Why Catholics Continue to Have Hope

Dear Parishioners,

As a Catholic priest I am charged with preaching the Gospel—the Good News.  I can certainly point out all of the things that are confusing or even scandalous in the Catholic Church. However, there are important reasons why true Catholics do not give up hope despite the many obstacles we face. We do not flee when the wolf attacks the sheep. We do not deny Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We remain faithful even if everyone calls us ridiculous, stupid, or out of touch. Remember in the Beatitudes we are told that we are actually blessed when we are unjustly persecuted.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  (Mt. 5: 11-12)

Opposition and persecution have been present from the beginning of the Church and continue to this day.

Let me reflect with you on some of my reasons for ongoing hope within the Catholic Church:

• Jesus is victorious over sin and death.  Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross, rather than being a defeat, was a victory.  Jesus rose from the dead. Death has no more power over Him. His Resurrection gives every Christian the hope of eternal life. While we have not yet seen the culmination of all God’s plans, we know Who has already won the victory. Christus Vincit!
• Jesus promised to remain with His Church.  “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”  (Mt. 28:20)  First, Jesus remains with us in the Holy Eucharist.  We believe in His Real Presence on our altars and in our tabernacles. We also have the Sacred Scriptures to guide and inspire us. Through the ministerial priesthood Christ still acts in each sacrament. Christ remains with His Church whenever we gather in His name, but most especially at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. 
• Jesus told us that evil will not prevail.  “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” (Mt. 16:18)  Through the centuries, there have been bitter battles for the soul of the Church. We have seen many martyrs.  We have had bad popes, bishops, priests, etc. Attempts have been made to destroy the Church from within and from without.  Despite all such attempts, the Church remains.  And it will remain.
• Our Lady continues to intercede for us, her children.  Devotion to Our Blessed Mother is a sine qua non for any believing Catholic.  I have been especially devoted to the apparitions of Fatima (Portugal) and to the other approved apparitions like Lourdes (France), Guadalupe (Mexico), etc.  According to the seer Sr. Lucia, the message given at Fatima from Our Lady was ”In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph.” When we pray the Hail Mary, we ask for Our Lady’s intercession now and at the hour of our death. She was given to us at the foot of the cross to be our spiritual mother. She continues to intercede for her children and to care about their eternal salvation as any good mother would.

I continue to have hope. What is going on in the Church and the world still concerns me tremendously.  Yet, we need to remain faithful to the Lord as He is always faithful to us.  

If you have any doubts, look at the crucifix. 

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

     

Homily for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

The Pastoral (Parish) Council

Dear Parishioners,

When we examine what canon (church) law requires of every parish, we see that a finance council is mandated.  Canon 537 states: In each parish there is to be a finance council which is governed, in addition to universal law, by norms issued by the diocesan bishop and in which the Christian faithful, selected according to these same norms, are to assist the pastor in the administration of the goods of the parish . . . .   This council is established and active here at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish and meets regularly attempting to keep our parish operating in a fiscally responsible manner.

Canon law also states the following (Canon 536):  1. If the diocesan bishop judges it opportune after he has heard the presbyteral council, a pastoral council is to be established in each parish, over which the pastor presides and in which the Christian faithful, together with those who share in pastoral care by virtue of their office in the parish, assist in fostering pastoral activity. 2. A pastoral council possesses a consultative vote only and is governed by the norms established by the diocesan bishop.

Regarding this pastoral council, I wish to re-establish it anew in the fall. I am looking for a select group of people (9 to 12 are recommended) to help advise me with various matters concerning the future of the parish.

According to our diocesan guidelines:  Parish Pastoral Councils provide a way for pastors to consult their people. The Parish Pastoral Council is: "to examine and consider all that relates to pastoral work and to offer practical conclusions on these matters, so that the life and activity of the People of God may be brought into greater conformity with the Gospel." In this description, we find three tasks assigned to the pastoral council: to examine, to consider, and to recommend.

