Lord, Help Me

Dear Pastorate Family and Friends,

It is hard to believe that Summer is rapidly coming to an end. Pretty soon, our kids will be back in school (and traffic will be back on Fort Smallwood and Mountain Roads!) I hope everyone has had a good Summer and have taken time to relax and enjoy this beautiful life that the Lord has given us. As we begin gearing up for Fall at the pastorate, I wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the exciting things that will be happening soon.

First, I would invite you to commit to attend Mass regularly at OLC and St. Jane Frances. This one hour a week commitment is essential to you and your family’s spiritual life! Please plan to prioritize weekend Mass when planning your family schedules.

Second is registration is open for our Religious Education and Youth Ministry programs. Please be sure to enroll your children and teens, especially if they attend public schools. Allow us to help you continue to teach your children about our Catholic Faith so that they can continue to grow in their love for Jesus and His Church. Our faith journey is lifelong. It doesn’t end with Confirmation and we never graduate from being a Christian, so please help us help you!

Third, our registration for Confirmation is open! As we continue to implement Archbishop Lori’s plans for lowering the age of Confirmation, this year we will be preparing all Middle Schoolers to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Fall of 2027. If you have Middle School aged kids (or high schoolers who have not been Confirmed yet), please sign them up for our Confirmation preparation program.

The ladies of our Pastorate are continuing our Walking With Purpose (WWP) program. This is an excellent way for you to learn more about the Lord and His plans for you. Allow the Holy Spirit to move your heart to signing up for WWP this year. If you would like to hear more about our WWP program, please plan to join our planning team at a WWP information session being held on Tuesday, September 15th from 7:00pm to 9:00pm in the Gathering Place at OLC. No commitment required… other than attending this information session. WWP can and will change your life, if you allow it!!!

Our annual back to school Backpack Blessing will be taking place the weekend of Aug 22-23 at all
Masses at both Churches. All kids are invited to bring their backpacks to Mass for a special prayer of
blessing as they begin the new school year.

The Little Sisters of the Poor will be blessing our parishes with their presence in the coming weeks.
They will be at OLC the weekend of Aug. 22–23 and at St. Jane Frances the weekend of Sept 26–27.

Finally, our Pastorate’s Pastoral Plan for Evangelization has been approved by Archbishop Lori.
We are having copies of the plan printed up in order to distribute to our congregations. This plan was developed over the past couple of years with the help of several members from both parishes and will be our guidepost for our evangelization efforts over the next few years. I am very thankful to everyone who assisted in its development (their names will be listed on the back of the plan).

As always, thank you so much for your prayers and support of our Pastorate of the Visitation. Please
know that Fr. Kevin and I appreciate them very much!

God Bless,
Father Steve 

 

A Letter from Our Deacon

Brothers and Sisters,

How easy is it for us to become discouraged and uncertain when it seems like our prayers are not being heard, much less answered? The Canaanite woman in the Gospel reading this weekend gives us a reminder and a repeated lesson that perseverance pays off. She teaches us not to get discouraged when difficulties arise in life and to persevere in prayer, even when it seems that God is not listening. Her persistence is an effect of her faith, and because of her faith, Jesus cures her child. Her inner strength and faith enabled her to overcome every obstacle. She was considered an “outsider” by the Jewish people and the disciples, but she addresses Jesus with a Messianic title, reverence, trust, and humility knowing he had the power to heal. Are we doing the same in our own prayer life or are we giving up when we don’t see our answer right away? Are we willing to put our faith into action and pray without ceasing?

With the stubbornness of the Canaanite woman, we should be going down on our knees as she did, adoring Jesus and pleading to Him, “Lord, help me.” Doing so with a faith that is not easily deterred. Our Lord wants us to rely on him for everything. It should be so glaringly evident to us that without him we can do nothing, whereas with him we can do all things. Is that kind of faith and trust deeply rooted in our own souls? Jesus’ concluding words to the Canaanite woman challenge us as followers to recognize the gifts of goodness and grace that Jesus offers to those who truly and deeply trust in him. May we be bold in prayer always!

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

 

“O woman, great is your faith! 
Let it be done for you as you wish.”

