Dear Parishioners,

This week we begin the season of Lent. Pope Francis once stated, “Lent is a fitting time for self-denial; we would do well to ask ourselves what we can give up in order to help and enrich others by our own poverty. Let us not forget that real poverty hurts: no self-denial is real without this dimension of penance. I distrust a charity that costs nothing and does not hurt.”

This quote challenges us to reflect on how much of ourselves are we willing to give to God and to one another. Pope Francis went on to state, “As long as there is a brother or sister to whom we close our hearts, we will still be far from being disciples as Jesus asks us.” This Lent, as we journey to Easter, let us truly be disciples who truly love God and one another.

We are almost finished with the first phase of the preservation work on the church. This phase includes all of the work that we have finished on the front façade, including the repointing of the marble, repositioning of the cross, repairs to the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the filling the fractures on the rose window. It also includes the restoration exterior doors of the church. Our contractor, All Trades Historical Restoration, is almost done with the ADA doors at the Twiggs Street entrance. They will move on to the northern set of front doors next. To date, this work has cost the parish just north of $486,000.

Additional preservation phases are planned, but are yet to be funded. They include the following projects:

• Dome restoration on northwest corner
  • Rinse and sand deteriorated panels
  • Sand and paint panels
  • Repair brickwork
• Repair leaks on the exterior of the southeast portion of the apse
• SW Vertical Wall Restoration
  • Investigate leak
  • Remove deteriorated mortar
  • Repoint joints as necessary

These future phases are estimated to cost the parish $182,000. One area of repair not listed is the tile adjacent to the sanctuary. You might have noticed that some of the tile has come loose near the choir area. We are currently looking for similar tile and as well as the utilization of the existing loose tile. This is being researched further, and will be addressed in the coming months.

We have been moving forward steadily with the planned renovations to the kitchen at the North Campus. Much of the preliminary work is done. As I have mentioned before, this project will include the installation of all new plumbing for both the kitchen and for the adjacent bathrooms. Many of the pipes are brittle or broken, and have not been retrofitted since their initial installation during the original construction. Recently, while the architect and engineers were looking at this building, it was determined that a new roof is needed for this building, which houses the cafeteria, auditorium, and Alumni Hall. The estimated cost for the new roof is in the $200,000 range.

This important work cannot be researched and accomplished without the dedicated volunteers on our Parish Maintenance Committee. With the amount of projects currently underway or in the planning stages, additional hands are needed. If you or someone you know has who has experience in construction, contracting, planning, engineering, or anything within the field of building maintenance, and wish to help the parish, please let me know. I will happily invite you to join our committee.

Lastly, I wish to let you know about a recent change to our Parish Advisory Board. Our chair, Laura Prather, has stepped down, with current board member Lynda Marsh taking on the role as the new chair. We will use this transition as a way to reorganize and to strengthen the Parish Advisory Board, and its connection with our parishioners. The board serves a vital role in helping serve our parish, and I thank Laura for all of her efforts in steering the board over these last few years.

Peace and all good,
Fr. Mike

Dear Parishioners,

As we get closer to the Lent, I wanted to share with you a decision that the parish has made about the weekly Stations of the Cross hosted on each of the Friday evenings during the season. Over the past few years the attendance for Stations has decreased. I believe there are several reasons for this. First, is that we do not have free parking available on Friday evenings near the church. The city previously allowed free parking on the street after 6 p.m., however that changed several years ago, and now, of course, you have to pay at a station of via the app. Second, the increase in activity downtown can make it difficult to find any parking, especially spaces that do no have surge pricing due to an event. Several older parishioners have informed me they don’t like driving in downtown Tampa at night. Last year, we also had stopped the Soup Suppers due to attendance.

The staff has looked at other alternatives, such as changing the timing or frequency. However, we always have to consider our busy wedding schedule in relation to in-church events on weekend evenings. Our wedding schedule allows for a Friday afternoon wedding where the church is occupied from 1 to 3:30 p.m.. Then we run into rehearsals for the Saturday weddings, which can be scheduled at any point between 4 and 7 p.m.

