We are about to be blessed with the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage journeying through our
diocese July 1 to 5 th . I hope you will check out the locations and try and join one of the walks or
talks and perhaps encourage or organize others in your parish to do so! As I participated in
mass on Sunday for the celebration of Corpus Christi Sunday and participated in the exposition
and benediction after mass, I was touched by the fact that none of this do I celebrate alone! I
am surrounded by my church family. I looked around at all the faces in our large parish and was
comforted by the number of people I know. The people I have volunteered with, shared raising
children with, studied with and celebrated mass with for the past 29 years. So many of them I
know personally and yet there are always new faces, new families joining us!

Later as I sat down to our Sunday dinner family tradition, I again was touched by how genius
our Lord was to make mass a time of gathering around a table for a meal. A meal that far
surpasses anything my husband and I can whip up on Sunday. A meal steeped in love and
sacrifice. If for no other reason I could never abandon my Catholic faith. This meal shared with
others has become the centerpiece and starting point of my week. I cannot imagine life without
it.

As you make your plans this month, I hope you will check out some of the opportunities we have
to gather with other women and grow your connection to your parish and our diocese of
believers! I also hope you will take the opportunity to invite others to join you. Perhaps even
someone you miss seeing. Someone that may have left our table or are not as frequent at
joining as they once were. Maybe they are just waiting for someone to remind them they are
missed!

There is a great book recommendation on the Eucharist this month, our new quarterly bible
study and a Fall retreat to make plans for! Plus, I am sure lots to join in at your parish. Take time
to reconnect and strengthen the bonds with your faith community this summer.
I also want to put out another plea for women to step up and join our core teams. We have
many parishes that have representatives but also many that do not. I am looking for is a
minimum of 2 women from each parish to join in our efforts. The commitment is only 4 meetings
a year and the task is not hard. Your main goal is to help us make sure the women in your
parish are kept up to date on all the opportunities they can participate in around our diocese and
to help share information on what is happening in your parish and support women in
surrounding parishes as we minister to those around us! Go to our core team page to see where
these meetings are located and what parishes still need volunteers. We do not want to leave
any parish behind! If your women’s group would like to learn more, reach out and we can plan a
visit to your parish too! Help us connect on this faith journey!

Looking forward to journeying on this pilgrimage of faith with you this June!

Barb