Take Courage

Dear Parishioners,

In my brief time back in Pasadena, we have already experienced a few really strong storms. I heard a number of parishioners telling tales of getting caught, out on the water, during that first storm where the peninsula suffered so much damage. Being on the water in the midst of severe storms can only be described as terrifying. The storms that we face in our day-to-day lives sometimes feel no less frightening. It is always to be reminded of Jesus’s words to his disciples caught in the turbulent waves, “Take courage, it is I. Do not be afraid.” (Mt 14:27)

As we wind down these last few weeks of summer, surely there will be some challenges in the months to come. I hope we can face them together, filled with courage and the resolve of those disciples in the boat. “Truly, this is the Son of God.” (Mt 14:33)

The Little Sisters of the Poor are coming to OLC the weekend of Aug 22–23 (they will visit SJF in September), asking for our assistance in caring for their residents at St. Martin Home for the Aged in Catonsville. The Little Sisters have the spiritual practice of “begging” in conjunction with their vow of hospitality. They ask for the generosity of God’s people and local businesses in caring for the needs of their elderly residents, all of whom have limited financial resources. Both of my grandparents were residents of St. Martin’s Home. I will always be eternally grateful to the Little Sisters of the Poor for their care of both of my grandparents. Please be as generous as you are able.

That same weekend, we will have a Blessing of Backpacks and—by extension—our young people who will be carrying those backpacks for the upcoming school year. Students of all ages, beginning school in September, are invited to bring their backpacks to weekend masses.

The refurbishment and reinstallation of our renovated organ at St. Jane is nearing completion. We look forward to the beautiful music this magnificent instrument will provide for generations to come. Special thanks to those who have already contributed to this campaign. Fr. Steve asked me to remind you we are able to accept tax-free pledges and contributions to this campaign through the end of August.

Blessings on your week!
Fr. Kevin

I Never Promised You A Rose Garden

Dear Friends of our Pastorate of the Visitation,

Fr. Steve is away on a well-deserved vacation this weekend. Please pray this will be a time of rest
and renewal. I want to take this opportunity to offer my deepest thanks for your incredible
welcome over the last 3 weeks. I don’t think I have ever settled in so quickly. I look forward to all
that God has in store for us.

In 1970, the country singer Lynee Anderson recorded the song, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. The lyrics reminded us that life is often difficult and filled with unexpected challenges. Our readings this weekend remind us, powerfully, that nothing can separate us from the love of God. It is important to remember that since the Garden of Eden, we have not been promised a life without difficulty and challenge. At the same time, if Jesus could feed over 5,000 with only five fish and two loaves of bread, imagine what he can do for us. Even in times of despair and suffering. In these remaining weeks of Summer, I hope you are able to find strength from the supportive and loving hands of the Lord.

On behalf of Fr. Steve, I would like to thank all the staff, parent volunteers, and teens who assisted in both weeks of Vacation Bible School. I have never experienced an evening option like we have at St. Jane’s. How nice to have both options between the two parishes. I was so happy to see some of your youngest disciples so on fire with their faith.

There are a number of events coming up in the next month that we would like to bring to you attention this weekend (with a few additional next weekends as well):

Our Woman’s Bible Study, Walking with Purpose, will have speakers at all the masses this weekend. They will share the Fall activities schedule. This is a wonderful opportunity for the women of our pastorate to gather in prayer and Christ-centered friendship.

The Feast of St. Jane Frances de Chantal is August 12th. If you don’t normally attend daily mass, perhaps you might consider joining Fr. Steve for 8:30 Mass at St. Jane that morning to celebrate the feast day of our patroness.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is Saturday August 15, 2026. Because it falls on a Saturday, it is not a holy day of obligation this year. For those who would like to attend, there will a vigil mass at OLC Friday August 14th at 7:00 PM. The morning of August 15th we will have the normal 8:30 Mass at St. Jane.

Become Catholic! 

We are beginning a new session of OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) at the end of August. This new group will meet on Monday evenings with Deacon Phil, Fr. Kevin and the OCIA Team. If you are interested in becoming Catholic, or know someone who is, please contact the parish office as soon as possible.

Blessings on your week!
Fr. Kevin

Great Value

Dear Friends of our Pastorate of the Visitation,

This weekend we celebrate the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Our first reading this weekend is from 1st Kings. The Lord appears to Solomon in a dream and asks him to make a request for something, and the Lord will give it to him. Solomon doesn’t ask for wealth or power or prestige. Instead he asks for an understanding heart—he asks for wisdom in order to judge the people fairly and justly. To this day, the wisdom of Solomon is known and recognized as a great gift given to him by the Lord.

