Pastor's Notes

C.S. Lewis once said, “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” I have been blessed to live with and work side by side with three priests who believe that our beloved faith in Jesus Christ is of infinite importance. They leave with my prayers and best wishes. 

Frs. Paternoster, Hurley, and DeCarlo have inspired me to be a better priest, pastor, and follower of Jesus Christ. I am thankful to have served with them and am also thankful that each of them had the opportunity to preach over the last three weeks. I hope you sensed the love that they have for all of you. 

Being able to stay at Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a tremendous blessing. Remaining without these three friends and spiritual companions will be challenging! But I am trusting in Divine Providence that God will provide through the new priests that are coming.

As a pastor of such a large parish, I have had the opportunity to serve with many priests. We are an interesting crew. We are sinful like anyone else. But we are nevertheless devoted to Christ and discipleship. 

I began seminary on the same day as Fr. Paternoster. I am so much younger, of course! His warmth and concern for the People of God have inspired me. From personal experience as well as by reputation, he is also known as a great confessor. His Spanish skills are sorely needed in the church today, and he will be putting them to use in his new ministry.

Fr. Hurley has been with us for three years at Our Lady of Mount Carmel and, as you heard in his farewell homily, he is a son of our parish. Fr. Hurley is one of the brightest priests with which I have ever worked. He is also prayerful and, despite his East Coast vibrato, he sincerely loves and cares for people, most especially the sick and the troubled.

And finally, Fr. DeCarlo. As we all know, Our Lady of Mount Carmel was Fr. DeCarlo’s first parish experience as a priest. I can’t thank you enough for your support of him. When I think of Fr. DeCarlo’s time here, the word that comes to mind is “growth.” He has become a seasoned pastoral minister in a short period of time. I look forward to seeing how he will serve the Church in the years to come. 

Recently, I was speaking to a parishioner about the departure of our Associate Pastors. He said, “It’s almost like grieving that St. Francis is leaving, but God may be sending a St. Anthony.” What a positive and providential way of seeing things! 

And so we turn the page. In anticipation of our new associates, I have asked each of them to provide us with a few paragraphs of introduction that are included in this weekend’s bulletin. Please pray for them as they make their transition, as well.

- Fr. Richard

I was listening to Catholic Radio last weekend and heard the anchor introduce a segment called “Good News from the Pews.”  In this time of difficulty, the anchors called to mind the many ways in which Catholics continue to make a difference in the Church and beyond.

Last weekend, we had good news that was in the pews and now is on the altar!  I was once again inspired by a young adult parishioner, in this case, Fr. Michael Block. Fr. Block is a son of our parish who made the countercultural decision to serve the Church as a diocesan priest. I was so inspired during his first Mass on Sunday, as well as grateful that so many were able to attend despite COVID-19 (COVID-19... boo! hiss!).

As I mentioned last weekend, Fr. Block will be serving at Our Lady of Grace for his first assignment. One can only imagine the wonderful things he will do there.  Please pray for him.

In most parishes, a single vocation like Fr. Block’s is a welcome but rare anomaly.  But not at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. One of the greatest privileges of being the pastor here for so many years is that I have witnessed firsthand the movement of the Holy Spirit in the lives of so many young men and women who have bravely entered into ministry in our diocese: as Dominican Sisters and Fathers; in the Community of St. John; as Contemplative Carmelite nuns; and as Franciscan sisters. I have also witnessed tremendous parents who have journeyed spiritually with their children toward this call.  

At the 8 a.m. Mass this weekend, we will be adding another to those ranks. We will be blessing Brian Martindale, who is beginning formation for the Jesuit Order.  After attending our grade school and Brebeuf Jesuit High School, he attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, where his vocation continued to be nurtured.  The formation process for Jesuit Novices is quite long, well over 10 years. It is an exciting journey and one that deserves our prayers! 

It is God Himself that calls a young man or woman to service in the Church. But we have to do our part as well. Part of the diocesan strategic plan in the diocese called United in Heart is to encourage prayer for and formation of young men and women, encouraging them to consider a faithful vocation­—be it priestly, religious, the permanent diaconate, or a happy and holy marriage.

There is no doubt that our parish has responded mightily in doing our part. Many parishes have priests and sisters because of your faithfulness. But there is always work to do. A vocation director told me once that we get the priests that we deserve.  That is, in the end, if we strive toward holiness and promote goodness and faith in young people, the Church will flourish with strong, virtuous leaders. If we do not, the reverse is also true.  

