The Auburn Catholic Community has many celebrations happening this spring. We are so blessed to have so many truly awesome priests in our midst.

€ St. Francis/St. Hyacinth's parish recently celebrated the 22nd anniversary of the ordination to the priesthood of its beloved pastor, Father Eugene Dobosz. A special coffee hour with Italian pastries was held in his honor Sunday in the Rev. John J. Nacca Parish Hall.

€ Saturday, June 2, will mark the 42nd anniversary of Father Richard Murphy's ordination to the priesthood. Father Murhpy also serves at St. Francis/St. Hyacinth's parish. A reception will be held following the 5 p.m. Mass at St. Hyacinth's parish center where pizza, salad, dessert, coffee and soda will be served.

€ On Sunday, May 6, Dennis Donahue, a parishioner of St. Francis, was instituted into the ministry of reader by Bishop Matthew Clark. This is an important step for Dennis and his wife Cindy, in their process of formation for his reception of Holy Orders as a permanent deacon.

€ The 40th Anniversary of the ordination of Father Frank Lioi, pastor of St. Mary's church in Auburn, will be observed on Sunday, June 3. The Mass of Celebration will be at 11:30 a.m. followed by a luncheon at Highland Golf Club in Auburn. There will also be a concert of sacred music performed by Musica Spei at 4 p.m. in the church followed by an informal reception in the parish hall.

€ Also, Father Lioi will be leading a trip to Italy later in November. Thirty-five people have already signed up. Some places they will visit are Florence, Siena, Assisi, Rome, Pompei and the Amalfi Coast, with a day-trip to San Giovanni Rotondo and the shrine of St. Pio of Pietralcina (Padre Pio). There are flyers in the church vestibule or call the parish office at 252-9545 for more details.

€ Father Munjalu, also of St. Mary's, recently celebrated his graduation from Le Moyne college on Sunday, May 20, at the Onondaga War Memorial OnCenter in Syracuse. A parish reception was held in Schrader Hall following the ceremony.

€ Edison Tayag, who was the pastoral seminarian at St. Mary's during this past year, will be ordained to the order of Deacon at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 2, at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Rochester. St. Mary's has reserved a bus for that Saturday to take parishioners to the Ordination. The entire family is welcome. Call the parish office for details at 252-9545.

€ The weekend of June 2 and 3, St. Alphonsus parish will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the ordination to the priesthood for its pastor, Father Lou Vasile. A reception will be held in the parish center immediately following the 4 p.m. Mass on Saturday and also the 7:30 and 10 a.m. Masses on Sunday.

€ There will be a service of the Anointing of the Sick at 4 p.m. Sunday, June 3, with Father Dennis Shaw at Holy Family Church, 85 North St., Auburn. All who wish to receive this sacrament, their caregivers and all who wish to pray with them are invited. Seating will be in alternate rows to accommodate everyone, regardless of level of mobility.

€ The annual Memorial Day Mass will be celebrated at 9 a.m. Monday, May 28, at St. Joseph's Cemetery, with Father Paul Freemesser as the celebrant. In the event of rain, Mass will be held at the same time, at Holy Family Church, 85 North St., Auburn.

Have a safe and restful Memorial Day weekend and remember God loves you so very much.

“Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day be led astray.”

- St. Louis de Montfort

Denise Bennett is a parishioner at Holy Family Church in Auburn. She can be reached at deniseb132@yahoo.com