JUST SOME THOUGHTS

                Sunday, September 17th I am celebrating 35 years as a priest. It has been a very rewarding and blessed 35 years for me. I feel truly blessed to be serving at St. Louis. I have been a part of your wonderful parish now for 13 years and I am looking forward to being a part of this faith community for many years to come.

                The last couple of weeks you have seen me wandering around with my face bandaged. Everyone has been very sympathetic and I am grateful for your prayers and wishes.

                I had a growth removed from my nose which was a squamous cell carcinoma a type of skin cancer. It is non-aggressive. I required further surgery to remove all the cancer cells. The surgery is called Mohs surgery, also known as chemosurgery, developed in 1938 by a general surgeon, Frederic E. Mohs, is microscopically controlled surgery used to treat common types of skin cancer. During the surgery, after each removal of tissue and while the patient waits, the tissue is examined for cancer cells. That examination informs the decision for additional tissue removal.

                Facial surgery was then used to repair the damage and so I will be bandaged for a couple of weeks when I see the doctor again at the end of the month.

                This weekend we also celebrate Catechetical Sunday. The 2017 them is “Living as Missionary Disciples.” Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity for us all to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity for all to re-dedicate themselves to this mission as a community of faith.

                This weekend Wendy Mistretta, our Coordinator of Adult Faith Formation, will be speaking about our role in continuing our growth in faith throughout our lives reminding us that faith formation is an ongoing process that never comes to an end.