for Monsignor Joseph Francis Buh, a diocesan missionary priest who spent decades evangelizing and serving the spiritual needs of Indigenous communities and frontier settlers in remote parts of northern Minnesota in the late 1800s.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, and Bishop Daniel J. Felton of the Diocese of Duluth, facilitated the bishops' discussion. By a voice vote, the bishops expressed their support for advancing the cause of beatification and canonization on the diocesan level.

The following biography of Monsignor Buh was drawn from information provided by the Diocese of Duluth:

Joseph Francis Buh was born on March 17, 1833, in Zadobje, Slovenia. He is said to have shown profound piety and a strong desire to become a priest from a very young age. He entered seminary and excelled academically, becoming fluent in Polish, Latin, French, and German. His language skills would later aid his missionary work. While in seminary, he learned about the work of Venerable Bishop Frederic Baraga in the United States, prompting a desire to serve as a missionary in the United States.

Father Buh was ordained to the priesthood in Slovenia for the Diocese of Ljubljana on July 25, 1858. Due to a shortage of priests, his requests to assist Bishop Baraga’s apostolic efforts in the United States were not immediately approved by his bishop, and he served in his home diocese for six years. During that time, he published two prayer books that later helped fund his missionary work.

In 1864, Father Buh was invited by Father Franz Pierz to undertake missionary work among Native Americans in Minnesota. With the approval of his bishop, Father Buh arrived in Saint Paul, Minnesota on May 27, 1864, and immersed himself in the life, language, and culture of the Ojibwe people. For over 25 years, he traveled extensively throughout northern Minnesota and the Iron Range, serving nine missions in Ely, Two Harbors, Biwabik, Hibbing, Virginia, Mountain Iron, McKinley, Eveleth, and the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa on Lake Vermilion. He provided pastoral care to numerous Indigenous and new immigrant communities from Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, and Ireland, among others, who settled in the area.

When the Diocese of Duluth was established in 1890, Bishop James McGolrick appointed Father Buh as chancellor and vicar general of the diocese. During his time in Duluth, he sought to address the needs of the growing communities, including establishing the first Slovenian newspaper in the United States. During the Panic of 1893 and the economic depression, Father Buh created a relief station and boarding house for the unemployed. To address the exploitation of migrant mine workers, he helped form the American Slovene Catholic Union, an organization that continues its work today in parishes across the United States.

Recognizing his extraordinary service to the Church, Pope Leo XIII named Father Buh a Domestic Prelate, earning him the title of “Monsignor” in 1899. The following year, Monsignor Buh returned to the pastoral care of the mission in Ely, which he continued for 18 years. When Bishop McGolrick died in 1918, Monsignor Buh was appointed as diocesan administrator, guiding the local Church until Bishop John McNicholas, O.P., was named Bishop of Duluth. In 1921, in honor of his decades of mentoring young priests, the diocese opened the Buh Mission House, a place where priests could live in community and be formed by his example of apostolic poverty.

Monsignor Buh died on February 2, 1922, at the age of 88.

During his sixty-four years of priesthood, Monsignor Buh founded or incorporated fifty-seven parishes, published books and newspapers, organized social outreach, and fostered a fraternal movement that continues to benefit Catholic families today. His local town acknowledged his contributions by naming it Buh Township in his honor in 1894.

Monsignor Buh saw Christ in those he ministered to – the miners, mothers, Indigenous communities, and immigrants. His tireless missionary zeal serves as a reminder today to trust God completely, meet people where they are, and bring them to Christ with humility and joy.

06/10/2026

During their June Plenary Assembly, the bishops of the United States held a canonical consultation on a cause of beatification and canonization for the Servant of God John Rick Miller, a family man, businessman, and international missionary. He dedicated his missionary efforts to promoting the consecration and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as well as adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, and Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami facilitated the bishops’ discussion. By a voice vote, the bishops expressed their support for advancing the cause of beatification and canonization on the diocesan level.

The following biography of Mr. Miller was drawn from information provided by the Archdiocese of Miami:

John Rick Miller was born on July 10, 1948, in New York. His family was of French-Canadian descent, and among his ancestors were St. Margaret D'Youville and St. André Bessette. It is said that he developed a deep sense of God and the Catholic faith at an early age, largely due to the influence of his paternal grandparents.

Mr. Miller studied at the Catholic Institute of Mount of the Assumption and graduated from Peru Senior High School in Peru, New York. He entered Paul Smith College in Hudson Falls, New York, to study restaurant and hotel management, and worked in business and quickly rose through the ranks at several prominent corporations.

In 1984, he married Noella Bidoor Samson in Bahrain, and on July 2, 1986, they welcomed their twin children, Alexandra and Jonathan.

Although he had drifted away from the Catholic faith since his college years, in 1988, he experienced a personal encounter with God after a pilgrimage to a Marian shrine, which led him back to the faith and sparked his passion for bringing God’s love to the world. In 1989, Mr. Miller established numerous prayer cenacles across different countries. He served as a catechist in Cairo, Egypt, from 1993 to 1997. In 1998, while in London, he co-founded the “Apostolate of St. Joseph,” an international Catholic organization dedicated to strengthening the family under the patronage of St. Joseph and St. Monica. In 2001, he established the “Confraternity of Our Lady” at the historic Willesden National Marian Shrine, with members praying for the protection and conversion of London.

In 2007, Mr. Miller broadened his evangelization efforts to India, where he, in collaboration with the Pallottine Order, developed plans to build Catholic shrines honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary. He also traveled to Colombia, where, after prayerful reflection, he felt moved to lead efforts to consecrate the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On October 12, 2008, the country renewed its consecration to the Sacred Heart, and for the first time, the Church consecrated the country to Mary. This revival of faith inspired many of his followers to establish prayer cenacles and promote perpetual adoration. Word spread quickly, and in the months and years that followed, he was invited to Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Panama.

In 2009, he established the “Mission for the Love of God Worldwide,” a lay Catholic group dedicated to rekindling awareness of God’s presence through consecration, personal conversion, and prayer. Over time, the ministry expanded to 21 locations globally, with a strong presence in Central and South America. Inspired by his invitation, multiple countries also conducted consecrations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In 2011, the Catholic Conference of Bishops of Ecuador officially recognized the mission as a private association of the faithful.

Mr. Miller received many honors from leaders of the Church in Colombia and Mexico for his work and dedication to the conversion of souls. He died on May 30, 2015, from esophageal cancer. His remains rest beneath the esplanade outside the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Doral, Florida, which has become a pilgrimage destination for the faithful.