This weekend, January 18-19, 2020, we kickoff the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA). The Diocese decided to change the name from the Bishop’s Annual Appeal to the Annual Catholic Appeal. This is a more accurate name because it is an appeal not for the Bishop of the Diocese of Savannah, but to support the growth of the Catholic faith and the practice of the faith by the people of the Diocese of Savannah.

Wednesday, January 8^th, the 2^nd graders experienced for the first time the Sacrament of Reconciliation! It was a beautiful evening! These young people received the gift of the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy through this Sacrament of Healing for the first time! This Sacrament is magnificent and is a treasure.

The Sunday after Christmas is named Holy Family Sunday. We celebrate the beauty of the relationship between Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Often, you see JMJ at the top of a letter or card or document written by one of the Catholic faithful.

Here we are. The Last Sunday of Advent has arrived! It has been so quick this year! By now, I hope that all of you have your shopping done and there will be no more bustling around and running from this place to that place, from this party to that party. Rather, I hope and pray that these next two days can be spent with and in a good amount of quiet for you and your families.

We had an amazing week last week at St. James! Matt Fradd came to Savannah to be our speaker for our Advent Parish Mission. The mission was not only inspiring and called us all on to a greater and deeper holiness, but it was also very practical.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this fall, we participated in the Forming Disciples, Leading All to Christ program to increase our offertory for the purposes of increased evangelization opportunities and strengthening our ministries. This program gave everyone a chance to reevaluate what they were giving in the weekly offertory so that St. James could continue the good work being done and increase evangelization and outreach efforts. I would like to give a little report on the results in this Pastor’s Corner.

Today marks the 1^st Sunday of the New Liturgical Year for us! We begin every New Liturgical Year with these 4 weeks of Advent anxiously awaiting to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ on December 25^th at Christmas! Here are a few ways we are marking this New Liturgical Year.

Congratulations, Dr. Les Haddad and Mrs. Cindi Vogel!

Today, Bishop Hartmayer will bestow the Bishop Gartland Award upon them at the 11:30 AM mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. They are both a blessing to our parish. As they continue to serve, may we see in them an example of how to use our gifts and talents at the service of our fellow parishioners, our parish community, and our Church.

This year, I have nominated Dr. Les Haddad and Mrs. Cindi Vogel to receive the Bishop Gartland Award for their service to our parish community! Dr. Haddad has been leading the Sunday morning Bible Study for 15 years (give or take a few) on a consistent basis. His expertise and insights have helped many grow in the faith. Mrs. Vogel has been an usher at the 7:30 AM mass for 15 years (give or take a few). She always greets people with a smile and with great joy! She brightens up the early Sunday morning mass crowd.

The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of the Christian Life. There is no greater public display of union with Jesus Christ, union with the Church (her authority and her teaching), and union with our brothers and sisters in faith.

State Championship for the BC Raider Team! Congratulations to the BC Raider team who won the State Championship last weekend in Griffin, GA! A few young men from St. James are on the team and they represent us and their families very well. Good work men and congratulations from your St. James family!

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, thank you to all who have participated in our “Forming Disciples, Leading All to Christ” program by returning a Commitment Card! Only 20% of our parishioners have returned a Commitment Card. I am not sure why the percentage is so low. It should be 100%! Everyone, even if they cannot increase their gift, can fill one out and return it. They can check the box that they are praying for the success of this program.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I am overwhelmed by the response of so many of you who have participated in our “Forming Disciples, Leading All to Christ” program! I count as those who have participated NOT only those who increased their offertory, but those who have turned in a Commitment Card. Anyone who turns in a card receives a Thank you.

