Pastor’s Corner — January 14th, 2024
New Study on the Harmony of Faith and Science: More than A Video Series
Last week I wrote on the five-part series I am facilitating on the relationship between faith and science (Starting Tues January 23). Some old myths, such as the myth that faith and science are at war, die hard. Since many of our relatives, children and grandchildren walk away from Christianity on account of the lies that somehow faith and science are opposed to each other (or because they can’t find answers to their questions), we are offering this new series to help us be more confident in the truth and have answers for others.
In addition to the very short Wonder videos put out by Word on Fire, I’ll be putting on my professor’s hat (kind of) and taking us through texts and videos to help us grow in confidence about the Church’s approach to faith and science. We’ll be covering some of these myths and confusions (from the book Benjamin Wiker, The Catholic Church and Science: Answering the Questions and Exposing the Myths):
1) The Catholic Church is at war with science
2) The Middle Ages were a time of scientific darkness
3) The anti-science Catholic Church persecuted Copernicus and Galileo
4) The Church accepts Darwinism or the Church rejects evolution
5) The big bang is a scientific alternative to belief in a creator God
6) The origin of life was one big happy accident
7) The vastness of the universe means extraterrestrial life must exist
It’s important that you register ahead of time here (by Friday, January 19th) so that we can plan properly and communicate important details about resources and expectations.
Marriage Celebration Dinner: February 9 at the PLC
We value family life here at St Pat’s. Family is a key part of our parish core value of Unconditional Belonging and marriage is the foundation of family life. In order to celebrate World Marriage Day (during National Marriage Week to boot), we are putting on our annual Marriage Celebration Dinner on February 9th at 6pm at the PLC. The purpose of this event is for couples to celebrate the beauty of marriage and honor spouses for their faithfulness, sacrifice and witness. The evening will include a catered meal, appetizers and dessert and couples are allowed to bring their own wine to enjoy. For this year’s entertainment, Dueling Pianos International (who frequently entertains at Jameson’s Irish Pub and Grill in Brighton) will be performing. This event will be a great “date night” to enjoy with your spouse and celebrate your marriage.
You can register in the gathering space this weekend after each of the Weekend Masses or you can go to the registration page here. Tables are already filling fast.
Abortion Was the Leading Cause of Death Worldwide in 2023
This is a headline of an actual article that you won’t find in the mainstream media. I believe it’s important to keep in mind how widespread and serious the injustice of abortion is in light of other big causes of death.
Your servant in the Lord,
Fr. Mathias