Pastor's Weekly Message
The Solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul, 28-29 June 2025
Dear Fellow Saints-in-the-Making,
Joyful greetings in Christ Jesus, Who chooses us to go and bear fruit that will last!
This weekend, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul, from whose tireless ministry both Jews and Gentiles received the Gospel Truth that Jesus is the Christ and is risen from the dead! We celebrate it with particular joy as Pope Leo was recently elected the 266th Successor to St. Peter.
Four days after his election, Pope Leo met with Media Representatives in Rome and, as cited on the Vatican website, said, “Today, one of the most important challenges is to promote communication that can bring us out of the “Tower of Babel” in which we sometimes find ourselves, out of the confusion of loveless languages that are often ideological or partisan. There-fore, your service, with the words you use and the style you adopt, is crucial. As you know, communication is not only the transmission of information, but it is also the creation of a culture, of human and digital environments that become spaces for dialogue and discussion. In looking at how technology is developing, this mission becomes ever more necessary. I am thinking in particular of artificial intelligence, with its immense potential, which nevertheless requires responsibility and discernment in order to ensure that it can be used for the good of all, so that it can benefit all of humanity.”
Pope Leo does well to alert us to be attentive to the potential misuse of AI. Because a month ago, Pope Leo became the subject of an AI manipulation. On May 21, the online publication The Journal, falsely attributed the following to Pope Leo: “To all who sent prayers, love, and hope as I begin this sacred journey—thank you. I accept this role not as a throne, but as a vow: To serve the forgotten; To uplift the broken; To speak plainly where others stay silent.” The article continues: “To be called ‘woke’ in a world that sleeps through suffering is no insult—it is Gospel. Woke means awakened by compassion. Guided by truth. Humbled by grace. Committed to justice—not just for some, but for all. So let them mock. Let them sneer. We will still build the Kingdom—not with walls, but with love. Be awake. Be loving. Be woke.”
Although Pope Leo’s apparent words appear to have resonated with many social media users, there is no evidence that he said these words. Indeed, the fabricated quote was posted on Threads on 9 May, according to fact-checking website Snopes. It was confirmed the following day by the perpetrator who posted the intentionally deceitful quote: “The fact that so many of you wanted this to be true shows how far Catholicism is from real progress. Yes, I made up these words, with the help of my AI friend.”
Let us, first, pray for this individual for his mockery of the Church as well as for his sowing the seeds of deceit and contempt. Going forward, let us be attentive to what we read on the internet, and let us verify through reliable sources that something is indeed true, particularly if it appears “out of character” or “off-base.” This spiritual discipline is called discernment of spirits, and is critically needed today to help us live a more correctly-informed faith, just as it was critically necessary during the time of Saints Peter and Paul. Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us!
June 30 marks the well-deserved retirement of Donna Cofalka, Assistant Director of Religious Education at our parish. She will take time to spend with her family. Though we shall miss her dearly in the Office—as she brings such joy and light to our families, our youth, and our staff—we are grateful she will remain as a Confirmation Catechist and, of course, member of our parish family. Please join me in thanking Donna for her exceptional work in our Religious Education Program these past five years.
God love you all! I do. Fr. Lewis
Update on Extending Our Arms Expanding Our Hearts
Due to the interior frame supports that will be installed to support and stabilize the stained glass window above the choir loft, the initially-presented design of St. Jude is undergoing an almost complete re-design so the Face of Jesus in the Eucharist may be clearly seen. Please keep our renovation and expansion in your prayers. St. Joseph the Worker, pray for us! St. Jude the Apostle, pray for us!