St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church and School

St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church and School Saint Maria Goretti is a Catholic Parish in Westfield, IN that seeks to extend the Kingdom of God. We invite you to come worship with us! The story of St. St.

Our K-8 school and preschool serve to carry out this mission, as do the various other ministries of our parish. Maria Goretti Catholic Church began nearly 2,000 years ago, when Jesus founded what we now call the Catholic Church. In the person of Jesus, God became man. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 763-765

“It was the Son’s task to accomplish the Father’s plan of salvation in the fulln

ess of time. Its accomplishment was the reason for his being sent. The Lord Jesus inaugurated his Church by preaching the Good News, that is the coming of the Reign of God, promised over the ages in the scriptures. To fulfill the Father’s will, Christ ushered in the Kingdom of heaven on earth. The Church is the Reign of Christ already present in the mystery. This Kingdom shines out before men in the word, in the works and in the presence of Christ. To welcome Jesus’ word is to welcome the Kingdom itself. The see and beginning of the Kingdom are the “little flock” of those whom Jesus came to gather around him, the flock whose shepherd he is. They form Jesus’ true family. To those whom he thus gathered around him, he taught a new “way of acting” and a prayer for their own. The Lord Jesus endowed his community with a structure that will remain until the Kingdom is fully achieved. Before all else there is the choice of the Twelve with Peter as their head. Representing the twelve tribes of Israel, they are the foundation stones of the new Jerusalem. The Twelve and the other disciples share in Christ’s mission and his power, but also in his lot. By all his actions, Christ prepares and builds his Church." In Scripture, Christ repeatedly “sent out” his disciples to proclaim the Good News throughout the world. Maria Goretti is the fruit of this work, and a part of its continuation. It is with this in mind that we proclaim our mission.

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day! Today, we celebrate the dignity of work--and work for its protection amidst artificial intelligence and increased automation. To help, let's take a look at Pope Leo XIV's encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, and what it says about preserving the dignity of work in the age of AI.

09/06/2026

Fr Mike

We live in an age of cancel culture: people sharing someone else's perceived faults in public with the goal of removing ...
09/06/2026

We live in an age of cancel culture: people sharing someone else's perceived faults in public with the goal of removing them from their position. Cancel culture isn't an attempt to bring someone to the truth; it's an attempt to remove them because they are considered an obstacle.

As Jesus makes clear in today's Gospel, "cancel culture" is not the way of Christians. This doesn't mean there aren't times when we shouldn't go public with someone's wrongdoings. But this comes only after we have first spoken with them privately, and then within our Church.

Why does Jesus insist on first bringing up someone's sin against you one-on-one? Because the goal isn't punishment or removal; it's reconciliation.

Let's follow Christ's lead, and seek to reconcile with those who've wronged us--not cancel them.

It's World Beard Day! And what better way to celebrate than taking a look at what Sacred Scripture has to say about faci...
09/05/2026

It's World Beard Day! And what better way to celebrate than taking a look at what Sacred Scripture has to say about facial hair?

In the Bible, beards are a sign of dignity and maturity. In fact, Jewish priests were instructed to let their facial hair grow.

"They shall not shave their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor lacerate their bodies." -- Leviticus 21:5

And the Psalms reference beards in connection with the priesthood and blessing.

"Like precious ointment on the head, running down upon the beard, upon the beard of Aaron, upon the collar of his robes." -- Psalm 133:2

Shaving one's beard could be an expression of shame or lamentation. After the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon, Jeremiah noted the following:

"Everyone has shaved his beard, torn his garments, and gashed himself..." -- Jeremiah 41:5

The Bible doesn't explicitly say that Jesus had a beard, but it was the norm among Jewish men in the 1st century. Nonetheless, the New Testament shifts the focus away from external appearance to what's on the inside.

"Your adornment should not be an external one...but rather the hidden character of the heart." -- 1 Peter 3:3-4

So should Catholic men have beards today? It's increasingly more common. But while it can be a symbol of wisdom and maturity, one's character and virtue are truly what count.

September 15 - October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. And the Catholic Church in the United States has a lot to celebrat...
09/04/2026

September 15 - October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. And the Catholic Church in the United States has a lot to celebrate when it comes to our Hispanic community! About 36% of Catholics in the U.S. are Hispanic, a number that rises to a whopping 60% when we consider Catholics under the age of 18!

Here at St. Maria Goretti, we are grateful for the contributions and presence of all of our parishioners with roots in the Spanish-speaking world, and we encourage you to start making plans to celebrate today!

Have you ever wonder how "Gregorian Chant," the unaccompanied, monophonic singing of sacred songs in Latin, got its name...
09/03/2026

Have you ever wonder how "Gregorian Chant," the unaccompanied, monophonic singing of sacred songs in Latin, got its name? Well, the style was formalized and promoted by St. Gregory the Great, a 7th-century pope whose feast day we celebrate today.

Gregorian Chant isn't outdated--in fact, Pope Leo XIV is promoting its usage throughout the Church. Read the accompanying article to learn more about this style of sacred music and how you can "sing with the Pope." Learn more here: https://www.ncregister.com/features/lets-sing-with-the-pope-gregorian-chant

A retreat is for people who want to dig deeper into the psalms--they're more than a song or a response; they are scriptu...
09/01/2026

A retreat is for people who want to dig deeper into the psalms--they're more than a song or a response; they are scripture. Psalms are the heart of the Liturgy of the Hours and knowing more about them helps to form people both liturgically and biblically.

Father David Huemmer has built the retreat around these four questions: What are the psalms?, How are they organized?, How to pray the psalms? And How they are arranged in the Liturgy of the Hours? He will reference two books “Praying the Psalms in the voice of Christ” by Frank J. Matera and “Psalm Basics for Catholics” by John Bergsma. This retreat begins with Morning Prayer and ends with Daytime Prayer. In between, guests will enjoy conferences, Mass, a Keltie & Co. Catering lunch and time for personal reflection. The Carpenter’s Shop will be open throughout the retreat.

Follow this link to register before September 25th Psalms Day of Reflection, $35 - St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center - Tipton, IN

08/31/2026

What is the one thing priests want the world to know about the Eucharist?
The National Eucharistic Congress may be over, but the Eucharist is no less relevant. In fact, in a world that is hungry for truth, peace, and something that will truly satisfy, the Eucharist is more relevant than ever.
Watch this video to hear what priests want the world to know about the Eucharist, and why this gift of Christ’s Real Presence matters so deeply for each of us today.

In last week's Gospel, Peter was granted the status of first Apostle and leader of the Church. Why the change? It seems ...
08/30/2026

In last week's Gospel, Peter was granted the status of first Apostle and leader of the Church. Why the change? It seems that, even after all this time, he is still thinking too small. Jesus rebukes him and encourages him to lift his eyes and mind up and outward to the surprising way in which the Lord is going to save humanity.

This is the priest's role here at St. Maria Goretti - to get us to see God's plan, as big and "impractical" as it may be! That's how God works.

08/30/2026

10 a.m. Mass, Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

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17102 Spring Mill Road
Westfield, IN
46074

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