• To examine:  The object of the Parish Pastoral Council's examination, "pastoral work," is left sufficiently un-specified in order to include all that concerns the pastor and his staff in serving the parish. The council identifies issues and studies them either at the request of the pastor or on its own initiative.
• To consider:  The Parish Pastoral Council prayerfully ponders the data it has collected from its examination by trying to discern in what direction God is inviting the parish to go, what is behind the data.
• To recommend:  After the Parish Pastoral Council has examined and considered any pastoral work, it makes a recommendation to the pastor and his staff on what should be done for this parish at this time in its history.

I am looking for dedicated, prayerful people willing to help me. If you are interested or you wish to recommend someone for this task, please let me know in writing or by e-mail by September 30, 2026. (My parish email is Fr.Namiotka@stabrig.org) 

After prayerful consideration, the council will be re-established anew to assist me with the future vision and direction of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish. For those who want more information, the diocesan Parish Pastoral Councils Guidelines in English and Spanish can be found on the diocesan website. 

Please give my request some prayerful deliberation. More information will follow in the months ahead.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

The Assumption and the "Wedding of the Sea"

Atlantic City

Dear Parishioners,

There is a Holy Day coming up next week: the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. This year, because of the way it falls on the calendar on a Saturday, the obligation to attend Mass is removed. However, it does not mean that it is any less holy of a day.

The Assumption celebrates the Blessed Virgin Mary, after her earthly life was complete, being taken up body and soul into Heaven.  According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC):

“Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.” The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians. . . . (CCC, #966)

Growing up in Wildwood, NJ leaves me with many fond memories. One of these was the celebration of the vigil of the Assumption at St. Ann’s Church each August 14^th. When I was young, the Vigil Mass was usually packed (standing room only). St. Ann’s could hold approximately 3000 people and I can recall seeing it year after year wall to wall with people. Unlike the famous celebration in Atlantic City which takes place during the day on August 15^th, the Wildwood tradition was/is a vigil Mass followed by procession down to the beach for the Wedding of the Sea ceremony. Most years, the bishop would preside during this ceremony in both locations.

At many seashore towns, the Assumption has become somehow tied into the Wedding of the Sea ceremony which had an entirely different history and origin. Apparently the custom found its way here from a couple of Venetian historical commemorations and a ceremony in which the Doge (chief magistrate) of Venice would "marry" the sea each year, and throw a blessed ring into the lagoon as a sign of eternal fidelity. (Interestingly, the original Venetian ceremony apparently took place in conjunction with the celebration of the Ascension of Our Lord rather than the Assumption).

The Press of Atlantic City reported a variation of the origin of the custom:

According to tradition, the ceremony commemorates an event in the life of the Bishop of Cervia in Italy, Paul Barbo who later became Pope Paul II. The Bishop is said to have been returning by ship from Venice on the Feast of the Assumption in 1445 when he was caught in a storm. The Bishop, it is said, calmed the storm by prayer and throwing his pastoral ring into the sea. (6/16/10)

Here at St. Thomas the Apostle we will process to the ocean after the 6:30 PM Mass on Friday, August 14^th, the vigil of the Assumption. I hope that you will join us in the public profession of our Catholic faith.

Throughout history, it was not unusual that Christians would attempt to “Christianize” various secular customs and traditions. No matter what the exact origin of the Wedding of the Sea is, as we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, it is more important to recall the honored place that Mary, the Mother of God, has in salvation history and that her life on earth was worthy of an eternal reward in Heaven. Where Mary has gone, we hope to follow! 

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Venice

Homily for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

"Sir, Give Us This Bread Always"

Dear Parishioners,

One of the things I enjoy (in the food category) when I vacation in Europe or in parts of the world influenced by European cooking is the freshly baked bread. When in Europe, I like watching people heading to a bakery or local grocery store to get a baguette, ciriola, or some type of freshly baked loaf. It is definitely not like what we find in most American supermarkets in the typical bread aisle. Many European-style breads are simply outstanding (in my humble opinion). Crispy crust, soft inside, great taste. . . .  Smother a slice in butter with a cup of coffee and I’m perfectly happy for breakfast.

I thought of these things when I read about the multiplication of the loaves (and fish) and feeding the crowd in this Sunday’s gospel (Mt. 14: 13-21). This miracle is found in all four gospels and is theologically seen as a foreshadowing of and anticipation of the Most Holy Eucharist.

