Founded 1890        
St. Mary's Catholic Church
1600 East Avenue, R4
Palmdale, CA 93550
Phone: (661) 947-3306 Fax: (661) 947-8687
A Parish of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, CA
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Rev. Vaughn Winters
 

This past week I was at a priest meeting at the seminary in Camarillo that included being there for the annual newly-ordained Mass and dinner, in which the new priests ordained last summer return to the

seminary for a celebration and to share their experiences with their brothers. It brought back memories of when I was a newly-ordained priest, working with Msgr. Stephen Downes at St. Raphael's Church in Santa Barbara. It was inspiring and encouraging to hear the new priests share their experiences and see their enthusiasm and excitement for the ministry. The downside of this great celebration was that there were only six priests ordained for our Archdiocese last year. This doesn't come close to meeting our needs with all the deaths and retirements of priests. Our Catholic culture in the USA definitely values priests and we feel very loved and affirmed and needed, but this does not translate into more Americans becoming priests for various social and economic reasons. Consequently we are very blessed with priests from all over the world serving us, and our parish is a great example of this. The biggest challenge to vocations today, I believe, is that many parents would actually prefer their sons not be priests and do not encourage this. Priesthood is not as socially prestigious as it once was, and parents dream of spouses and grandchildren and successful professional careers with high incomes for their children. Our parents need to challenge themselves and ask themselves honestly "If my son told me he wanted to be a priest, how would I feel?" A stronger, more deeply-rooted life of faith in the home and more openness in families to religious vocations is the first step towards our nation's being able to provide its own priests to meet the needs of its people.

 

The new English translation of the Mass begins in three weeks, on Sunday, Nov 27, the First Sunday of Advent! You will notice changes in the priest's prayers in the Mass and also your own responses and the words of the Gloria and Nicene Creed will be somewhat different. This new translation has been in the preparation process for many years and is being done to make the Mass in English more in conformity with the original Latin text, and bring our Mass more in line with how it is is said in other languages. This is in effect for all English- speaking countries throughout the world, not just the United States. The new translation gives us a richer, deeper, and more scriptural use of English for our great prayer of the Mass. Cards will be provided to help you follow along and it will take time and getting used to, but the new translation is an exciting opportunity for us to renew our appreciation for the gift of the Mass.