Bishop Lee Piche'

The familiar sound of snow blowers and highway plows remind us this morning that we are in the middle of winter with its unique beauty and dangerous ice and snow.

In the life of the Church the middle of February is a time to remember and honor   our patronal feast, “Our Lady of Lourdes.” Some time ago we invited our Auxiliary Bishop, Bishop Lee Piche’, to join us in celebrating the feast in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes.  We asked the Bishop to preside at two of our Sunday Eucharists.  He was very eager to join us, and we were blessed to have him preside at the 9:00 and 11:00 SundayMasses.

One of the reasons we invited him to join us was to acknowledge and rejoice in the fact that as an infant, Bishop Piche’ was baptized in our Church.  Bishop Piche’ took delight in recalling his experience with the parish when he was very young.  He reminded us that Baptism is the sacrament that binds us all as one in Christ. He spoke about our unity through our common Baptism.  The Bishop’s homily called us to be one with the Church universal.  He spoke with humor and great faith.  He called us all to be one with Christ and with one another.

We wanted to give the Bishop something that would remind him of his visit.  A commemorative plaque was prepared to remind him of his Baptism in our Church, and his unity with all the people of the parish.  On behalf of all parishioners I presented him with the plaque at the end of Mass.  He showed genuine delight in receiving the gift.

Our celebration of the Eucharist with the Bishop presiding was a blessing for all of us.  His homily was a call to follow Christ even when it is difficult to do so.

We are blessed to have a beautiful church where we can celebrate fitting worship to God.  It is important to remember, however,  that the first way we understand the word “Church”, is “The People of God,” that is, the people who are baptized in the Church and proclaim their faith in Jesus Christ and the message he proclaims.

We are the Church, and the Bishop symbolizes the presence of Christ throughout the Church.  It was a blessing to have the Bishop in our midst.

At the end of his visit I walked Bishop Piche’ to his car.  In that short walk he said  he would be very pleased to come back in the summer or fall of this year to celebrate with us once again. I said that we would be pleased to have him.  It would surely be a blessing.