Bread is a staple of life for many people throughout history. In Jesus’ time it was part of the everyday meal as was table wine. He used both of these common elements in an extraordinary way when He was at table with his disciples before His death—the Last Supper.

Bread also had some spiritual significance throughout history for the Jewish and later Christian peoples. The Jewish people eat unleavened bread to commemorate their freedom from Egypt when they had to flee before they had time for the bread to rise (Ex. 34:18).  When the Jews were wandering in the desert after their exodus from Egypt, God gave them manna to eat—mysterious “bread from heaven.” (Ex. 16) The Jews also kept showbread or bread of presence—twelve loaves representing the twelve tribes of Israel—before God in the sanctuary of the Temple. Later, Jesus famously multiplied the loaves and fish, to feed the hungry multitudes, as we see in this week’s Gospel passage (Mt. 14:13-21; see also, Mk. 6:34-42, Lk. 9:13-17 and Jn. 6:1-15). The use of bread comes to a spiritual summit in Jesus’ designation of it as His body at the Last Supper (Mt. 26: 26, Mk. 14:22, Lk. 22:19, 1 Cor. 11:23-24). 

In the Gospel of St. John, Chapter 6, we read what is referred to as Jesus’ Bread of Life Discourse. It is seen as a commentary on the significance and value of the Most Holy Eucharist. We hear some definitive statements made by Jesus:  I am the bread of life.  .  .  I am the bread that came down from heaven.  .  .  Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within.  .  .  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.  .  .  My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.  .  . .

The Real Presence of Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist is one of the core teachings of the Catholic faith. We do not believe in some mere symbolic presence, but take Jesus literally—at his word—in our understanding of this mystery. Over the centuries, the term transubstantiation—a change in substance (but not in appearance)—has been used to explain this essential dogma.

When we approach the Most Holy Eucharist, we approach Jesus—our Lord, God and Savior. He deserves our love, reverence and respect.  Like some of the people in the Gospel, our attitude toward the Holy Eucharist should be one of desire, anticipation, thanksgiving and joy: 

“Sir, give us this bread always.” (John 6: 34)

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Setting Some Priorities

 

Dear Parishioners,

As a pastor for many years with numerous previous assignments, I have observed how people often have various ideas regarding how a parish should be organized or operate. We certainly can differ in opinion when asking some important questions: What should a parish's priorities be? What activities or programs should we support? Where should we place our time, energy and resources?

Similarly, people can disagree on their expectation of the role of a pastor. We need a pastor who is a holy, spiritual leader . . . a talented administrator . . . a gifted fundraiser . . . a creative, dynamic shepherd . . . a riveting preacher . . . a brilliant teacher . . . etc., etc. Let me remind everyone that although Jesus was indeed the Son of God and the most perfect man who ever lived, even He did not meet certain people's expectations and was nailed to a cross by His dissenters. Any pastor, with his human flaws and weaknesses, will sadly fall short of people's expectations.

People should know that a priest, by his ordination, is meant to offer the sacrifice on behalf of the people. I was ordained to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for my people. I am not primarily a counselor, social worker, fundraiser, etc. I am a pastor/priest whose primary roles are to preach and teach, to sanctify (administer the sacraments) and to govern (the parish). These are my priorities here or wherever I may be assigned by the bishop. 

So, I want to spell out as clearly as possible how I envision the situation here at St. Thomas the Apostle, having been pastor for only a couple weeks. You should know what I am thinking.

All parishes must emphasize the need for continual growth. To achieve such, we should see a commitment by parishioners to regular Mass attendance, to adequate financial support, and to volunteering. Without younger families, more children and young adults as well as faithful Mass attendance by all, we could head down a dangerous path with a very uncertain parish future.

Priority One. Pray more. Attend Mass weekly (especially, if you are not currently doing so). Go to confession (the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation) regularly. Be an active part of the parish.

Priority Two. Bring people to Christ. We must evangelize! Invite people to Mass. Ask people if they ever thought about becoming a Catholic. Talk about your faith. Any future parish activities or suggestions first need to ask this question: How is my idea going to bring people to Christ and help to grow our congregation? How am I making new disciples for Christ? In my opinion, this will be time well-spent.     

