Dear St. Raphael family,

Passing of Pope Francis:  I am writing this on Easter Monday and Pope Francis’ death has just made the worldwide news.  As saddened as we are at the passing of the Holy Father, it did not come as a total surprise to some of us.  When he was hospitalized last month, we were warned that his condition continued to be serious.  Given his age, he may have “toughed it out” in order to be present for one last Easter Sunday.

I am glad to see that his passing has been treated with appropriate respect in both secular and Catholic media.  In death he seems to be shown more appreciation than he did at times during his papacy.  Pope Francis was no stranger to controversy during his 12 years of leadership.  I felt some of the criticism he received was from being too often compared to the extraordinary men who preceded him in the papacy.  Francis’ signature contribution to the Church was probably his emphasis on synodality.  Even now, years after the “Synod on Synodality”, it is not obvious to the average Catholic what difference this has made.  It probably will take some time for us to answer this question.

The Archdiocese held a memorial Mass this past Wednesday.  It is likely that Cardinal Cupich will be traveling to Rome for the conclave very soon.  Any speculation in the secular media about the next pope is best ignored.  In fact, almost anything about the Church from certain secular sources is often pure misinformation.  Associated Press and Reuters are among the leading offenders.

Divine Mercy Sunday:  There is no obvious connection between the modern devotion to Divine Mercy, and the gospel about “doubting Thomas” that is read on this Sunday.  But what they have in common is at the center of our faith: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  This Sunday was selected for Divine Mercy Sunday because the grace and mercy of God that comes to us, flows directly from the Resurrection itself.   So it is fitting to follow Easter Sunday with this devotion brought to the church by a 20th century Polish nun and mystic, Sr. Faustina Kowalska.  (And yes, her last name is a variation of your pastor’s last name.  No relation however, it is a common Polish surname.)   But I still think of this Second Sunday of Easter as “doubting Thomas” Sunday.

Faith and Science Class:  With the Easter season upon us, we are ready to begin our meetings for the Faith and Science Study series.  As with our previous bible study classes, Wednesday morning seems like a logical time to meet.  There will also be an evening session for those unable to attend during the day, to be arranged.  The classes will include a series of video lectures by Fr. Kenneth Spitzer, SJ, with follow-up discussion from the guidebooks. I am looking forward to this exciting series! I hope to have our first meeting this Wednesday, April 30.

Blessings of our Risen Lord,
Fr. Matthew

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