St. Louise de Marillac at 320 McMurray Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15241-1616 US - From Our Pastor

The King of Kings

Today, the Catholic Church throughout the world celebrates the Solemnity of Christ the King. This feast day was originated by Pope Pius XI in 1925 in response to his concern that the people of that day had “thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives,” and that “these had no place in public affairs or politics.” Pope Pius went on to assert “that as long as individuals and states refused to submit to the holy rule of our Savior, there would be no really hopeful prospect of a lasting peace among nations.”

In observing this feast day today, we consider its relevance for the contemporary world which so often seeks to push faith in Christ to the margins, ridiculing Christian belief as some sort of a throwback to a less sophisticated era. Conversely, celebrating the Solemnity of Christ the King reminds us that we profess him to be our ruler and king and the only lasting source of our peace and fulfillment. As such, today’s feast reminds us that we are called upon to evangelize in the name of Jesus Christ – to seek to extend his kingship throughout our families, communities and indeed to the ends of the world.

Rite of Welcoming
Today at the 9:00 am Mass our parish celebrates the Rite of Welcoming for the members of this year’s RCIA class. Please keep in your prayers the following candidates as they continue their Catholic faith formation and prepare to receive and complete the Sacraments of Initiation at next year’s Easter Vigil: Brandon Fisher, Tara Harris, Craig Hoffman, Mark Johnson, Nancy Murray, Christine Phillips, Jessica Siclare, Jennifer Wolbert, and Nicki Woolensack.

Happy Thanksgiving
On Thursday we will celebrate Thanksgiving. This annual feast, inaugurated by the Pilgrims in 1621, calls upon us to give praise and thanks to Almighty God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us both as individuals and as a nation. As Catholics, our highest form of giving thanks is by offering the Holy Eucharist. In fact, eucharist is the Greek word for “thanksgiving”. Therefore, I urge everyone to consider attending Mass on Thanksgiving morning at 9:00 am to express our firm conviction that every good thing comes from God.

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