Pilgrimage to Lourdes

Tomorrow (June 12th) my parents, sister and brother, and I leave for a pilgrimage to Lourdes with a stop in Barcelona. I am tremendously grateful to each of you who have facilitated this and have assisted me in this pilgrimage! Each of you, your families, your intentions, and, indeed, the whole parish accompany me all along this pilgrimage of healing. At the altar in the crypt of the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia where I will celebrate mass on June 14th, you will be remembered. At the altar at the Grotto of Lourdes on the morning of June 16th, you will be remembered and lifted up to the Lord. At the altars of the Upper Basilica in Lourdes, you will be with me. I cannot think of all of you good, beautiful, faithful people of St. James parish without my heart swelling with gratitude and my eyes misting with tears of joy and love.

Miraculous healings still occur and I am sure that the Lord will do amazing healings in me (if he hasn’t already done so). I cannot wait to see what He has in store for me at these holy places! The healing power of the Lord is still operative and I believe that whatever healing I need in body and soul He will provide! Thank you for walking with me on this journey!

Corpus Christi

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ – the gift of the Holy Eucharist! To mark the celebration this month, we will be reintroducing the distribution of the Precious Blood. We will have available two communion cups between the host stations for Holy Communion. The priests and the deacon will prepare the cups at the altar to gauge the size of the congregation. That being said, we will prepare an amount that may or may not last the whole time of Communion. As we get back in the habit of preparing and distributing the Precious Blood, please be patient with us.

Not everyone must receive the Precious Blood and not everyone is prepared to receive the Precious Blood and in no mass, I believe, has every person received the Precious Blood. Please feel free to receive or not receive. I leave that choice to you and your good judgement. It is good to remember that when we receive under one species (the consecrated bread or wine), we receive the fullness of the Body and Blood of Christ.

Dates to remember

On Saturday, June 24th, after the 5:00 PM mass, we will have a farewell reception for Fr. Joey Buencamino who will be leaving us to become the parish priest of St. Anthony of Padua in Ray City, Georgia. Please come and wish him well! He has made a wonderful impact on our St. James community during his short time with us. Thank you, Fr. Joey, for all that you have done for us! Our prayers go with you!

On the weekend of July 1-2, we will welcome Fr. Lewis King after each mass. He was ordained June 3rd and is assigned to us as his first priestly pastoral experience! We look forward to all that the Lord Jesus has to give us through his ministry! Please welcome him this weekend and beyond! We are blessed to have him with us.

Thank you all for your prayers for my healing! I am humbled and in awe of your beautiful support for me as I walk this journey! Your faith strengthens and encourages me every day! The witness each of you give of faithful prayer, lively hope, and tremendous charity is breathtaking! I carry you with me as I go on this pilgrimage of healing and strength.

May the Lord Jesus grant you and your family many wonderful blessings this week!

~ Fr. Daniel Firmin

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