The staff came up with a solution that I am excited about, especially in relation to the increase of visitors to the church as part of the Jubilee pilgrimage. Signage will be placed in the back of the church inviting parishioners and visitors alike to take part in a self-guided prayer service of our stations. This will be available to all during our normal hours of operation.

I recently read a letter that Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, wrote this past December. In it he talks about the renewal of the church ushered in by the Second Vatican Council. I would like to share this with everyone.

“By recognizing this relationship between how we worship and what we believe, the bishops at the council made clear that the renewal of the liturgy in the life of the church is central to the mission of proclaiming the Gospel. It would be a mistake to reduce the renewal to a mere updating of our liturgy to fit the times we live in, as if it were a kind of liturgical facelift. We need the restoration of the liturgy because it gives us the capacity to proclaim Christ to the world.

“Thus, for instance, the council called for the full, active and conscious participation of all the baptized in the celebration of the Eucharist to reflect our belief that in the sacred liturgy the faithful become the Body of Christ that they receive.

“Our ritual for receiving of Holy Communion has special significance in this regard. It reminds us that receiving the Eucharist is not a private action but rather a communal one. For that reason, the norm established by Holy See for the universal church is for the faithful to process together as an expression of their coming forward as the Body of Christ and to receive Holy Communion standing.

“It is important to recall that processions have been part of the liturgy from the earliest days of Christian practice. They give us a sensible experience of what it means to be a pilgrim people, helping us keep in mind that we are making our way together to the fullness of the heavenly banquet Christ has prepared for us. This is why we process into the church, process up to bring the gifts, process to receive Holy Communion and process out at the end of Mass to carry the Lord into the world.

“Nothing should be done to impede any of these processions, particularly the one that takes place during the sacred Communion ritual. Disrupting this moment only diminishes this powerful symbolic expression, by which the faithful in processing together express their faith that they are called to become the very Body of Christ they receive. Certainly reverence can and should be expressed by bowing before the reception of Holy Communion, but no one should engage in a gesture that calls attention to oneself or disrupts the flow of the procession. That would be contrary to the norms of the church, which all the faithful are urged to respect and observe.”

You can read Cardinal Blase’s full statement here.

Peace and All Good,
– Fr. Mike

Pope Francis wrote “During the Holy Year, we are called to be tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind.” Some of the signs of hope that Pope Francis refers to are the desire for peace in our world, and looking to the future with hope and enthusiasm for life. It calls us to be tangible signs of hope for others including, prisoners, the sick and homebound, for our youth, migrants, those who are vulnerable, the elderly, and the poor and impoverished.

The Jubilee Year is a reminder to all of us that as God has given us hope through His love, mercy, healing, and forgiveness, we are also called to give hope to others. Pope Francis said “Hope also is not a passive virtue, which merely waits for things to happen, rather, it is a supremely active virtue that helps make them happen.” We give hope when we work for peace. We give hope when we feed the hungry. We give hope when we welcome the immigrant. We give hope when we respect the rights of others. And we give hope to others when we are willing to give ourselves to them. As the star of Bethlehem was the beacon of light that guided the Wise Men to Jesus, let us be a beacon of hope that can lead others to Christ.

The Pope has provided us with a prayer for this jubilee:

Dear Parishioners,

As you may be seeing, work on the church’s façade is progressing. We anticipate the scaffold coming down along the front of the church soon, and with that, we will redirect our attention to the doors and entryways that remain to be restored. Our concerns with the tile near the altar rail are being addressed as well, with repairs being planned for multiple locations around the church. At the North Campus, our Maintenance Committee and staff have been meeting with the architect and others over the kitchen in the auditorium. This too is progressing, and will speed up once the final plans are finished. I thank the Maintenance Committee members for all they have contributed to the parish with these many intricate and varied projects. We are currently looking to expand our committee and are in need of parishioners with expertise in engineering, project management, building, construction, mechanical, HVAC, plumbing, etc. The committee meets formally between six and eight times a year. If you are interested in assisting the parish in this way, send me an email.

