Thoughts for the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi

 A letter I included in the parish bulletin this weekend. 

Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi 2024

 

Dear Members of Saint Patrick Co-Cathedral,

Today we are celebrating the feast day of the great saint, Saint Francis of Assisi. When we look at his life, we see one who had much but gave it all up to the service of God. He heard the call of Christ to “Go, rebuild my church which is falling down.”  Saint Francis thought he was talking about the small church of San Damiano which was in ruins. After rebuilding the small church and a few others he came to the realization that God meant the Church. 

While He is not so blunt with us, Christ wants each of us to “Go, rebuild my church which is falling down.” Christ wants us to do what we can to evangelize the world. God wants us to make a difference in what is happening in our community, in our country and in the world.

As we approach election day, it is important for us to ask ourselves if we are voting in a way that promotes the greater glory of God or are we voting in a way that promotes our own glory. Francis gave up fame and fortune to follow Christ. He realized that when Jesus told his disciples that they would have to pick up their crosses and follow him it would not be an easy task. Sometimes we must take on a little sacrifice for ourselves in order for God’s will to be done. Let us ask Saint Francis to pray for us today as we get ready to make important decisions for our community, state and nation.

Yours in Christ,

 

 

Father Leo McDowell

Pastor

Amendments to state constitutions which are not good for women.

With proposed amendments to the state constitutions in Montana and South Dakota dealing with abortion on the ballot, I notice that some people seem to imply that women are in favor of abortion and men want to save the life of the unborn. They say that men must not have a say. That it is because of men that abortion is not a norm in their states, or in the United States. There are many women who are pro-life. There are many women who have learned that the abortion that they had damaged them spiritual, emotionally and sometimes even physically. 

Being a priest who had spoken to many of these women in the confessional, I can tell you many wish that there were a few more roadblocks in the way. They regret their decision because they were not informed about all of the risks. They were not informed about the options which included support for them and their baby after birth. 

These women are reminded of that pain every year when the projected anniversary of the birth of their child comes around and they see other children and wonder where their child might have been today had they not made the choice to abort them. They ask themselves, "how would they be celebrating the birthday now?" 

I want to encourage you to vote against Montana CI-128 and against South Dakota Constitutional Amendment G. Do it for the life of the child. Do it for the spiritual, emotional and physical well being of the mothers. 

There are some who would bring up the health of the mother. The Catholic church allows for treating a problem pregnancy. There are treatments that do not intend to cause the death of the unborn child, but may put the life of that child at risk. It is not the intention to kill the child. I would refer you to the article from the National Catholic Bioethics Center

Sporadic update

It has been a while since I've posted anything to my blog. I want to let everyone know that I am still doing well. Earlier this month, I celebrated my 30th anniversary of my priesthood ordination. Sometimes it is hard to believe that I've been a priest that long. Having returned to Saint Patrick Co-Cathedral as the pastor a few years ago, it is like some thing from my first time here seem almost like yesterday. It has been a wonderful, joy-filled 30 years.

Covid vs Abortion

In the year (12 months) 2018 there were 619,591 abortions in the US. In the 18 months of COVID we have had 664,831 COVID deaths.

In New York State there have been 53,925 deaths from COVID. In 2017 there were 105,380 abortions.


In California there have been 66,247 deaths from COVID and in 2017 California had 132,680 abortions.


When one looks at these numbers we have to ask why we are not putting as much effort into stopping abortion as we are trying to stop COVID? Some in our government seem to think we should even be paying to put the unborn to death. We can see that many of those who want to close down cities and states to save lives that could be lost to COVID are the same ones who want to take the lives of the unborn.

Remembering those who have died in battle

This Memorial Day I'd like to especially remember the following who gave all fighting for their country.  I've been updating this list on Facebook each year as I make new discoveries. 

Sergeant William W. Smith was born about 1825 in Pennsylvania

4th great-grandfather

Died January 18, 1863 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee of wounds received at Stones River, Tennessee on December 31, 1862.

Private James Edward Mackerel was born in 1836 in Cork, Ireland

husband of 3rd great-grandmother

Died on August 3, 1864, in Andersonville, Georgia. He was 28.

Sergeant Washington Lafayette McCollam was born on August 1, 1842 in Middlesex, Pennsylvania 

4th great uncle

Died on May 22, 1864, in Andersonville, Georgia. He was 21.

Private John T Hanlon was born on April 3, 1898 in Hermosa, South Dakota

1st Cousin 2x removed

Died November 7, 1917, in Belgium. He was 19.

He was part of the Canadian Forces

Private 1st Class Charles Crawford Walker was born on March 28, 1918 in Chamberlain, South Dakota

2nd Cousin 2x removed

Died on June 15, 1944, in Manche, France. He was 26

Private 1st Class Donald Dean Peckman was born March 3, 1924 in Kearney, Nebraska

Husband of my 2nd Cousin 1x removed

Died November 3, 1944 in France. He was 20

Aviation Radioman 3rd Class Donald Davis Crawford was born about 1925 in South Dakota

2nd Cousin 2x removed

MIA, declared dead November 25, 1944 in the Pacific Theater. He was 19.

Private Thomas Maynard Black was born on November 11, 1925 in Davenport, Iowa

3rd Cousin 2x removed

Died March 3, 1945, in the Pacific Theater. He was 19.

TSgt Jack Highland Maltsberger was born on September 17, 1928 in Lake Stevens, Washington

Husband of 2nd cousin 2x removed

Died March 18,  1953 Plane crash Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. He was 24.

Captain Thomas Edward Nichols was born on April 1, 1938, in Abilene, Texas

3rd cousin 2x removed

Died on February 1, 1969, in Tân An, Long An, Vietnam. He was 30.