So, as we celebrate these young men and women, let us also continue to cultivate the soil in our parish!

- Fr. Richard

Despite the frustration surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, we have something awesome to celebrate this weekend! After a summer of uncertainty, delays, and even cancellations of much of what gives us joy, we can be certain of one thing—that the Church received a great blessing on Saturday morning when Fr. Michael Block was ordained at St. Mary’s Cathedral.

And today at the 12:30 p.m. Mass, many of us will be blessed to attend Fr. Block’s First Mass of Thanksgiving and lunch reception. Amazingly, Fr. Block is the 29th young man or woman to accept lifetime service in the church as a priest or religious from Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Many of those have happened in the last 15 years! This is an unbelievable gift that our beloved parish has given to the Universal Church.

Many of us have had the privilege of watching Fr. Block grow up at our parish school, then later in our youth programs, and also in our Knights of Our Lady high school server program. He has been a devoted member of our parish and a faithful son of the Church. All of these activities led him to encounter the risen Lord and commit to serving him alone.

After high school, Fr. Block attended and graduated from minor seminary at the University of St. Thomas-St. John Vianney College Seminary. Here, he proved himself to be gifted academically, majoring in philosophy, Catholic Studies, and Classical Languages. For major seminary, Fr. Block attended the University of St. Mary of the Lake in the Archdiocese of Chicago. He is a gifted singer and also fluent in Spanish. He has worked hard in formation to please God and develop a robust prayer life that will sustain him during his priestly ministry.

As a priest, you will most likely see Fr. Block working hard in his future parish office with a cup of coffee in his hand and bluegrass/folk music playing in the background. To create balance in his life, he will also enjoy hiking, camping, and literature.
Fr. Block’s vocation was nurtured and supported by his parents Tom and Robin. We should all give prayers of thanksgiving for them, along with his older brother Matthew and younger brother Greg. Fr. Block’s parents have since moved to Lafayette. Thankfully, though, Fr. Block will be close by at Our Lady of Grace Church in Noblesville where his Spanish skills, along with his many other gifts and talents, will be used at their parish and school.

Every time a son or daughter of our parish is ordained or makes final vows, I remind you that there is a supernatural implication and calling for us. That is, it is our duty to prayerfully support our brothers and sisters as they labor in other parts of the Vineyard of the Lord. Let’s get started doing so!

- Fr. Richard

I want to thank those of you who have reached out with supportive emails, texts, and phone messages regarding my reassignment to Our Lady of Mount Carmel as pastor! I am still in a bit of shock at the course of events that have led me back to the Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish. Please be patient with me. While I want to show my enthusiasm for the change, I also want to acknowledge the pain that has occurred in our Catholic community in recent months. I have been praying for healing.

In many ways, this parish at the corner of 146th and Oak Ridge Road has become my home. But my recent, now canceled transfer has reminded me that my home is really the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana as a whole. I am so grateful to be assigned here by our bishop who is saddled with the often-difficult responsibility of the big picture in our diocese. We should pray daily for our bishop during such turbulent times and the docility of our diocesan priests.

Someone recently asked me what I love about our parish that allows me to be so enthused about ministering here year after year. First, the spirit of our parish is unapologetically Catholic. Many of you are so intentional in your faith, which gives me so much energy! I am continually uplifted spiritually by your faithful witness. It’s hard not to desire to be a better pastor around this place.

I read an article recently that spoke about successful parishes. One of the qualities that the author referred to was a sense of what he called "entrepreneurial Catholicism." I see this every day here. That is, people here are not afraid to risk, to innovate, to ask questions, and to show up. You are never quite satisfied with the status quo, so I can’t be either!

Secondly, as you know, our diocese is entering into a pastoral plan called “United in Heart.” One of the objectives of the plan is to promote a greater sense of ownership of the evangelistic mission of our faith: It’s not just Father’s job or even the parish staff’s job, it is all of our jobs to introduce others to Christ.

Instead of being members of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, we should be seeing ourselves as disciples of Jesus Christ and missionaries of the gospel. That is a dramatically changed mindset from my childhood faith and parish experience. Back in the old days, my home parish was the epicenter of my life—my friends, my education, my service of others all centered around my faith community. It was something that we perhaps took for granted. Who needed anything or anybody else?

But over the years of my priestly service, I have come to understand that, when I share my faith, I am also changed and more conformed to Christ. When Jesus sent his people into the vineyard for the harvest, he was prepared to bless their efforts through greater faith. I am reminded that this should be my lens through which I view the world around me.

