Christ the Divine Shepherd  

Penn Hills/Pitcairn/Monroeville 

The month of October is traditionally dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  To assist in your reflections on this powerful prayer, here is an excerpt from Pope Saint John Paul II’s 2002 encyclical, Rosarium Virginis Mariae:

The Rosary is by its nature a prayer for peace, since it consists in the contemplation of Christ, the Prince of Peace, the one who is “our peace” (Eph 2:14). Anyone who assimilates the mystery of Christ – and this is clearly the goal of the Rosary – learns the secret of peace and makes it his life's project. Moreover, by virtue of its meditative character, with the tranquil succession of Hail Marys, the Rosary has a peaceful effect on those who pray it, disposing them to receive and experience in their innermost depths, and to spread around them, that true peace which is the special gift of the Risen Lord (cf. Jn 14:27; 20.21).

The Rosary is also a prayer for peace because of the fruits of charity which it produces. When prayed well in a truly meditative way, the Rosary leads to an encounter with Christ in his mysteries and so cannot fail to draw attention to the face of Christ in others, especially in the most afflicted. How could one possibly contemplate the mystery of the Child of Bethlehem, in the joyful mysteries, without experiencing the desire to welcome, defend and promote life, and to shoulder the burdens of suffering children all over the world? How could one possibly follow in the footsteps of Christ the Revealer, in the mysteries of light, without resolving to bear witness to his “Beatitudes” in daily life? And how could one contemplate Christ carrying the Cross and Christ Crucified, without feeling the need to act as a “Simon of Cyrene” for our brothers and sisters weighed down by grief or crushed by despair? Finally, how could one possibly gaze upon the glory of the Risen Christ or of Mary - Queen of Heaven, without yearning to make this world more beautiful, more just, more closely conformed to God's plan?

In a word, by focusing our eyes on Christ, the Rosary also makes us peacemakers in the world. By its nature as an insistent choral petition in harmony with Christ's invitation to “pray ceaselessly” (Lk 18:1), the Rosary allows us to hope that, even today, the difficult “battle” for peace can be won. Far from offering an escape from the problems of the world, the Rosary obliges us to see them with responsible and generous eyes, and obtains for us the strength to face them with the certainty of God's help and the firm intention of bearing witness in every situation to “love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Col 3:14).

Oktoberfest - Thank you to everyone who came to our parish Oktoberfest celebration last weekend! A particular word of thanks to Frank Bozicevic and all the volunteers that helped make the event so successful.  Mark your calendars now for September 30, 2023!

Parish Festival - Speaking of 2023, if we want to have a parish festival next year, we’re going to need some dedicated people to run it.  If interested, please email me as soon as possible.

Faith & Blue - This is National Faith & Blue weekend, a weekend where faith communities across the country take a moment to stop and pray for their local police officers, asking God to protect and guide them as they work to protect us.  In a particular way we invoke the intercession of Saint Michael the Archangel, patron of police officers, on their work.

Feast Day - Wednesday, October 19, is the feast day of the North American Martyrs.  Our parish community is blessed to have two relics of these good and faithful servants.  Following Mass that morning, the Eucharist will be exposed all day for adoration, and the relics will be exposed for veneration.  Stop by, make a visit, and spend some time in prayer.

Oremus pro invicem!