Author: Admin

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: How Should Christians Respond?

On By AdminIn Feasts, Ordinary Time

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross  — How Should Christians Respond?

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Sept. 14, 2025) This weekend, we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The Cross, once a sign of suffering and death, has become for us the ultimate sign of hope: the place where God’s love conquered sin and death.

In light of recent tragedies, including the heartbreaking shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, how are we as Christians called to respond?

  • With prayer — not as a last resort, but as a powerful act that lifts the suffering to God.

  • Through the sacraments — especially the Eucharist and confession, where Christ’s grace enters our broken world.

  • By intentional relationships — reaching out, befriending, and witnessing God’s love to those who may feel unseen.

  • With courage as disciples — stepping out of our comfort zones to share the Gospel, even if it feels uncomfortable or seems to make only a small difference.

The Cross reminds us that love is stronger than death, and Christ is stronger than violence. Even if it feels like there’s just a 1% chance that our words or actions could help someone turn back to God, that 1% is worth it — because eternity is at stake.

So we lift high the Cross: proclaiming the love of Christ, living as disciples with conviction, and trusting that God can transform even tragedy into hope.

Catholic Services Appeal Weekend

On By AdminIn Ordinary Time

This weekend we begin our Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) — the annual appeal that sustains our Diocese in Northern Wisconsin.

  • St. Joseph Parish Goal: $65,127

  • St. Ann Parish Goal: $15,973
    (We met our goals last year, and with your help, we can do it again!)

But this isn’t just about meeting a financial goal. The true call is to grow in Prayerful Generosity:

  • Prayerful — Jesus prayed for us and intercedes for us.

  • Generous — Jesus gave his life for us.

Why Support the CSA?

  • Funds the education and formation of seminarians (7 this year, most in 16 years, at $50,000 per seminarian annually).

  • Brings international priests to serve our parishes (currently 26 of our 42 active priests are international).

  • Supports youth faith experiences (Extreme Faith Camp, Totus Tuus, March for Life, retreats).

  • Offers adult retreats and formation.

  • Provides essential administrative and legal guidance for parishes.

  • Strengthens Catholic schools, including St. Francis Solanus in our cluster.

How to Give

  • Use CSA envelopes mailed to you or found at church entrances/bulletins. Return in the collection, bring to the parish office, or mail directly.

  • Give online at haywardcatholic.org under the Give tab, designating the 2025–2026 CSA for St. Joseph or St. Ann.

Any amount above our goal comes back to our parishes!

Challenge: Grow in Prayerful Generosity. Give more this year than last — and pray for the causes you support. In doing so, we become more like Jesus.

Retirement: For Me or For God?

On By AdminIn Ordinary Time

Retirement: For Me or For God? 

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time – 08/03/25

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells of a wealthy man who stored up riches for himself, only to be called a fool by God—not for working hard, but for forgetting eternity. He lived as though his future belonged to him, not to God.

This challenges us in a culture that views retirement as finally doing what we want. The Christian question is different: Is retirement about me, or is it about God and others?

  • Ecclesiastes reminds us that work without God is vanity.

  • St. Paul urges us to “seek what is above” and put on Christ.

Retirement, then, isn’t the reward for decades of labor. It’s a new vocation—a fresh opportunity to serve, love, and live for God more freely. The Christian mission never retires.

Key Questions:

  • Am I investing my time, resources, and energy in what matters to God?

  • Am I growing as His disciple and helping others come to Him?

True retirement is not self-indulgence, but self-gift. Not vanity, but eternal value. Every day, even in small hidden moments, we are called to glorify God and bring souls to Him.

Wanting to Want “All”

On By AdminIn Ordinary Time

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (07/13/25) Wanting to Want “All”

In this episode, we reflect on Jesus’ call to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind—a total, undivided love. We ask the honest question: Do I really love God with all, or just a lot, a majority, or maybe only some? This homily challenges us to move from partial devotion to wholehearted surrender, inviting us to desire a deeper, fuller love for God that shapes every part of our lives.

True Freedom

On By AdminIn Ordinary Time

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time | 07/06/25

This week, we reflect on the meaning of freedom—not just as Americans celebrating Independence Day, but as Christians sent into the world. True freedom isn’t about doing whatever we want; it’s the gift of choosing love, sacrifice, and God’s will. In the Gospel, Jesus sends out seventy-two disciples two by two—not alone, but united in mission and reliant on God’s grace. Their joy comes not from their own accomplishments but from seeing what God did through them. As we cherish our country’s liberty, we’re reminded that freedom without virtue can lead us astray. Christian freedom is always “freedom for”—for holiness, justice, and love of neighbor. This episode challenges us to step out of comfort zones and use our freedom to transform the world for Christ.