April 12, 2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

When traveling with brother priests, we always like to celebrate Mass together. But we have also developed a habit of going to Mass (incognito) when we travel, just to get a sense of how other parishes in other parts of the country operate. I’ve borrowed more than one homily idea from such trips, and have often been inspired by the fervor of the communities I visit. But at the risk of sounding boastful, I have to say that after every Mass I have attended in different states, I look forward to coming home to St. Pius X. Which brings me to an item on my gratitude list that I would like to share. I am grateful for the way that we pray together as a community, most especially during Mass.

The Second Vatican Council’s constitution on the sacred liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, reminded us that the Eucharistic sacrifice is the source and summit of our faith. That is, everything about who we are as Catholics flows from the Mass, and everything we do as Catholics inevitably leads us back to God’s altar to worship. The Mass is something instituted by Christ at the Last Supper. The form of this worship is given to us by the Church, and faithfully keeping to what the Church asks us to do allows the highest form of prayer that the Church possesses to become something that truly unites us spiritually with all those throughout the world who profess the Catholic faith. I am grateful for the way you pray at Mass, for the reverence you show especially at Holy Communion, and for the attention this community gives to the whole celebration of Mass.

Of course, the Mass is a prayer that requires priests and faithful alike to join in prayer. I would like to highlight my gratitude for our liturgical ministers, especially our readers, altar servers, and ushers, who help make the Mass a beautiful experience. Particular attention ought to be focused on the liturgies of Holy Week and Easter – to all our readers and servers, thank you for your service, which allowed us to focus so beautifully on the mystery being celebrated on the altar. And to our ushers, thank you, especially for Easter Sunday, when out-the-door crowds called upon the full limits of our space. Your ability to work with the crowd kept the celebrations joyful even if such large numbers can feel restless.

A final word of gratitude is due on the subject of liturgical music. The Catholic Church has a rich tradition of sacred music, and the General Instruction of the Roman Missal clearly outlines the purpose of music in the liturgy. No matter where I go, whether local or out-of-state, there is no church or parish I visit that has a better organist than St. Pius X does in Mike Lantowski. His facility with the organ, and his familiarity with the Church’s traditional sacred music makes him uniquely able to bring a variety and balance of music to the Mass. As a result, the music you hear and sing Sunday after Sunday does exactly what the Church envisions it would. Music at Mass is no performance, but rather a complement and support to the prayer of the faithful. Again, I would like to highlight the work of Mike Lantowski during Holy Week and Easter, as well as the invaluable contributions of our cantors and choir, our children’s choir and their conductor, Dr. Martha Alward, and the instrumentalists who joined in making the music at our liturgies truly beautiful.

Peace,

Fr. Sam