October is a great month of celebrating the Saints! No, I am not talking about my New Orleans Saints going on a winning streak and running roughshod over their NFL opponents. Though I do hope that happens, I am writing about all the many Saints we celebrate this month. Here is the list: St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus (the Little Flower) (October 1^st), our Holy Guardian Angels (have you ever celebrated your guardian angel? October 2^nd), St. Francis of Assisi (October 4^th), Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos (ministered here in the USA October 5^th), Our Lady of the Rosary (October 7^th), St. Denis and his companions (October 9^th), St. John XXIII (October 12^th), St. Theresa of Avila (October 12^th), St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (October 16^th), St. Ignatius of Antioch (October 17^th), St. Luke (October 18^th), Sts. John de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues, and companions (the North American Martyrs were martyred here in our country and in Canada October 19^th), St. John Paul II (the Great! October 22^nd), St. John of Capistrano (October 23^rd), and Sts. Simon and Jude (Apostles October 28^th). How will you celebrate these brothers and sisters of ours who practiced heroic virtue?

Thank you for your overwhelmingly positive response to our “Forming Disciples, Leading All to Christ” Program. This Sunday is Commitment Sunday in the program. If you have filled out your commitment card, please put it in the basket as it is passed around. At each mass there will be a chance to complete a card and pass it in.

Our Mission as a parish is to get people to heaven, to form disciples and lead all to Christ. We do this by loving God and our neighbor. All our ministries are ordered in this love, to accomplish this goal.

Families celebrate each other! Our family in faith is no different! Two of our parishioners have accomplished some amazing physical feats in the past few weeks.

My brothers and sisters in Christ,

At this time each year, the financial position of the parish is distributed in the bulletin to all the parishioners for the sake of transparency and disclosure and to show good stewardship on the part of the Pastor, the Staff, and the Finance Council. This past year we ended in very good shape. Thank you for your continued generosity!

Last Sunday at the Chapel of Our Lady of Good Hope on the Isle of Hope (we celebrate mass there every 1^st Sunday of the month at 8:00 AM) at the end of mass, I was walking back through the front door and something caught my eye. A split and crushed goldfish was on the floor (not a real fish, the Pepperidge Farm Goldfish snack we all know and love!). My heart filled with joy! My soul soared! I was so happy!

Last Sunday we said goodbye to Fr. Jason Adams and Fr. John Paul Heiser, OSB! Today, we say Welcome to Father Peter Lanshima and Fr. Patrick May! We are blessed at St. James the Less to receive these two new priests! Each of them will bring their own personal gifts and talents and we look forward to seeing how Almighty God uses them to bring His Word to us and how He uses us to help form them as new priests!

Last Sunday afternoon, the church was filled with beautiful music flowing from the organ, the piano, and voice. Those of us present got a taste of the Divine while being blessed with such beauty! Lewis King, Charles Ancheta, and Catherine Lynch set our souls soaring to the heavens! Thank you!

Today, we are excited about the concert at 4:00 PM! Our summer seminarian, Lewis King, will be teaming up with our Music Director, Charles Ancheta, to produce a beautiful lineup of music, which will glorify Almighty God! Good music produced by skillful musicians and singers raises the heart and soul to heaven and brings us into contact with God who is all-beautiful. Please come! No tickets are needed and we will have a light reception afterwards.

Tuesday, July 16^th, the Church celebrates Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This is the biggest feast of the year for our Carmelite Sisters at Our Lady of Confidence Monastery on Coffee Bluff. Each year they have a Triduum of masses on the evenings of July 14, 15, and 16. Everyone is invited to attend! Since I have been here in Savannah, I have tried to make these masses and celebrate this great feast with them.

Last week all the announcements were made for the new assignments that impact life at St. James the Less. Fr. Jason Adams will be leaving after 5 years and going to St. John the Evangelist parish in Valdosta. Fr. John Paul Heiser, OSB, will be teaching full time at BC. We will be receiving two newly ordained priests, Fr. Patrick May and Fr. Peter Lanshima.

Last week was Trinity Sunday and Father’s Day. This Sunday is Corpus Christi! We celebrate that most precious gift from Our Lord Jesus – His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. He gives Himself to us in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as food for our journey of faith. He gives Himself to us in the Blessed Sacrament to be adored and worshiped.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we celebrate today the Most Holy Trinity! God has revealed himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - One being, one substance, and three persons. This is the central mystery of faith. We profess it each time we recite the Creed, each time we make the sign of the Cross. These three persons work in us and in the world together and cannot be separated in their action. Though distinctions can be made, they cannot be separated.

“Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth Your Spirt and we shall be created and you shall renew the face of the Earth.”

Celebrating the Solemn Feast of Pentecost brings us back to our Confirmation when we were sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit! We have all received the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit – fear of the Lord, piety, knowledge, fortitude, counsel, understanding, and wisdom. These are given to us so that we can be good disciples of Jesus Christ.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Jesus into heaven. The earthly life of Jesus ends here, but He is present with us still in the tabernacle, in the Eucharist. His presence is now hidden and only through eyes of faith can we recognize Him. Under the appearance of bread and wine He remains with us. In every tabernacle in every Catholic Church He remains. What a gift!

In late January and early February, after New York enacted a barbaric law enshrining abortion and granting unprecedented access to abortion, I wrote three Pastor’s Corners addressing this. Since we gave such thought and time to such evil, perhaps we should give the same thought and time to great good and light which shines in the darkness. Let’s celebrate life!

This week and throughout this month of May new chapters in many people’s lives begin! Our 8^th Graders are moving on to High School. Our High School Seniors are graduating and moving on to jobs or college. Our College Seniors begin their careers or go on to graduate school. Our parents are experiencing this for the first time or the 3^rd time or the last time.

We are celebrating the 4^th Sunday of Easter this weekend. How are we celebrating it? In the sanctuary, we still have the Easter Candle and the priest and deacon still wear white vestments. These show us that we are still in that Easter Joy!

Yesterday or today, Saturday, May 4^th, depending on which mass you attend, our 2^nd graders received their First Communion! What a blessing it is to receive our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity! These young people begin this amazing journey now with Almighty God.

What a beautiful celebration of the Paschal Mystery, that is, the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of the Lord! Everything was magnificent! The choir and the servers were extraordinary! The decorations were gorgeous! Thanks to all who had a hand in it!

Rejoice! Our Lord Jesus is Risen!

This past week, we walked with Jesus through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. We ate that Last Supper with Him where he spoke to us of imitating him and being servants for one another.

I would like to issue an invitation to each of you. Join us as we walk through the Holiest of Weeks celebrating the beautiful mysteries of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Delve deep into the beauty and mystery of the faith with your brothers and sisters of St. James the Less!

Earlier this year, I wrote a series of Pastor’s Corners in response to the murderous legislation passed in New York and proposed in Virginia. The second in this series addressed our personal response to abortion and these horrors being proposed and promoted throughout our country. Well, the rubber hit the road last week on my way to retreat.

I remember opening The Southern Cross and immediately, my chest swelled with pride! Each year, the St. John Vianney Vocations Ministry in Savannah holds the Vocations Essay Contest and receives submissions from all 16 schools throughout the Diocese of Savannah. This year St. James School won 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place! We swept the medals!

On Thursday, March 21st, forty-six of our young people received the Sacrament of Confirmation! These young men and women are now fully initiated into the Church. They can be lectors, ushers, participate in all our ministries and begin to live a life in the Spirit using the gifts the Lord has given them!

Everything is green and Irish this weekend in Savannah! March 17th, the feast day of St. Patrick, is a day of celebration for all Irish and those of Irish descent and even those Catholics not of Irish descent! Even though the parade was on the 16th of March, we celebrate St. Patrick all weekend. This is a day to celebrate the faith of this man who was a disciple of Jesus Christ and a missionary who evangelized Ireland.

This past Monday, St. Anthony of Padua visited the parish and many people took the opportunity to venerate his relics and ask for his intercession. We believe that as a man or woman grows in holiness, even their body becomes sanctified. We are a united body and soul and both are healthy or sick, joyful or sorrowful, together. Not just our soul is sanctified. Our body is sanctified as well. Many of our parishioners and some of the faithful from other parishes in Savannah or even from the Diocese of Charleston came to pray and attend mass and ask for St. Anthony’s intercession. It was a beautiful morning!