Priority Three. Seek out our lukewarm or inactive Catholics. There are far too many non-practicing Catholics. We need to counter any utilitarian mentality where people come to the Church only when they need something or find it personally convenient. A sad joke that has circulated church circles for years was that people would seek out the Catholic Church only to be hatched (baptism), matched (marriage) and dispatched (funeral rites). We have often labeled inactive members as Christmas and Easter Catholics. The point behind the labels is that too many Catholics no longer practice their faith regularly. Catholics primarily worship through the Mass. The term "New Evangelization" has been used to indicate the task of bringing back those baptized Catholics who no longer practice their faith. This should be important to us all. Start with any inactive family members.

While the above list is by no means complete, we must start somewhere and this is where I think our collective energy currently needs to be spent.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Parables and the Kingdom of Heaven

Dear Parishioners,

Jesus often uses parables to get his message across. Most times I prefer someone to be clear and direct. Tell me exactly what you mean! Don't give me a song and a dance! Give it to me straight! However, Jesus frequently does not do this.  He may answer a question with another question. He may remain silent. He may tell a parable.

A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse that illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, whereas parables have human characters. A parable is a type of metaphorical analogy.

One thing that parables should make us do is think. At times, we may come to different conclusions or even be left confused. Jesus would explain parables to his disciples privately to help them understand their meaning as he did with the Parable of the Sower (Mt. 13: 1-23) or in the parable about the Weeds in the Field (Mt. 13: 24-43). Just because Jesus may use symbolic, poetic or a type of flowery language—make no mistake—even in the use and explanation of his parables, he could be quite forceful when speaking about certain things (like a fiery furnace and wailing and grinding of teeth!)

Next, there is this concept of the Kingdom of Heaven. Living in a nation that does not have a king and even established its unique identity by declaring independence from a king, the idea of kingship may be foreign to many and perhaps, repugnant. I vote! I pay taxes! No one is going to tell me what to do!

Be careful, however, when we refer to God. We are creatures; God is Creator. God is absolutely sovereign. We were brought into being by God's great love and given intelligence and free-will, noting how we were created in His image and likeness. Respect for God (fear of the Lord) and all that God is (omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, all-holy, all-merciful, all-loving, transcendent, eternal, etc., etc.) gets lost in a secular society. We suffer from shortsightedness, a desire for pleasure and immediate gratification and an ever-increasing absence and possible disdain for any matters considered religious, sacred or holy. Even the absolute sacredness of human life itself has dramatically and horrendously diminished.

When Pope St. John Paul II gave to us the Luminous Mysteries of the Holy Rosary for meditation and reflection, I initially thought that the third mystery was somewhat ambiguous. Why was the Proclamation of the Kingdom (and the Call to Conversion) so important? With time, I have personally realized a deeper appreciation of this mystery. Allow me to share this descriptive synopsis of the mystery:

The preaching by which Jesus proclaims the coming of the Kingdom of God, calls to conversion (cf. Mk. 1:15) and forgives the sins of all who draw near to him in humble trust (cf. Mk. 2:3-13; Lk. 7:47- 48): the inauguration of that ministry of mercy which he continues to exercise until the end of the world, particularly through the Sacrament of Reconciliation which he has entrusted to his Church (cf. Jn. 20:22-23).

Jesus ushered in the Kingdom of God and through His Incarnation Heaven and Earth were united.  

May we do our part to build up His Kingdom here on Earth!

Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor  

Homily for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Homily for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Getting to Know You!

Dear Parishioners,

As your new pastor, I think it is important that we get to know each other. Let me begin by telling you a little about myself.

I was born in the City of Brotherly Love, but grew up on the Jersey shore in Wildwood, NJ.  I am the oldest of five children—four boys and one girl.

