Next month, October, is Respect Life Month. During this Year of St. Joseph, the Holy Father invites us to reflect more deeply on how St. Joseph loved Jesus with a father’s heart. Joseph’s unhesitating adherence to God’s will as he faithfully and lovingly protected the Christ Child and the Blessed Mother from conception and throughout his life. This reminds us of our own call as Christians to safeguard God’s gift of human life.

I hope you all have your tickets for the Padre Pio luncheon and then the Oktoberfest. It seems we are a party people! I am looking forward to both events.

Another event coming up, Saturday, October 23, is the NPH Gala. As many of you know, I am very involved with the Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos. We are founded by Fr. William Wasson, a graduate of St. Mary’s High School, in the 1950’s. NPH is not an orphanage, but a family, a very large family.

This week Fr. Simon and I will be in Flagstaff at the annual convocation for priests in the diocese in Phoenix. This is an important time for all of us priest; there is a program of continuing education, we hear from our bishop, and especially we get time together. In our large, busy diocese we don’t get to see each other very often.

As usual, we begin with Labor Day, where we honor the dignity of human labor. Of course, our office will be closed on Monday… we will not be laboring.

Our Knights of Columbus Golf Tournament is next Saturday, September 11. Also, as usual, we will remember September 11 with a short prayer service before Mass on Saturday outside at the flagpole starting at 8:30am.