St. Francis Xavier Parish

06/02/2026

June 2 is the 36th anniversary of Fr. Yvon Royer's ordination to the priesthood.
At every priest's ordination, his Bishop says, "Share with all mankind the word of God you have received with joy. Meditate on the law of God, believe what you read, teach what you believe, and put into practice what you teach. " We are so grateful that Fr. Yvon has lived those words throughout his priesthood. Thank you, Father, and happy anniversary!

05/31/2026

On the Feast of Corpus Christi -- next Sunday, June 7-- there will be a Eucharistic Procession following the 9:00 a.m. Mass at St. Francis Xavier Church. The procession will travel through the neighborhood block by the church and conclude with prayer and adoration on the church plaza before the 11:00 a.m. Mass. All are invited to join us, either for the entire procession or in prayer at the conclusion.
" May our streets be streets of Jesus! May our houses be homes for him and with him! May our life of every day be penetrated by his presence.” (Pope Benedict XVI, during his homily on Corpus Christi on May 26, 2005.)

05/27/2026

Father Yvon Royer has a gift for ministering to all ages and all people. He visits those who are ill and those who can no longer travel to Mass. He meets with and encourages so many committees and groups within the parish. He is a regular presence at Saint Francis Xavier School, offering the sacraments to students and staff alike. At this week's school Mass, Pre-K students were assigned to bring the gifts to the altar for the first time and Father did what he always does -- he knelt to meet them with warmth and grace, emulating the words of Jesus: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

05/25/2026

Memorial Day is dedicated to honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the Armed Forces. At Saint Francis Xavier Church, two of the beautiful stained glass windows are dedicated to young men who died in service to our country during World War II. The window portraying the presentation of the baby Jesus in the temple is dedicated to Ensign Bernard Poirier who died in an airplane crash at the age of 21 while in training for the Naval Air Corps in 1942. The window portraying the Ascension of Jesus is dedicated to Ludger Maynard, a private in the US Marine Corps, who was killed in action in the Solomon Islands in 1942 at the age of 22. Let us pray for the repose of their souls and also pray that all those who mourn will be comforted.

05/23/2026

At this year's Easter Vigil, Fr. Yvon lit a fire at the entrance of the church to symbolize Christ overcoming death and darkness and bringing light into the world. This Sunday is Pentecost, which marks the end of the Easter season and also celebrates the day the apostles received the Holy Spirit: " When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. " (Acts 2:3)
St. Paul urges the faithful "to fan into flame the gift of God." May the fire of the Holy Spirit continue to burn brightly in us all!

05/22/2026

Saying farewell to a beloved pet is hard. Here is a prayer for those facing that difficult time: "Heavenly Father, Creator of all things, thank you for having entrusted us with such a loyal friend. Thank you for letting this beautiful animal teach us unselfish love. Thank you for the memories we can recall to brighten our days for the rest of our lives. Finally, in gratitude, we return our cherished companion to you. Amen."

05/21/2026

On May 21 the Church honors Saint Cristóbal Magallanes and his 24 companions who were martyred in Mexico in the early 1900’s. Father Cristóbal and his 24 companion martyrs lived under a very anti-Catholic government in Mexico, one determined to weaken the Catholic faith. Churches, schools, and seminaries were closed; foreign clergy were expelled. Cristóbal established a clandestine seminary at Totatiche, Jalisco. He and the other priests were forced to minister secretly to Catholics. Over a period of 22 years, these men were executed when they were discovered practicing their faith and ministering to their people. Many were tortured before being killed. All of these martyrs except three, were diocesan priests. The three who were not priests were faithful laymen who died with their parish priest. They all belonged to the Cristero movement, pledging their allegiance to Christ and to the Church that he established, to spread the Good News in society—even when Mexico’s leaders had made it a crime to receive baptism or celebrate the Mass.
As we honor these courageous men of faith, let us also give thanks that we are blessed to live in a place and at a time when priests, deacons, and people of faith can publicly proclaim the Good News of Jesus.

05/18/2026

“But He calls down a blessing on the blossom of the May,
Because it comes in beauty, and in beauty blows away.”
W.B. Yeats
Even after a morning rain, the blossoms from the flowering trees in front of Saint Francis Xavier Church continue to delight as they form a beautiful path leading us to Mass.

05/16/2026

A lot of momentous things occurred in the United States in 1964: the Beatles had their first US hit (I Want To Hold Your Hand), Cassius Clay (soon to be Muhammad Ali) defeated Sonny Liston, the first Ford Mustang rolled off the assembly line, Clint Eastwood starred in A Fistful of Dollars (his first "spaghetti Western"), and Hello Dolly with the one and only Carol Channing opened on Broadway. And on May 16, 1964, in Burlington, Vermont, 27 year old Richard Lavalley was ordained to the priesthood. Sixty two years later, all those events still resonate, but here at Saint Francis Xavier, we're most grateful for that ordination! Thank you for your decades of loving, faithful service, Monsignor. May God continue to bless you and your ministry as He blesses us with your presence.

05/14/2026