A Welcome from the Pastor

My brothers and sisters in Christ,

On behalf of our parish family, I wish to extend a warm welcome to you visiting our website. It is my hope and prayer that the parish family of St. Boniface and St. Meinrad will be able to provide the support and intentional community you need in your spiritual journey with Jesus Christ and His Church.
 
Give praise to the Lord, for he is good; his mercy endures forever (Psalm 118:1). These words, written by the psalmist millennia ago, are still relevant today. We as a Catholic Church, but especially as a parish family, are invited to consider what God’s peace and mercy means to us here, today, in Southern Indiana. The reflections and experiences we glean over the course of this year, I hope will bear fruit in our life as a community of faith for years to come.
 
For over 150 years, the parishes of St. Boniface and St. Meinrad have been places where men and women, old and young, have experienced God’s love and mercy day after day, most especially when we celebrate Mass and receive our cherished sacraments. In the Eucharist, we are fed with the bread and wine of God’s mercy; in Baptism and Confirmation, we are incorporated into the Church, a family whose roots are two millennia deep – a family whose members include many brothers and sisters who are dear to us. In the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick, grace-filled mercy flows to us throughout our lives.
 
On June 5, 2015, the parish of St. Boniface celebrated the 150th anniversary of its historic church building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to a whole host of festivities, a Mass was celebrated for the parish’s families and for those who came back to their ancestral homeland to remember their forefathers and foremothers, similar to the pilgrim Church we recall when we celebrate the saints throughout the year. This gathering was a concrete example of the power of the sacraments to create and preserve community in our encounter with God’s grace.
 
This parish website is an excellent way to help us strengthen and sustain our growth as a parish family. We grow in our faith as a community, not only on Sunday morning or Saturday evenings, but in the Knights of Columbus, men’s society, ladies’ sodalities, faith formation programs, the ministry of care to the sick and dying, and other forms of service and outreach to the poor and forgotten.
 
Daily Mass, music ministry and service trips are not simply good things we do as Catholics, but moments of grace that build up the Body of Christ, the Church. Take a moment to reflect on the many ministries our parish family offers. Pray about becoming part of our living history through supporting ministries or serving at liturgies or on one of our parish commissions. By doing so, you will not only grow in your knowledge of your faith, you will have lived it out and encountered Christ present in “the least among you” (Matthew 25:31-46).
 
Since 2009, it is my privilege to serve these parishes as pastor. I have learned much from each of you. You are good teachers, and all of you have had a part in shaping my vocation as a monk in service to you in priestly life and ministry.
 
May we continue on the journey together, assured of God’s mercy and forgiveness, growing in our faith as we develop into a community that inspires and empowers all people to follow Jesus Christ, “keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2). We do this by living the Word of God, celebrating the sacraments with meaningful worship, and calling one another to prayer, Christian service, and fellowship radiating the light of Christ in all we do and say.

                                                                                               PAX – Father Anthony Vinson, OSB