A Letter From Our Pastor: Growing Closer To The Lord Jesus As We Prepare For Easter

Dear Parishioners,

We are in the throes of Lent and I hope it's going well for you. This is a time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and each will help you grow closer to the Lord Jesus as we prepare for Easter. In your prayer and fasting, I hope you will remember the 25plus individuals who will be coming into full communion with the Catholic Church this Easter. They are children, teenagers, young adults, middle age, and older. This group has been preparing for many months and they are excited. They are the fruit of our prayer as a parish because we want everyone in Payne County to come into full communion with the Church. May God make it so!

Speaking of prayer, Lent is a wonderful time to really step up your prayer time. In my own life and in the lives of many in our parish, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is an effective way to draw closer to the God who made you and loves you. In adoration, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the altar for all to see. The great St. John Vianney said that in adoration, "I look at Him and He looks at me!" You can sign up for an hour on Wednesdays or just come by anytime. You have 24-hours-a-day access to the Blessed Sacrament in our St. Teresa of Calcutta Chapel. Make use of it!

Finally, a word on our Cleaning Angels. We have a BIG building and there's a lot of activity in it. The Cleaning Angels specifically help us keep the most important part of the building, the church nave, looking great. God deserves our best, and it also shows visitors and parishioners alike that we care deeply for the space that houses the Blessed Sacrament and where we pray most often on Sundays. If you are good at cleaning or enjoy it, I hope you'll give the Cleaning Angels a look.

Let's continue to pray for one another as we continue in this holy season of Lent.

In Christ,

Very Rev. Brian O’Brien,

Pastor, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church