St. Joseph the Worker

Dear Parishioners of St. Joseph the Worker:

One of the 7 sacraments in our Catholic Church is that of Marriage.  In this particular sacrament, it is the couple themselves who enact the sacramental nature through the vows they pledge to one another, as the priest or deacon is only a witness.  God intended for this solemn and holy union to be raised to the level of a sacrament.

I bring this up because this February 19, 2022, would have been the 73^rd anniversary of the marriage between Joseph J. Molloy and Lucia P. Zerwas, my parents.  They had the joy of being married to each other 63 years before my dad died.  And each day of those 63 years they lived out the sacrament as best they could.  And for many of those years I saw my parents love one another with a faith-filled, forgiving, compassionate, and sacrificing love.  How privileged I was to witness their commitment to each other and to the Lord.

The vocation of marriage is the most chosen one among the three, the other two being the ordained life and the single life.  However, as we know, so many marriages end in divorce. It is said to realize that families are torn apart due to differences, abuse, unfaithfulness, etc.  But at the same time, it is encouraging to see how many couples are truly happy in their marriages each and every day, praying to God for patience, strength, and guidance.  Marriage is difficult work, and must be “worked on” daily.

Let us pray for all married couples.  Let us pray for engaged couples approaching marriage.  Let us pray for those marriages that are being tested or are pointing to a separation.  Let us pray for couples just married or ones celebrating many, many years of married love. 

May Jesus, our God of love, deepen the sacramental love of men and women who have pledged themselves to each other and God.  Our world and our Church need strong, fruitful, and faithful marriages.

Your Pastor,

Fr. Joe

P.S.  This February 20^th is the birthday of Sr. Judith, our Pastoral Associate. As a parish, we wish her a wonderful day and week of celebration. Thank you, Sister, for what you do for SJW.  May God bless your vocation of religious life as a Dominican Sister!