Dear Parishioners and Friends,
This weekend marks our annual diocesan Catholic Charities Appeal. This year’s theme is Make Me a Channel of Your Peace. Your generous support will bring peace to the lives of others, to offer dignity, possibilities and companionship to those who are most vulnerable. Thank you for your kind pledge or offering!

We also take the opportunity this weekend to update parishioners on the progress of the Implementation Phase as we continue with our Collaboration initiative between St. Malachi and St. Patrick. A member of the Collaboration Steering Committee will speak at the end of each Mass today with a brief update and invitation to carefully review the bulletin insert. Please take a few moments so that you are up to date and to contact any of the nearly 40 parish leaders serving on these teams.

Finally, please join me in welcoming Charles Jude Haire who was received in the Catholic Church this past Monday. Due to his health situation it was decided that Charles – a catechumen in OCIA –should receive the sacraments at this time. Welcome Charles and may the dear Lord bless you with peace and hope!
Be sure to keep reading the parish bulletin, exploring the parish website, and please make sure that you’re on our weekly email updates.

Father Gurnick

Dear Friends and Parishioners,
Our prayer life consists of public and private moments but there really is no such thing as “private prayer.” Why is this important to
stress? The answer is simple: prayer always starts with God’s prompting as a graced invitation for us to participate and is always in communion with the Church. We don’t innovate prayer; as baptized members of Christ’s body, we’re always praying – publicly or personally –within the Tradition of the Church.

Liturgically, or publicly, this is clear most of the time. Liturgy is universal for Catholics everywhere. Vernacular languages and some cultural
customs may vary, but the outward form and expression of each liturgy is always recognizable. Personal prayer and devotion should also be recognizable, although more personalized and shaped by an individual’s preferences. Some of these may include methods for reading scripture, meditating in silence, prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, reciting the rosary, chanting a litany of the saints, Lectio Divina, Taizé, and a plethora of other spiritual exercises. Although these are personal preferences for prayer, each one has been approved because it is consistent with sacred tradition; that is, each of these forms of prayer clearly are rooted in the Tradition which is always grounded in the Most Holy Trinity.

And both forms – public and personal – are essential for our daily lives. Yet, sadly, many Catholics don’t have an understanding of this need to calibrate (balance) the two. If I’m not exercising during the week (personal prayer) but expect to “fill up my spiritual tank” on Sunday morning (public prayer), I will certainly find myself frustrated. The reason? Because I can’t offer to God what I have not accepted in my own life, for my own good. As with our bodies, our prayer life requires daily attention and a healthy diet with proper exercise. Here’s to your health!

In Christ Our Life,

Fr. Gurnick

In 2025 St. Patrick and St. Malachi Parishes will conduct a Mission Series based on the book Divine Renovation: Bringing Your Parish From Maintenance to Mission by Fr. James Mallon. Complementary copies of the book will be available at the kick-off event on January 15th.

Please RSVP to stephanie.p@stmalachi.org so we know how many books to have ready and to have enough food for everyone.

Please include which small group you plan to attend.

•  Kick-Off Gathering : January 15th at 6:15pm | St. Patrick – Come to the Lower Hall after the 5:30pm Mass for a light supper and a launch of this exciting book study.
•  Weekly Small Group Discussions – In the weeks following this kick-off we will have small group meetings on different days (some in person, some over Zoom) where parishioners can take the questions for that week and discuss them as a group.  
  • Sundays at 11:00am at St. Malachi Hall
  • Mondays at 10:00am in St. Malachi Parish Meeting Room (upstairs)
  • Tuesdays at 6:00pm via Zoom
  • Wednesdays at 6:10pm (after 5:30pm Mass) in the St. Patrick Faith Formation Center Conference Room
  • Saturdays at 8:30am in the St. Patrick Faith Formation Center Conference Room
•  Final Wrap-Up Event—March 30 time TBD | St. Malachi

Dear Parishioners and Friends,
We continue our planning for Collaboration Implementation as St. Malachi and St. Patrick enter into our new relationship as oratory and parish. As there will be many extensive tasks to complete throughout 2025, folks may begin to feel the realities of change. Our reactions and responses will vary as we all handle change in different ways. Some changes may foster enthusiasm while others may present challenge. Some of the changes may evoke no reaction or feeling  as they won’t necessarily impact individuals.

Many of these changes will be based upon careful study and will include communal feedback as Leadership Teams implement the many recommendations offered by the Working Groups in June and the decisions of the Steering Committee in August.