I am truly the product of Catholic Schools:

• Kindergarten at St. John Cantius School (now part of Blessed Trinity Regional Catholic School), Philadelphia
• Elementary School at St. Ann Regional School (now part of Wildwood Catholic Academy), Wildwood
• High School at Wildwood Catholic High School (now Wildwood Catholic Academy)
• College Seminary at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia
• Major Seminary at Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, MD

I have been a priest for 39 years now, ordained in 1987 by the late Bishop George H. Guilfoyle. A significant amount of my priesthood had been involved with Catholic education, primarily at the former St. Joseph High School (now St. Joseph Academy), Hammonton for six years and the former Sacred Heart High School, Vineland for fourteen years.

Now I come to you with enthusiasm, zeal and the desire to build on the strong foundation of my predecessors here at St. Thomas the Apostle. Every priest brings with him his own unique gifts, talents and abilities. I hope to be able to share mine with you. I enjoy writing and, with the encouragement of the parishioners from my first parish as pastor, began writing a weekly column (now a blog www.fr-ed-namiotka.com) for my parishioners to read.  I also have a YouTube channel (Edward Namiotka) with many of my homilies. I invite you to check them out!

I have been involved with Worldwide Marriage Encounter, giving weekends for well over 35 years. If there has been an influence that has truly impacted my priesthood and ministry, Marriage Encounter is at the top of the list.

From my seminary days—especially from my time at Mt. St. Mary’s—I took with me a strong devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and a great love for Our Blessed Lady. Nothing defines my life and my priesthood more than this. I also have great love for the Sacred Scriptures which was my major in the seminary.

Please pray for me as I do for you! Be patient as I try to learn (and remember) your names and backgrounds. Remember there is only one of me to remember but I now have thousands more of you!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Until We Meet Again

 

St. Thomas More

As I sit down to write my final letter as pastor of St. Thomas More Parish, many emotions pass through my entire being.

First is the sadness of not being with my people, my parishioners, on a regular basis. I have become fond of seeing you from week to week, in some cases day to day. I have never been one to display my emotions visibly. You might say I sometimes have a poker face. However, this does not mean I don’t have and experience feelings deep inside. Sadness is real. Separation is hard. Leaving brings things to the surface.

Starting again somewhere new causes me feelings of anxiety and apprehension. I recall when I arrived here in Cherry Hill we were in the midst of a “pandemic.” People were not coming to church, were wearing masks and I knew practically no one. During this time I became gravely ill and was hospitalized. Afterwards, I was very much isolated in my rectory. This was not a great time in my (or anyone’s) life. I never want to go through this type of situation again. Moreover, as an introvert by nature, meeting new people is not easy. Over the years I have worked hard to overcome this, but it is real nonetheless.

But enough about me. I take this time to express my gratitude to all of you for your love, kindness, generosity and support. I have made many more friends and I have enjoyed being your pastor for these past six years. Whether it was at Mass, at dinner, in the confessional, in the hospital, at the grocery store or in some other circumstance, I will miss you. Life is short and every person we meet and situation we experience is meant for a reason. Hopefully, we learn from all of them.

My apologies to anyone whom I may have hurt or offended in any way during my time here. Priests are all too human. We make mistakes. We are not gods, although we should strive to be Christ-like. Please pray for me to become more like Christ every day.

Some priests are very good, timely and regular in saying “thanks.” This has not been one of my better qualities over the years. I put off and forget to send “thank you” notes. I am sparse in my compliments. I admit I am deficient in this area. Period. However, I take this time to thank anyone who has helped me or the parish in any way during my time here. Thank you, thank you, and thank you! I am grateful for all that you have done.

Finally, I thank God for allowing me 39 years of priestly service. (Unfortunately, I will not be here to celebrate a milestone year next year.) I especially thank the Blessed Mother for being my Spiritual Mother during these years. Her example of unselfish obedience to the will of God continues to guide and inspire me.

At the end of the musical Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye (the main character) has to say goodbye to one of his daughters (Hodel) who is leaving for a distant place (Siberia). The dialogue goes something like this: “Papa, God alone knows when we will see each other again.” Tevye then says to her: “Then we will leave it in His hands.”

Fortunately, I do not depart for some distant land. I am only going to Brigantine—a beach town about an hour away. Maybe I will see you there! We will leave that in God’s hands.

Be kind to Fr. Matveenko.

Please pray for me as I will pray to you!

Fr. Ed Namiotka   

Father's Day!

