Editor’s notes

I have always enjoyed going to Mass and being in church. As a kid in Catholic grade school we would attend Mass every Friday. Later, I was an altar server for both Sunday and weekday liturgy. I was fortunate that my mom talked our parish priest into letting me make my first Communion months ahead of my classmates so I was able to participate in Mass more fully. I tried to never miss Sunday Mass, not because it was a rule, but because I truly enjoyed it.

As I got older, my affinity for Mass strengthened. I began to experience the inspiration that comes from the gospel and a good homilist. The Gospels themselves are so well-written that the stories and lessons are easily understood. That’s the secret of good writing: presenting the material in a style that doesn’t impede the message. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were masterful at it. The homilist draws out further explanation and meaning.

Music, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the décor and the community itself, all give Mass an added dimension. As Christians, we are called to worship together publicly and in community.

In this issue of Sharing & Caring, we look at liturgy at Salem Heights. With her staff of volunteers, Precious Blood Sister Pat Will arranges Masses, adoration, devotions and special celebrations. Her work is full of details, making sure the more than 20 liturgical ministries are being handled. The final product is their reward.

We also tell the story of pastoral coordinators and how they keep parishes alive. Sister Mary Garascia’s work at Holy Name of Jesus Parish – a community of about 3,000 Catholics in Redlands, California – highlights the role these people play in the absence of a parish pastor.

In addition we profile Sister Rosalie Kastner and her unique hobby of recycling greeting cards, detail recent vocations events and cover the annual homicide memorial service. You will also find the obituaries of Sisters Helen Theresa, Canice and Hedwig.

You will also notice that Sharing & Caring has been redesigned with more color, larger type and additional white space. One of our goals was to give Sharing & Caring a more magazine-type appearance to better reflect its role as the primary printed communications vehicle for the Sisters of the Precious Blood. We would encourage you to visit our website at www.preciousbloodsistersdayton.org for expanded coverage of our stories. Our Facebook presence is also growing steadily so please “like” our Facebook page and visit us on social media.