In the midst of all the seriousness going on around us, I came across the Alliance of American Football with my brother. The two of us watched these games and predicted what the plays would be before they happened in real time! I am a Level 10 Captain right now! Sure makes watching football so much more fun! This league can teach the NFL a thing or two with some of the rules, transparency, and interaction with fans that they have in their broadcasts! Anyway, it is a nice change of pace from all the gravity surrounding us!

Last week, we reflected on the personal reaction we should have as Catholics to the assault on life seen in New York and around our country. In this Pastor’s Corner, I will address the question of excommunication and refusing to admit persons to communion and who makes these decisions. How should the Church react as an institution and what would that look like?

As the days go by after the New York abortion law has been passed, how should we Catholics react? How should the Church react? Excommunication? Refusal of communion? These are questions that are going back and forth all over the internet and Catholic publications and talk shows and in conversations between good Catholics. The law passed in New York and the talks of more laws in Virginia and Rhode Island are demonic and barbaric.

My stomach turned and disgust washed over me as I read about the passing and the signing into law of New York State’s Reproductive Health Act, as I watched the Empire State building go pink, and as I watched people dance in the aisles of the legislature of New York and as the governor signed this into law. This is sheer evil. It has taken about a week to get over the shock and the horror of the evil this unleashes. We in the United States already have the most liberal abortion laws in the west. Even the more liberal countries of Northern Europe have more regulated abortion laws than we do. The State of New York just went further.

Continuing to Build a Culture of Life, St. James School is doing its part! This week is Catholic School’s Week! We will be celebrating the beauty of St. James School and Catholic Education this week. Our school is the main ministry of our parish. Parents are the first teachers of their children, especially in the faith. We are here to assist them in their vocation, with their responsibility. We do not replace them, but we assist in providing a Catholic atmosphere and environment, quality education, and strong character and intellectual formation. In everything we do, we seek to glorify God and pass on the faith to our children in all we do, say, and think in the church, the classroom, the gym, or on the playground or sports field.

In building a Culture of Life, we defeat a Culture of Death. Jesus said, “I have come so that you might have life and have it abundantly!”

Tuesday, January 22, 2019 marks the 45th commemoration of the tragic Supreme Court decision Roe vs. Wade which ushered in the legalized killing of babies in the wombs of their mothers here in the United States of America. Completely ignoring the rights of a human person in utero, the most innocent and vulnerable of the human family, the doorway was opened to this atrocity. Any civilization that allows or promotes the killing of children will not survive long.

On Wednesday, January 9th, the Lord’s grace and forgiveness was flowing at the church! Almost 40 Second Graders experienced the beauty of the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Confession for the first time! What a beautiful and magnificent experience! God heals us through this Sacrament and leads us to a deeper experience and understanding of His amazing love for us.

Another year begins and we look forward and run to what our God has in store for us this year! We don’t know what it may bring, but we know there will be joys and sorrows, triumphs and tribulations. We will experience many new things and maintain old things. We will feast and we will fast. Life comes with an array of experiences and events which shape and mold us. Each of these things are guided by Almighty God and are in His eternal plan for our own salvation and the salvation and eternal life for all. We are a part of that plan and are blessed to bring His plan and His design to fruition.

The Sunday within the Octave of Christmas (the eight days we celebrate as if each day is Christmas) is dedicated to the Holy Family. Each year, we go back to Nazareth to the home of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. We don’t know much about Jesus’ early years growing up between Bethlehem and his trip to Jerusalem and then his public ministry. The Gospels are silent. So, it is left up to us to go there in prayer and use our imagination and our knowledge to see what their family life was like.

It is difficult to believe that we are already here. The waiting is nearly over. We have prepared these last three weeks. We have cleansed our souls with the Sacrament of Confession. We have decorated and set up our homes to receive our Lord Jesus. We are ready to welcome Him into our hearts, into our souls, into our lives, into our homes. The 4th Week of Advent is only one day long and then we begin to celebrate the birth of Jesus!