Some of these changes include:

1. Alignment of Liturgy Schedules for weekends, weekdays, and holy days of obligation;

2. Celebration of other sacraments, including Marriage and Penance;

3. Coordination of calendar events between St. Malachi and St. Patrick;

4. Coordination of parish budgets, policies for preserving restricted funds, establishing administrative procedures, designing effective communications, etc.

5. Establishing a joint Parish Council, Finance Council, and other commissions and committees.

Most importantly, however, is continuing to establish a spirit of charity, trust, and unity as we discover ways to grow together. For each of us, this will require active listening and authentic engagement. And it requires a prayerful heart that is being prepared for these significant changes so that  the mission of Jesus Christ remains strong, viable, and hopeful for all parishioners and members of our community. As
we move forward together, I ask for your continued prayerful and practical support as we implement these changes in 2025. In addition to the leadership teams that will assist us, I am grateful to all of you for your active participation and involvement in the life of our parish as we enter into this new chapter.
Gratefully yours in Christ,
Fr. Gurnick 

Dear Parishioners and Friends,
October is Respect Life Month, an opportunity for us to highlight the importance of embracing the gift of life and the dignity of every person. One of our core beliefs is that life is to be protected from “conception until natural death.” This is not mere rhetoric but is actually at the very heart of our Catholic Social Teaching. When we discuss the rights and dignity of every human person, we understand this to be a unifying
force. This fundamental right of every human being must transcend cultural, religious, and philosophical boundaries.

Arguments for recognizing and defending life, therefore, is a universal principle – that is, all people of good will, regardless of where they live, or the religion they practice, or the philosophy they hold, have the capacity to recognize this essential gift of life. Unconditional respect for life is no easy task, as evidenced by the ongoing debates within society (and even within our Church community). How do we support the lives of our unborn sisters and brothers? How do we manage immigration policies while honoring those who genuinely seek asylum or a better way of life? What does economic justice for all look like? What respect is shown for the elderly? How is basic healthcare accessible for everyone? What is just punishment for the murderer? How do we honor the dignity and rights of those with debilitating mental illness? How do we care for the Poor, Hungry, and those without shelter?

To address each and all of these important topics, we must start with the fundamental premise that all life is sacred, that every human person matters. It really is that simple. The consistent call to respect life is not an appendage to our discipleship. It is foundational because respecting all life takes seriously our fidelity to the two great commandments: to love God with our whole heart and to love one another. Let us pray throughout this month – and every day of our lives – fora true appreciation for Life, the greatest gift that comes from the Author of Life.

Respectfully yours in Christ Our Life,
Fr. Gurnick

ADMINISTRATOR’S COLUMN
Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Patrick and St. Malachi,
I was joined by our Collaborative Steering Committee Co-Chairs, Pat Masterson and Stephanie Williams, for our meeting with Bishop Malesic and members of his staff on September 18. As parishioners know, we requested that he formally proceed with changing the status of
St. Malachi Parish to that of an oratory with sponsorship through St. Patrick Parish. The strategic plan for the partnership was also reviewed. The bishop was very pleased with the proposal and will proceed with the plan moving forward. The following steps were offered by the
bishop and his staff:
1. Bishop Malesic will officially consult with his Presbyteral Council in November to present and review this proposal;
2. A formal letter of decree is anticipated at the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025;
3. The partnership between the new oratory and the sponsoring parish will go into effective 1 July 2025. The rationale for this date is to align it with the time-line for combining various commissions and committees, as proposed by the Steering Committee.

Bishop Malesic and his staff inquired if there were concerns raised by parishioners, even if not objecting to the process. We responded that the two main concerns had todo with 1) balance between our mission and that of financial stewardship, ie. budgeting for operations and staffing, as well as respecting specific designated funds, and 2) retaining our mission and ministries to the poor and others
in need. The bishop concurred that both areas need to be honored and was satisfied with plans for us to have specific Memoranda of Understanding created to honor these priorities.   the meanwhile, the bishop gave his approval that we may begin to move toward our goals and timelines, as prescribed in our proposal.

At the conclusion of our meeting, Bishop Malesic expressed his gratitude to the Collaboration Steering Committee, the Working Groups, and to the parishioners for their sincere efforts to make this a fruitful process. The bishop then offered his blessing, extending it to all of you. Our next phase for implementation is underway with more information available in the weeks ahead. I also extend my sincerest thanks to our parish leaders and to everyone who has been engaged in this important process. Through the intercession of Ss. Malachi and Patrick, may we continue to grow as experience this next chapter – together.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Gurnic