At Mass this weekend we begin the season of Advent with the Blessing of the Wreath. I know many of you have your own Advent wreaths at home, and so I wish to share with you this weekend’s blessing for you to us with your own wreaths at home.

Blessing of Wreath and Lighting of First Candle:

Leader: May the sprinkling of this water remind all of us gathered here of our first sharing in the grace of baptism.

During this time of Advent may we prepare for the Lord’s coming with open hearts and minds.

May this wreath be a symbol to us of this time of prayerful watching and waiting for the coming of the Lord, and a symbol of faith in the power of the Holy Spirit as we anticipate the fruits of this Advent Season.

Have each family member bless the wreath.

Leader: Lord Jesus, your coming was proclaimed by the prophets of old. The Prophet Isaiah proclaimed that all nations shall come to climb the mountain of the Lord. Instruct us that we may walk in the light of the world.

Family: Come, Lord Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus

Leader: Lord Jesus, St Paul urges us that all those who believe in Christ may grow in love of God and neighbor.

Family: Come, Lord Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus

Family lights the first candle.

Leader: Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly kingdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Please take the time to celebrate the Advent season as we prepare for Christmas.

Peace and All Good,

– Fr. Mike

Dear Parishioners,

During the middle of the Civil War, in 1862, one of the Northern leaders asked president Abraham Lincoln for prayer that God would be on their side. Lincoln responded, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side.” How often do we try to make God be on our side, with our own agendas and desires? Instead, our efforts should be in service of trying to be on God’s side, following the Gospel in our own lives.

We’ve all heard and likely used the phrase, “What would Jesus do?” WWJD ask us to apply Jesus’s teaching to our everyday life. When faced with difficult situation how do we respond? Do we respond with our own agenda or do we try to respond to the way God is calling us to? How would Jesus respond to the homeless, the immigrant or other people who may be different because of their faith, race, sexual orientation, or gender? Jesus’ response would be one of compassion and healing. As we get closer to the election I would like to repeat a quote that echoes this sentiment of thinking:

“On these often complex matters, it is the laity’s responsibility to form their consciences and grow in the virtue of prudence to approach the many and varied issues of the day with the mind of Christ. Conscience is “a judgment of reason” by which one determines whether an action is right or wrong (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1778). It does not allow us to justify doing whatever we want, nor is it a mere “feeling.” Conscience—properly formed according to God’s revelation and the teaching of the Church—is a means by which one listens to God and discerns how to act in accordance with the truth. The truth is something we receive, not something we make. We can only judge using the conscience we have, but our judgments do not make things true.“

St Francis of Assisi would pray “Most high, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me, Lord, a correct faith, a certain hope, a perfect charity, insight and wisdom, so that I may carry out Your holy and true command.”

November, with the feast of All Souls, is a time to remember all of our loved ones. This year, remembrance cards will be available for parishioners, where you may write down the names of your loved ones and we will remember all of the people during the ordinary time Masses throughout the month. Once filled, we simply ask that you place the card in the basket in the back of the church. At weekend Masses, we will bring the basket of cards up with the collection. During the week, we will have the cards on the altar at each Mass. We will also have cards available at the Gift Store. There is no need to e-mail or call the parish office to add your names. We ask that you do it when you come to Mass. We will have the Remembrance Cards available the last week of October. This new, month-long remembrance will take the place of this year’s Candle Lighting Service.

Peace and All Good,
– Fr. Mike

Portions of this text were approved by the body of U.S. bishops in November, 2023, as noted at www.faithfulcitizenship.org. © 2023, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington DC. All rights reserved.

Dear Parishioners,

Back in May, 1984 my father was running for the local school board. He was initially elected in 1969 and had served on the board ever since. He had instructed the family to vote, of course, and to tell our friends to vote as well.

