We are living in very interesting times. The pendulum of culture is once again swinging away from Christian principles, and that means we no longer have the luxury of being the prevailing or dominant voice. We can no longer boast about being Christian, we have to prove it. This Supreme Court decision is a wakeup call to the reality of the world around us that has been brewing for quite some time. It is also a remarkable opportunity unlike any we've seen in a long time. People with same-sex attraction have full legal rights to marry each other, and with growing public acceptance of this, they have won this round. They have gotten what they wanted. Their worldview is no longer the "persecuted minority" view, so they can't really play that card anymore. We as Christians though, as we become more and more marginalized, return to being like the original Church, scorned and feared and misunderstood... just as Christ Himself was. What a remarkable time to live in.

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We, as Catholics in southern Buffalo County, this weekend welcome back Fr. John Abts, O.F.M. to celebrate his 25th Anniversary to the Priesthood. Some of you may have noticed the article about him and this event published in the Cochrane-Fountain City Recorder some weeks ago. Certainly any time we can celebrate milestones in life, we take advantage of them. Certainly, as Catholics, when we have opportunities to celebrate the priesthood, we take even special advantage of them. After all, we’ve heard it said, “without the priesthood there is no Eucharist; without the Eucharist there is no Church.”

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There continues to be observations and comments from concerned people in our parishes about many things Catholic. Among some of the main concerns are attendance decline, diminishing number of families with children at weekend Mass, and disillusionment about what it means to be Catholic in the modern age when some say morality is eroding quickly. Of course there could be countless reasons to explain any of these matters. However, its important to know that the main concerns identified here are not limited to our cluster. Priests around the region, MN included, speak of similar matters.

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