Pastor’s Message – Church of Saint Benedict

May 15, 2026

Memorial of St. Isidore the Farmer

Gladden us with holy joys, almighty God, and make us rejoice with devout thanksgiving, for the Ascension of Christ your Son is our exaltation, and, where the head has gone before in glory, the Body is called to follow in hope. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

Collect for the Mass for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Brothers and Sisters,

This Sunday in our Diocese we will celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Jesus. After a time following his Resurrection, Jesus returns, or ascends (to go upward) to God the Father. There, He takes His place in Heaven until His return in glory on the Day of Judgment. Jesus promises the gift of the Holy Spirit to the disciples who witness the Ascension. This event ends the Gospel narratives and begins the Acts of the Apostles, the New Testament account of the life of the first Christians.

The late Pope Benedict XVI said, “The Ascension is not the temporary absence of Christ from the world…we go to heaven to the extent that we go to Jesus Christ and enter into Him…Jesus himself is what we call ‘heaven’.”

The Risen and Ascended Jesus Christ has not left us behind. He is in us as His Church, the Body of Christ on earth. He is with us in the Scriptures. He is with us in the Sacraments, mostly profoundly so in the Eucharist, his Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, offered to us at every Mass. He continues to lead us as His Church.

As His, Jesus entrusts to us the mission of go and make disciples of nations. We are to live intentionally our faith daily in our words and actions, our prayer and worship.

Our Parish

Congratulations to Alex Weimer and Hannah Greenly, who were married on May 8, and Patrick Considine and Maria Domeier, who were married on May 9.

Congratulations to the Ceballos family, who are presenting a child for baptism this Sunday.

Volunteer Appreciation Brunch is on Sunday in McGurie Hall after the 9:00am Mass.

We will be honoring the graduating High School seniors this Sunday during the 5:00pm Mass, followed by a dinner for them and their families in McGuire Hall.

Two seminarians, Joseph Jones and Peter Sartorius, will be assigned to our parish for the Summer. They will be arriving around the Memorial Day weekend.

Becoming Catholic

Our next meeting for those inquiring about the Catholic faith will be on Tuesday, May 19 at 7:00pm in Rm 101. Those who are interested in becoming Catholic or simply desire to know more are welcome to attend. Also welcome are those who were baptized in the Catholic Church, but who did not receive the Sacrament of Confirmation and the Eucharist.

Memorial Day

Daily Mass on Memorial Day, May 25, will be at 9:00am. The parish office will be closed in observance of the National Holiday.

Banns of Marriage

Donnovan Houtmann-Harper and Sarah Bryson will enter the Sacrament of Marriage on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at Holy Family Cathedral. Please keep them in your prayers.

Banns of Ordination

Deacon Stephen Matthew McClain is to be ordained to the priesthood on Friday, June 26, 2026, at Holy Family Cathedral. As a seminarian he was assigned to our parish during the summer of 2019. Please keep him in your prayers.

Feast of Corpus Christi

Bishop Konderla will lead a Corpus Christi Procession and Mass on Thursday, June 4. The event will begin at 6:00pm with Mass at Christ the King Parish in Tulsa, followed by the Procession at 7:00pm through the city streets. It will end at Holy Family Cathedral at approximately 8:30pm. All are welcome.

Our parish’s Corpus Christi Procession will be on Sunday, June 7 after the 9:00am Mass. All are welcome.

God bless and keep you safe.

Fr. Bryan