Wisdom is active in Jesus’ parables this weekend as well. When we discover something of great value or worth, we desire to possess it. But the “great value or worth” is not monetary, it is eternal, for it is the Lord, Jesus Christ. We have received a priceless gift from the Passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – forgiveness of our sins and new life in the kingdom of God. As beautiful as this world is, it cannot compare to the eternal beauty that awaits us in the heavenly realm. Therefore, keep your focus on the Lord God. Continue to seek and to search for God’s presence in your lives and in the world around us, and always be ready “to sell what you own” one you find this precious gift from God.

Our Pastorate has now completed our VBS programs at both parishes. “Rainforest Falls: Exploring the Nature of God” has been a rousing success! Over 300 youth and adult volunteers have participated in learning that God is our creator, God knows everything, God is our safe place, God is forever, and God is love. I would like our Pastorate’s awesome pastoral staff – Marie Griffiths and Michaela Stanton – and our youth ministry team – Tim Janiszewski and Carrie Hilmer – for leading and supporting our VBS efforts this year. I would also like to thank all of our adult volunteers and teen peer leaders who donated so much time to preparing and leading our VBS programs. We cannot do this without you all, so THANK YOU!!!!

With the impending retirement of Gina Bujanowski at St. Jane Frances, I am pleased to announce that we have hired a new administrative assistant for the office. Please join me in welcoming Carolina Saah to our Pastorate. We had many good applicants, so it was a difficult decision, but I am grateful that Carolina accepted our offer of employment. She will be working Monday to Thursday, 9:00am to 1:30pm in the office at St. Jane Frances. Tracey Laber will be assuming the role of Office Manager and will still be working Monday to Thursday, from 7:30am to 4:30pm. Gina’s final day in the office will be Thursday, August 27th. I would personally like to thank Gina for her many years of faithful service to the Church and to St. Jane Frances. She will be missed!

Finally, we are continuing to accept inquiries for our O.C.I.A. (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program. Deacon Phil will be leading our program this year so if you would like to become Catholic (never been baptized or baptized in another Christian faith or never Confirmed) please reach out to Deacon Phil at phil.snyder@archbalt.org. Classes will formally begin in September and will be held on Mondays from 7:00pm to 8:30pm in the school. Stay tuned for more details. 

Thank you for keeping our Pastorate of the Visitation—St. Jane Frances de Chantal and Our Lady of the Chesapeake—in your daily prayers!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Weeds Among The Wheat

Brothers and Sisters,

In this week’s Gospel reading, we hear from Jesus how the enemy is at work for our hearts. But it is in this same parable that we must not forget the good seed God sows in each believer’s heart and the patient mercy He uses to cultivate his divine plan within each of us. We are called to be rich soil for this good seed. As rich soil, we are called to allow the seed to take deep root in us and in our lives.

If God’s seed has not sunk deeply in our heart, if our heart is not rich soil and is instead rocky and hardened ground, then we are at risk of being overcome by the world, and the Word of God getting choked off in our lives. What are the weeds that are choking out the wheat God has planted in our hearts? Is it the weeds of doubt and fear, or maybe the weeds of pridefulness or self-centeredness? Are we allowing the truth of God’s Word to penetrate our heart against the lies of our present society? Goodness overcomes evil. Are we striving to live virtuously and bearing fruits of love, kindness, and compassion? This parable serves as a reminder that our actions and choices influence not only the richness of the soil in our own heart but also the world in which we live.

May we find strength and guidance in this parable as we navigate the challenges of the world we live in, remaining steadfast in our faith and allowing God’s grace to transform us into instruments of His love and mercy. We want to be followers that are patient and confident that the Lord is at work in us. May the offering of our lives be an abundantly rich harvest of wheat for the Lord.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Seeds

Dear Friends of our Pastorate of the Visitation,

This weekend we celebrate the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. One of the themes for this weekend is seeds: how they are sowed, what is needed for them to grow, and how successful they can be depending upon where they are sowed. Jesus outlines this in the Parable of the Sower. All seeds start out with the same potential to grow and thrive and produce an abundant harvest; however, whether or not they actually do is dependent upon what happens after they are planted and whether or not they receive the proper amount of sunlight and rain.

Jesus uses different planting locations to demonstrate this. Seed that is planted on the pathway is eaten by the birds, so it doesn’t even have a chance to sprout. Seed planted on rocky ground can sprout but will eventually wither and die. Seed planted among the thorns will get choked by the vines, but seed planted in good soil will produce an abundant harvest. Jesus asks us to become rich soil so that when his word is planted within us, it will produce an abundant harvest for the Lord. He will provide the sun and the rains but nurturing us with his Body and Blood. We have only to trust that when we receive his Word and understand his will, it will be enough for us to grow and thrive as his disciples.