Lieutenant, Junior Grade Thomas Edward Brown was born on September 26, 1941 in Davenport, Iowa

4th Cousin 1x removed

MIA, declared dead April 29, 1966 in North Vietnam. He was 24.

New assignment

On the weekend of April 11, 2021 Father Robert Grosch, the parish priest at Saint Patrick Co-Cathedral in Billings announced his upcoming retirement, effective June 30th.   I am excited to announce that I'll be appointed as the new pastor, effective July 1. I am excited to be returning to Saint Patrick. This was my first assignment as a newly ordained priest.  Please pray for Father Bob as he transitions away from active parish ministry.  Please pray for me as I prepare to make the move to return to Saint Patrick. Pray for Deacon John Pankratz who will be ordained to the priesthood on June 24th and will become the parochial vicar at Saint Patrick.  Father Garrett Nelson will assume the role of pastor at our present assignment at Saint Mary in Livingston.

Armed With the Faith

 The connection between the Knights of Columbus and the Military has existed over a long period of years.  I am proud to say I've been a chaplain for both.  Please check out this video produced by the Knights of Columbus.

https://kofc.org/en/for-members/resources/armedwiththefaith-documentary.html

I've Been Gone for a While - Genealogy Update

It's been a while since I last posted to my blog.  I had a random thought to share.

One of the things I've been working on is my family tree. I can go back at least as far as all eight sets of my great-great-grandparents. Some lines have gone back even further. 

It's been interesting looking at my DNA. I've had test submitted to three different organizations. They've come up with different backgrounds. I thought I show you a comparison 

Ancestry 

Ireland 56% 

England and Northwestern Europe 30% 

Scotland 12% 

Wales 2% 

My Heritage 

Scandinavian 37.8% 

Irish, Scottish, and Welsh 21.0% 

North and West European 19.5% 

Iberian 17.5% 

English 3.3% 

Central Asian 0.9% 

Family Tree DNA 

England, Wales, and Scotland 54% 

Ireland 35% 

Central Europe 9% 

Baltic >2%

As I look at the variations, it makes me wonder if the My Heritage results are showing results of the Viking invasions of the British Isles and Ireland.  

I hope I remember to hope on here a little more frequently again.

Windy Day

The wind can create some fun for drivers in the Livingston area.

Homily for 3rd Sunday OT C

In St. Pope John Paul II’s 1988 encyclical Christifideles Laici, in English, “The Lay Members of Christ’s Faithful People”, he writes when speaking about baptism.

In another comparison, using the image of a building, the apostle Peter defines the baptized as “living stones” founded on Christ, the “corner stone”, and destined to “be raised up into a spiritual building” (1 Pt 2:5 ff.). The image introduces us to another aspect of the newness of Christian life coming from Baptism and described by the Second Vatican Council: “By regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the baptized are consecrated into a spiritual house”(Lumen gentium 10)

The Holy Spirit “anoints” the baptized, sealing each with an indelible character (cf. 2 Cor 1:21–22), and constituting each as a spiritual temple, that is, he fills this temple with the holy presence of God as a result of each person’s being united and likened to Jesus Christ.

With this spiritual “unction”, [anointing] Christians can repeat in an individual way the words of Jesus: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Lk 4:18–19; cf. Is 61:1–2). Thus with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation, the baptized share in the same mission of Jesus as the Christ, the Saviour-Messiah.

Yet, many of us have to ask ourselves, what exactly is the “same mission of Jesus as the Christ”?

Perhaps, looking at something St. Pope John Paul II said in this encyclical, “Ecclesia in America”, or “The Church in America” (remember that he is talking about both South and North America) we might be given a sense of this mission.

One of the reasons for the Church’s influence on the Christian formation of Americans is her vast presence in the field of education and especially in the university world. The many Catholic universities spread throughout the continent are a typical feature of Church life in America. Also in the field of primary and secondary education, the large number of Catholic schools makes possible a wide-ranging evangelizing effort, as long as there is a clear will to impart a truly Christian education.

Another important area in which the Church is present in every part of America is social and charitable work. The many initiatives on behalf of the elderly, the sick and the needy, through nursing homes, hospitals, dispensaries, canteens providing free meals, and other social centers are a concrete testimony of the preferential love for the poor which the Church in America nurtures. She does so because of her love for the Lord and because she is aware that “Jesus identified himself with the poor (cf. Mt 25:31–46)”. In this task which has no limits, the Church in America has been able to create a sense of practical solidarity among the various communities of the continent and of the world, showing in this way the fraternal spirit which must characterize Christians in every time and place.

For this service of the poor to be both evangelical and evangelizing, it must faithfully reflect the attitude of Jesus, who came “to proclaim Good News to the poor” (Lk 4:18). When offered in this spirit, the service of the poor shows forth God’s infinite love for all people and becomes an effective way of communicating the hope of salvation which Christ has brought to the world, a hope which glows in a special way when it is shared with those abandoned or rejected by society.

We need to constantly be incorporating within ourselves an attitude to carry on the mission entrusted to us in our baptism. It is all about the sharing with others the mercy of God that we have experienced in our own lives. This is how Pope Francis announced the Year of Mercy,

Dear brothers and sisters, I have often thought of how the Church may render more clear her mission to be a witness to mercy; and we have to make this journey. It is a journey which begins with spiritual conversion. Therefore, I have decided to announce an Extraordinary Jubilee which has at its centre the mercy of God. It will be a Holy Year of Mercy. We want to live in the light of the word of the Lord: “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (cf. Lk 6:36). And this especially applies to confessors! So much mercy!

Let each of us find a way to be an example of God’s mercy as we “preach the good news to the poor.”