I see all the houses in our community as I am driving, and I wonder how well they know Jesus or if they know him at all. Have we done our jobs? I should be prepared to represent our parish well once I leave Sunday Mass, which I believe so many of you do. So, please keep inspiring me by your faith. It makes my job a whole lot easier!

One a side note, you might have heard that my brother, Fr. Brian, was recently reassigned to St. Elizabeth Seton here in Carmel. Please pray for him as he assumes the pastoral leadership of this wonderful Catholic community. And that Carmel will be big enough for both of us! And if you happen to visit St. Elizabeth Seton and after tell me that his homilies are better, I’ll… I’ll…. probably agree. But for heaven’s sake, don’t tell him that!

Fr. Richard

My parents graduated from college in 1963. My mother got a degree in social work and her thesis was entitled, “Desegregation, Now!” She often giggles at her youthful idealism that is viewed as a rather passé solution today. Certainly, in her wheelchair toward the end of her life, she has settled into a more conservative phase, and she wonders what is happening to our country. I think of the Latin axiom quo vadis meaning, “Where are you going?” Making it plural, “Where are we going?”

Next Saturday we will celebrate a rather subdued Independence Day. COVID-19 has silenced many parades, concerts, festivals, and fireworks across the country. It’s disappointing. Coinciding with our struggle with COVID-19, we have been struggling through a summer of unrest regarding race relations that some say makes the American experiment null and void. Others, like former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, describe America as a country with a birth defect that we are still crippled by­ – that is, slavery and patterns of racism. Others that have overcome or grown-up without such struggles believe American to be, while not perfect, certainly a great nation that espouses basic freedoms that are not enjoyed elsewhere: free speech, freedom of religion, and so on.

It’s hard to navigate these touchy realities in the public square today. Few seem to want to listen and be respectful. When parishioners ask me about the unrest, I hear fear in their voices, not wanting to inadvertently take a wrong step and end up being shamed on social media. It doesn’t seem to leave much room for progress as everyone goes back to their corners and takes up the same old pre-conceived notions.

Many have emailed me wondering how, as Catholic Americans, we should think about all that is unfolding. What informs me as an American and a Catholic? The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” coincides brilliantly with the first principle of Catholic Social Teaching, which is the fundamental dignity of every human being. As Bishop Thomas of the Diocese of Las Vegas recently wrote, “There are no throwaway people, no second class citizens, and no disposable souls. Every person is an unrepeatable and unique gift of God, binding us together as a human family, as sisters and brothers, each with inestimable worth and inalienable rights.”

With these principles in mind, I am outraged by the death of George Floyd. I am also frustrated by the missed opportunity for needed reforms due to the influx of violence and destruction that seems to have little to do with the end of racism, but violence for violence’s sake. Order in some cities has turned into chaos that is not sustainable.

I’m concerned by the broad brushstrokes of condemnation of police and law enforcement because of the behavior of a few. I learned years ago that the public and outrageous failures of a small percentage of priests, for example, does not mean that all priests are monsters. The same is true of the police­ – that the majority want to do their jobs well. I also empathize with police officers who have to make split-second decisions. Some make good decisions, others bad ones. Clearly, reforms are necessary. As Bishop Thomas recently pondered, “What happens when certain individuals feel unsafe, unprotected, unwanted, and unequal in the very community whose purpose is to provide for them equal protection under the law? Look no further than the headlines of the day.”

Bishop Thomas concluded a pastoral letter with a list of suggestions that could lead to change based on personal and individual conversion versus guidance from our government leaders who seem hopelessly deadlocked in partisanship. Take a look at Bishop Thomas’ ideas. I find them helpful.

• Acquaint yourself with Catholic Social Teaching
• Educate yourself on the history and causes of racism in our country
• Never underestimate the power of the polling place
• Raise your voice whenever you see racism, injustice, or discrimination rear their heads
• Disengage yourself from racial and discriminatory humor
• Support private and public efforts that help to strengthen family life
• Help to create a just workplace at your own place of employment
• Support educational opportunities for the young
• Be present and active at community meetings on the city and county levels
• Share ideas and express your concerns with legislators and members of Congress
• Make a conscious effort to engage with people beyond our zones of comfort to build relationships
• Take advantage of civilian academy opportunities offered by law enforcement
• Involve yourself in diocesan and parish outreach to the poor and the underserved
• Engage in interfaith and ecumenical dialogue and social service efforts
• Share your time and treasure with the poor and needy in our community
• Pray for justice and peace as a family and parish

May God bless America!