Our Pastorate is preparing for two action packed weeks of VBS! We are offering “Rainforest Falls: Exploring the Nature of God” at both churches. Participants will be learning that God is our creator, God knows everything, God is our safe place, God is forever, and God is love. VBS at St. Jane Frances begins this Monday evening, July 13th, and runs through Friday, July 17th. Then the following week, OLC will have VBS in the mornings beginning on Monday, July 20th through Friday, July 24th. I would like “pre-thank” Marie and Michaela and the many volunteers who have assisted us in preparing for VBS this year.

We are anticipating the project to reinstall the rebuilt organ at St. Jane Frances will begin this week and take the next couple of weeks to complete. I would like to thank everyone who has donated to the organ rebuild project. So far, we have raised over $86,000 toward our goal of $106,000. All monies donated to this project are “tax free” meaning every dollar you donate will stay at St. Jane’s to cover the cost of the project. If you’d like to make a donation, please go to www.stjane.org. Thanks!

Our new associate pastor, Fr. Kevin Farmer, will be introducing himself at OLC this weekend and at St. Jane Frances the weekend of July 18–19. Many of you who were parishioners at St. Jane’s in the early 1990s remember him when we was at St. Jane’s finishing up his formation and preparing for his priestly ordination. Welcome Fr. Kevin!

Finally, we are continuing to accept inquiries for our O.C.I.A. (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program. Deacon Phil will be leading our program this year so if you would like to become Catholic (never been baptized or baptized in another Christian faith or never Confirmed) please reach out to Deacon Phil at phil.snyder@archbalt.org.

Thank you for keeping our Pastorate of the Visitation—St. Jane Frances de Chantal and Our Lady of the Chesapeake—in your daily prayers!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Happy 250th Anniversary, America!

Dear Friends of our Pastorate of the Visitation,

Happy Semiquincentennial (or 250th) Anniversary to our country! I am old enough to remember the Bicentennial celebrations in 1976, which just reminds me that time continues it march forward, even when we don’t feel as old as we are. This occasion reminds us of our country’s founding principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In Christian-speak, happiness is the same as blessedness, when we acknowledge the blessings that the Lord God has poured out upon us through His Son, Jesus Christ. May we always be a people and a nation that gives thanks to God for all of the many blessings we have received. May God Bless America!

Our Gospel reading this weekend (Matthew 11:25-30) reminds us to come to the Lord whenever we are weakened or tired by the burdens of life, for the Lord is always ready to help us to carry these burdens. Matthew mentions a yoke, which in this context is the wooden beam that is used to strap two animals together, such as a yoke of oxen. When they are yoked to each other, the burden of pulling the plow is easier because they are working together to do it. Jesus offers to yoke Himself to us so that the burden we are tasked with can and will be shared with Him, who will ease and lighten it for us. Don’t be afraid to yoke yourself to Jesus by inviting him into the busyness and messiness of life, for He is here to offer us His rest and His peace.

Please join me in welcoming Fr. Peter Igwilo and Fr. Frank Iacona from Cross Catholic Outreach to the Pastorate on the weekend of July 4-5. They will be speaking at all the Masses about the great works accomplished by Cross Catholic Outreach (www.crosscatholic.org). There is no collection taken up but there will be brochures and envelopes available if you would like to make a donation to the organization. The pastorate will also be forwarding the proceeds from the Missionary Coop collection in July to them as well. Thank you for your generosity.

Fr. Kevin Farmer

Our youth ministry has been participating in Summer Mission last week and this week. They gather for prayer in the morning, before heading out to a ministry site for service in the community. After breaking for lunch, they will participate in a fun afternoon activity (I hear they may be touring Ravens Stadium this week.) Please keep them in your prayers. Vacation Bible School/Camp is rapidly approaching as well. VBS begins next Monday, July 13th at St Jane Frances and July 20th at OLC. Thanks to everyone who has been helping us prepare for VBS at our Pastorate.

Please continue to keep Fr. John in your prayers as he transitions to his new assignment as the full time chaplain at Mount St. Joseph High School. Our new associate pastor, Fr. Kevin Farmer, will be introducing himself at OLC the weekend of July 11–12 and at St. Jane Frances the weekend of July 18–19.

Thank you for keeping our Pastorate of the Visitation—St. Jane Frances de Chantal and Our Lady of the Chesapeake—in your prayers as we go through these changes over the next several weeks!

God Bless,
Father Steve