Election day came and I was running late for work didn’t have the time to go vote. After work, I met up with some friends and one of them asked me if I’d had the chance to vote, and I admitted I hadn’t. She looked at me and said “you haven’t heard? Your dad’s race ended in a tie.”

They had to have a special election in June. I didn’t miss heading to this polls on this day, however, my father lost that election. The next year, he regained his seat on the board, and would serve for another 17 years, until 2001/2002, a total of 32 years.

While we are well into election season, I would make the following recommendations. Mind you, these are not my thoughts for any specific race or issue, but ways to consciously and deliberately discern your own choices:

1. Bring your discernment to prayer. | St. Paul says: Put on “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16). Take time away from social media and spend time with Holy Scripture and the Blessed Sacrament. Turn off the TV or the podcast, and listen in silence. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, a homeless shelter, a crisis pregnancy center. Serve the poor, the needy, the outcast. Pray often, letting faith inform your political participation. Participation in political life also requires judgments about concrete circumstances. While the bishops help form the laity in accordance with basic principles, they do not tell the laity to vote for particular candidates.

2. Follow your conscience. | On complex matters, it is the laity’s responsibility to form their consciences and grow in the virtue of prudence to approach the many and varied issues of the day with the mind of Christ. Conscience is “a judgment of reason” by which one determines whether an action is right or wrong (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1778). It does not allow us to justify doing whatever we want, nor is it a mere “feeling.” Conscience—properly formed according to God’s revelation and the teaching of the Church—is a means by which one listens to God and discerns how to act in accordance with the truth. The truth is something we receive, not something we make. We can only judge using the conscience we have, but our judgments do not make things true.

3. Be respectful of others. | We do not all share the same opinions. Let us be respectful of other people’s opinions in our words and actions. Never let evil talk pass your lips; say only the good things men need to hear, things that will really help them. Do nothing that will sadden the Holy Spirit with whom you were sealed against the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, all passion and anger, harsh words, slander, and malice of every kind. In place of these, be kind to one another, compassionate, and mutually forgiving, just as God has forgiven you in Christ (Eph. 4:29-32).

4. Vote.

Portions of this text were approved by the body of U.S. bishops in November, 2023, as noted at www.faithfulcitizenship.org. © 2023, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington DC. All rights reserved.

Dear Parishioners,

Pope Francis said “Holiness doesn’t mean doing extraordinary things, but doing ordinary things with love and faith.” This sentiment certainly guides our parish and its ministries. This summer, our Knights of Columbus (Council #12110), Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and Parish Outreach Committee have all seen transitions in leadership that ensure their continued embodiment of that attitude toward ministry and service within our community. Larry Bevis, formerly the chair of the Outreach Committee, has transferred his title to become Grand Knight of our K.O.C. council. Fran Provenzano, a leading organizer of our Giving from the Heart drives, will now act as chair of the Outreach Committee. SVdP recently held elections for its leadership positions, with longtime parishioner and Vincentian Ralph Stoddard set to become president of our conference. Former SH staff member Angela Erb will serve as vice-president, and Suzanne Collins as secretary and treasurer. Again, it is wonderful to see new people stepping up to help lead our parish in living out the Gospel.

We have also been very fortunate to welcome three new part-time members to our parish staff. Longtime parishioner Judy Staley joined this spring to assist with bookkeeping, an invaluable help to our business manager Larry Cabrera, who has been busy overseeing the building restorations both on the church and at the North Campus. A pair of regular volunteers from the Gift & Book Store, Aprile Black and Esther Holder, have made their way from the store to the the parish office, and will share responsibility over reception and sacramental record keeping. If you need a Mass card they will be there to help you!

This past Friday, August 2, we celebrated an important Franciscan Feast, Our Lady of the Angels of the Portiuncula. The word “Portiuncula” simple refers to a small piece of land that the church was built on. This was the third church in which St. Francis of Assisi rebuilt. It was here that St. Francis said that God sent forth him brothers, and therefore became the birthplace of the Franciscan Order. This is also the place where St. Francis died. He instructed his brothers to bring him here so that he may welcome sister death.