Fr. Richard

If you’re a member of a fraternal organization, you may have gone through initiation rites: rituals that help you learn about the organization, growing deeper in relationship with other group members, and committing yourself to membership in the group.
Of course, the Church has rituals of initiation as well — three sacraments that impart God’s grace that form our commitment to the Church. Baptism is the first sacrament of initiation. We have a weak human nature that is prone to sin. And at our birth, we also suffer the pain of original sin, and we are freed from sin through the waters of baptism. Sometimes our affiliation with a group or organization may become stale and flat for us. Looking more deeply at why we choose to be associated with a group in the first place might lead us to a deeper relationship or to sever the bond. Confirmation is the sacrament that leads us to decide to deepen our relationship with God. And finally, the Eucharist that is the source and summit of our Catholic faith commemorates the meal that Jesus shared with his disciples that preceded his sacrifice on the cross for our sins.

Because of COVID-19, we are woefully behind in our celebration of the sacraments of initiation, but we are making our way through these sacramental encounters. I congratulate our Confirmation class that was confirmed last Monday! I am very proud of them. Due to the complications of COVID-19, Bishop Doherty was not able to come to the Masses. It gave me the privilege of celebrating each Mass and confirming our class. As I baptized many members of this class and gave them Holy Communion, it was a particular privilege to also confirm them in the Holy Spirit as well.

On Sunday afternoon at the 3 p.m. liturgy, we will welcome our catechumens and candidates into the Church, who have been preparing to be received into the Church since 2019! We warmly welcome them and ask you to pray for them in a special way. I would love to invite all of you to participate, but with social distancing rules, we need to limit attendees to those receiving the sacraments, their sponsors, their families, and our RCIA team. However, we plan to live-stream the Mass on our Facebook account.

Finally, we will have 7 p.m. nightly Masses, June 22 - 26, celebrating first Holy Communion. Monday and Tuesday will include our OLMC School second graders, and our Hispanic Apostolate second graders will receive first Holy Communion on Wednesday. Last but certainly not least, on Thursday and Friday the Faith Formation second graders will have their turn. And then, we take a deep sigh of relief having accomplished the Lord’s work!

Of course, these liturgies are usually spread out over the course of several months. I can’t thank Rex Rund and our liturgical ministers enough for all of their hard work! I invite you to join me in prayer for all of our candidates of initiation, that they will persevere in faith for many decades to come!

Fr. Richard

If you recall, I communicated early during the pandemic about the perilous nature of church funding the world over. Even though Jesus warned against fear, I was terrified what it might mean for our parish and its many ministries, the biggest of which is our blue-ribbon school. I also was (and am) concerned for our parishioners whose own financial stability has been threatened through job loss. I have prayed to St. Joseph the Worker to assist those who have lost their lives to find meaningful work to support their families.
I also communicated with you that the initial several weeks of uncertainty were also very inspiring at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. So many of you kept stewardship and tithing as an important priority. I cannot thank you enough!

There are still many questions and uncertainties as we move into the summer months still dragging COVID-19 along with us. Although we hope that your stewardship will continue, we realize that more of our parishioners may lose jobs. We have responded to that by hoping for the best regarding our collections, but being realistic about the need to run our parish well though leanly.

For this reason, I want you to know that over four meetings, your parish staff worked hard to create a very meaningful budget that will take effect on July 1, 2020. It is a leaner budget than in past years that corresponds with potentially smaller weekly collections should the effects of the pandemic continue or worsen. Our budget also allows the parish to maintain our staff, for which I am very grateful. I am so proud of our staff that works so hard in serving Jesus and our parishioners. I also want to thank our parish finance committee for its guidance and affirmation of our parish budget that we hope will carry us through this pandemic.

Personally, it is very important to me that at the end of the summer when I am transferred, our parish is financially stable and prepared to continue to tell the story of Jesus during this change of leadership. This is why we priests are so grateful that we are staying until August 19. It gives our parish time to rebound during this unprecedented time.

In other news, I am thankful to Fr. DeCarlo, Rex Rund, and Tim Fletcher for leading a large group of parishioners in the reopening process. It is quite a daunting task. I thank you for your patience during the months away from the sacraments and, in advance, I want to thank you for your patience as we prepare for next weekend’s Masses.

My Our Lady of Mount Carmel bless us and keep us moving toward her son’s Kingdom!

Fr. Richard