Dear Parishioners,

First of all, I pray for all fathers today—living and deceased. I lost my father many years ago in 1995 when he was only 64 years old. His love and concern for his wife and family are memories that cannot be easily erased from my mind.

As I was preparing to write for Father’s Day, I primarily want to address the men of our parish and community who are honored this day. While I do not have any biological children myself, I can still understand some of the obligations and duties of fatherhood since I am a spiritual father for the parish as priest and pastor. After all, I am called “Father” on a daily basis by young and old alike.

When I was teaching the Family Life class in high school, I would remind the students that it was relatively easy for most men biologically to have a child. No one has to teach the various animal species of the world the process of mating. Animal instinct will generally take care of that. However, to serve as a father to a child involves a lot more than the biological act of mating.

Fathers have the responsibility to love and care for, to feed and clothe, to educate and teach their children. More than that, however, fathers are to be the spiritual leaders of their homes—their domestic church. Every father is a type of priest for his home. He is the moral leader and exemplar for his family. Remember that when we call God “Our Father” as Jesus taught us, it is practically impossible not to have our own earthly fathers somewhat in the back our minds when we think of the concept of fatherhood. Earthly fathers should seek to be an example of the unconditional love that our Heavenly Father has for us.

Too often in our society and sometimes in various cultures, men do not accept the responsibility to be the spiritual fathers for their families.  We will have various women in a parish who become “church widows” since their husbands do not come regularly to church. This also leaves any children that they have as spiritual orphans since their dads are teaching their children that there are other things more important in life for them than God and Church. Remember that true fathers teach by both word and example!

Do I ever see dad pray?  Does dad ever volunteer his time at church?  Does dad go to confession regularly?  Does dad go to Mass and receive Holy Communion each week?  These are questions that might be going through your children’s minds. How will these questions be answered?

I propose St. Joseph as a role model for all fathers. God chose him to be the father-figure for Jesus on earth and he was His legal father (foster father) in worldly matters. While we have no spoken words from him in Sacred Scripture, Joseph is known as a “righteous” man (Mt. 1:19), obedient to the will of God. His concern and love for the Blessed Virgin and Jesus becomes apparent by his actions on their behalf.

I realize that some of the dads who need to hear this may not be in church to read this bulletin. Calling all church widows and spiritual orphans: please bring this bulletin to your husbands and/or fathers for me special delivery. I would be anxious to see the expressions on their faces.

For those many men who are faithfully trying to do a good job for their families: “thank you, dad!”

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I Place my Trust in Thee

Dear Parishioners,

In the Catholic Church, the month of June is traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I think it is no mere coincidence that the secular world puts an emphasis on something contrary to Christ and the teaching of His Church. Rebellious human beings would rather act defiant to God’s design and try to tell God how they should be allowed to live and act. The first deadly sin—pride—once again rears its ugly head.   

For fourteen years of my life I had worked at a high school named for Our Lord’s Sacred Heart. The motto of the school was: Fac Cor Nostrum Secundum Cor Tuum. (The translation of the Latin:  Make our hearts like unto Thine or Make our hearts like Your Heart.)

The image of the Sacred Heart centers on a devotion to Jesus’ physical heart as representing His Divine Love for all humanity. The Sacred Heart is often depicted in Christian art as a flaming heart shining with divine light. It is bleeding, pierced by the lance-wound, surrounded by a crown of thorns, and surmounted by a cross. The wounds and crown of thorns allude to the manner of Jesus' death, while the fire represents the transformative power of Christ’s love.

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque is associated with the devotion to the Sacred Heart. She entered the Visitation Convent in 1671 and six years later Christ appeared to her in a vision in which she said: "I could plainly see His heart, pierced and bleeding, yet there were flames, too, coming from it and a crown of thorns around it. He told me to behold His heart which so loved humanity. Then He seemed to take my very heart from me and place it there in His heart. In return He gave me back part of His flaming heart."

In all, there were four revelations, during which the now-familiar Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart were made:

1.       I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.

2.       I will establish peace in their homes.

3.       I will comfort them in all their afflictions.

4.       I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.

5.       I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.

6.       Sinners will find in my Heart the source and an infinite ocean of mercy.

7.       Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.