In The Life of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Bonaventure writes:

“The Portiuncula was an old church dedicated to the Virgin Mother of God which was abandoned. Francis had great devotion to the Queen of the world and when he saw that the church was deserted, he began to live there constantly in order to repair it. He heard that the angels often visited it, so that it used to be called St. Mary of the Angels, and he decided to stay there permanently out of reverence for the angels and love for the Mother of Christ. He loved this spot more than any other in the world. It was here that he began his religious life in a very small way; it was here that he came to a happy end. When he was dying, he commended this spot above all others to the friars, because it was most dear to the Blessed Virgin.

This was the place where St Francis founded the Order of Friars Minor by divine inspiration and it was divine providence which led him to repair three churches before he founded the Order and began to preach the Gospel. This meant that he progressed from material things to more spiritual achievements, from lesser to greater, in due order, and it gave a prophetic indication of what he would accomplish later.

As he was living there by the church of our Lady, Francis prayed to her who had conceived the Word, full of grace and truth, begging her insistently and with tears to become his advocate. Then he was granted the true spirit of the Gospel by the intercession of the Mother of Mercy and he brought it to fruition.

He embraced the Mother of our Lord Jesus with indescribable love because, as he said, it was she who made the Lord of majesty our brother, and through her we found mercy. After Christ, he put all his trust in her and took her as his patroness for himself and his friars.”

Peace and All Good,

– Fr. Mike

Dear Parishioners,

Many of you might have seen on the diocesan website that the National Eucharistic Congress will be held July 17-21, 2024, in Indianapolis. Reflecting on this event, two quotes sprang to mind. The first is from Cardinal Joseph Bernardin’s address at the Eucharistic Congress in Nairobi, Kenya in August of 1985. Entitled “Satisfying the Hungers of the World’s Children: Eucharist: Call to Unity and Peace,” he stated,

“The Eucharist, rightly understood and received, demands that we respond. Having received forgiveness and reconciliation, we are prompted to forgive others, to be reconciled with them. Having experienced the peace and fellowship of the Lord’s Table, we are compelled to work for justice and harmony in the world. Having experienced the unity of the One Table, we are enabled and mobilized to work for peace, harmony, and unity among all God’s children. In fact, in the Beatitudes the title ‘God’s children’ is especially reserved for peacemakers.”

The second quote came from Pope Francis in his book “The Joy of the Gospel” in which he writes, “The Eucharist, although it is the fullness of sacramental life, is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.”

Cardinal Bernardin reminds us the Eucharist demands that we respond to the Gospel. Pope Francis reminds us that the Eucharist gives us the nourishment we need to respond to the Gospel.

There are many ways we can respond to our faith here at Sacred Heart. Participation in ministries like Hands of Hope, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, or Bikes from the Heart are just a few ways people in our parish live out our faith. There so many opportunities for people to put their faith into action within our parish. The important thing is for us all to live and share our faith to the best of our abilities.

The Friars and I are looking forward to seeing you and your families at our new event coming up on July 12. The Summer Social will be feature a fantastic barbecue dinner provided by Big John’s Alabama BBQ. Believe me, if you like barbecue you will really enjoy the ribs and chicken and great sides from this Tampa staple. There will also be great games like inflatable axe throwing (this is safe!) and inflatable basketball hoops where the high scores will receive fun prizes. Whether or not you think you can dance, be sure to take in one of the several line-dancing classes that will take place several times over the evening. And to cool you down from all the activities, sno-cones will be on offer. Our Knights of Columbus Council #12110 will also be on hand to serve refreshing drinks including adult beverages.

So come and enjoy a nice summer evening and dinner with your fellow parishioners. Tickets to the dinner are $15 for adults and $8 for kids under 12. Information on how to purchase tickets can be found by clicking here.

Peace and All Good,
– Fr. Mike