Fr. Don’s Weekly Letter ~ 12 April 2026

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

Last Monday (yes, the day after Easter!) we gathered with all the new members of the Church who received the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. After accompanying a wonderful group of people who are seeking more of God and faith is a sacred work, and humbling. We really form a family out of a cohort of unacquainted people. It is a favorite ministry for me.

On Monday night we got back together after a truly powerful experience of the Easter Vigil Mass. (See photos starting on page 10, and the list of people - some were baptized, some already baptized joined the Catholic Church, all were confirmed.) We gather again right away after Easter in order to share while the experience is fresh. What were the most interesting aspects? What surprised you? Did anything create questions in your mind? Other thoughts after reflection?

What I love so much about OCIA is that people are willing to be vulnerable after we get to know each other and really just open their hearts wide and share their journey. Our new Catholics had such beautiful things to say about their experience of the Vigil, how things felt to them, how they felt really welcome and special and holy (in a healthy way).

Receiving sacraments for most of us, unfortunately, was done at early ages before we developed the ability to recognize the profound reality of what we celebrate. Being ordained a priest was so unlike my memories of other sacraments because I knew who I was and what was happening. Receiving Eucharist can become so routine that we don’t even think about the miracle that God literally places his Son in our hands.

So if I were to ask you these four questions with Easter Sunday in such recent memory, how would you respond? Did you find anything interesting? Surprising? Questionable? Having asked these questions, I imagine there might be some people who would look at me as if I were a little crazy.

But, these are real questions we should be asking. We should be reflecting on these Mysteries we encounter and see how we are somehow different, or changed, or our knowledge and faith is deepened. Without any kind of religious reflection leading to appreciation and gratitude, memories fade quickly and we can become indifferent.

He is risen... what is different about us now? We know this is something new: what? A new not-previously-known life has come to us. A new unknown love. Why? Isn’t that the purpose of God’s action? We must respond to grace and not just collect it, engaging our human senses and intuitions to grow. If not, then why bother?

There is a vital link that seems to be broken with many people and their common perception of religion. “Why does it matter? I can be spiritual but not religious...” except you really can’t. Religion is when spirituality becomes a commitment. Most people think religion is only rules demanding compliance. On the contrary, it is not servitude, but freely chosen service.

I know I’ve written about this before, but it bears repeating. A new category of people in all religions is replacing the “nones” (What is your religious affiliation? - their answer is “none.”) This new category is the “dones.” After the dryness of going through the motions for so long, these people (largely in their 50s and 60s) are simply “done.” Often highly engaged former church members—often former lay leaders—they have left traditional church attendance, not out of a loss of faith, but due to dissatisfaction with organized religion’s bureaucracy, judgmental culture, and rigid structure. As unfortunate as these realities are (I didn’t become a priest because I love the Church...), the engagement is still too important to let go of.

If you feel your fire diminishing, get involved in the life of someone who is seeking God. Ask each other the four questions and the sharing will mutually inspire. Seeing the beauty of faith in the other person can only renew you, and renew the Church. He is risen, alleluia!

The Lord be with you,