8.       Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.

9.       I will bless every place in which an image of my Heart is exposed and honored.

10.   I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.

11.   Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart.

12.   I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment. 

The last of these promises is responsible for the nine First Fridays’ devotion. Also requested by Jesus was the establishment of a feast in honor of His Sacred Heart. We now celebrate this Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on the first Friday after the octave of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. This year it falls on June 12, 2026. Bishop Williams intends to consecrate the Diocese of Camden to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at St. Mary’s Church, Gloucester City, NJ on this day. Additionally, we honor the Sacred Heart every first Friday of the month. It is also a Catholic tradition to have an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus enthroned in the family home.

Below is the Prayer of Consecration presented by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (U.S.C.C.B.):

O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus:

You know the longings of our hearts, and you desire that we enjoy friendship with you.

From your pierced side, you have poured out the wellspring of life, for which we thirst.

Your heart burns with a love for all people to return to a right relationship with you.

We celebrate the abundant gifts you have given this nation, founded on the self-evident truths that our Creator has endowed all people with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We make reparation for the offenses against you and against human dignity that have taken place in this nation.

May our hearts be united to yours, so that our families and communities enjoy peace and happiness; may broken relationships be reconciled, injustices repaired, and the wounds of our land be healed.

May your holy Catholic Church serve as a sign, pointing all people to your infinite love.

O Desire of Nations and Center of History, we ask you to bless these United States of America.

Who live and reign with God the Father

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

Now that you have a brief history, what truly matters is whether or not we are becoming more Christ-like and whether our hearts reflect Christ’s love for us.

The simple prayer said — Make my heart like Your Heart — should remind us of the task in front of each of us.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ "A" (Corpus Christi) - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

Dear Parishioners,

This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, otherwise known as Corpus Christi. This is a solemnity that is transferred from Thursday (the day on which the Holy Eucharist was instituted) to Sunday in the United States and other countries. In Rome and various places throughout the world, however, it was celebrated this past Thursday.

As Catholics we are called to look at and adore the great gift that we possess in the Holy Eucharist.  We believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Let me be very direct and clear:  not all Christian faiths believe the same thing about the Holy Eucharist. Some believe that the Eucharist is merely a symbol or blessed bread. Other denominations believe that the bread and wine become Christ while the service is going on but return to bread and wine after the service is ended. Some hold that the Eucharist is a sacrament, while others do not. There are many varying points of view.

The Catholic Church believes and teaches that the bread and wine truly become the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ. It is truly Christ present on our altars and in our tabernacles. We take Christ at His word when the words of consecration are spoken: “This is my Body . . . This is my Blood.”

That’s why it’s frustrating to me that some people can be so cavalier about this essential belief of the Catholic faith. For some to say things like: “It’s all the same” or “One religion is as good as another” or “I’ll just go over to the nearby Protestant church” misses the point about what we have held as a core belief in the Catholic Church: We possess the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

Yes, it’s good for us to get down on our knees to adore and worship Christ truly present at every Mass and in our tabernacles. He promised to remain with us always: “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:20)  We believe that he kept this promise in the Holy Eucharist.

We read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 

 

The Mass is at the same time, and inseparably, the sacrificial memorial in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated and the sacred banquet of communion with the Lord's body and blood. But the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice is wholly directed toward the intimate union of the faithful with Christ through communion. To receive communion is to receive Christ himself who has offered himself for us.  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 1382)

I suggest that we all make an effort to be more intentional in the following matters when receiving our Lord in Holy Communion:

• Receiving Our Lord in the state of grace (not conscious of any serious or mortal sin, including deliberately missing Sunday Mass or Holy Days). The Sacrament of Penance is necessary when mortal sin is involved.
• Fasting from food and drink for a minimum of an hour beforehand (no gum chewing, etc.)
• Receiving Our Lord with utmost reverence and respect (no talking or other distracting behavior).
• Making a proper thanksgiving afterward (adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, supplication or acts).

May we always realize Who we have before us on our altars and in our tabernacles and Who we are privileged to receive in Holy Communion:  Jesus, the Son of God.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor