33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. (Psalm 118:24) Happy Veterans Day to all the veterans! This weekend we honor all the veterans of the US armed forces, both living and deceased, for their selfless service to our country and the world. Veterans Day in the USA is observed on November 11th every year. As it is a Federal holiday, our office will be closed that day. Originally, Veterans Day was known as ‘armistice’ day. The ‘armistice’ refers to the peaceful agreement signed by the allied forces led by the United States of America and the rival forces led by Germany to end the hostilities of World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. The change of the name from ‘armistice day’ to ‘Veterans Day’ was approved by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on June 1, 1954. Since then, Veterans Day has been celebrated throughout our country with parades, prayer services and award ceremonies. PRAYER FOR VETERANS: Lord God, Almighty Father, we ask you to bless the members of our armed forces. Give them courage, hope and strength. May they experience your love and compassionate healing. Give pardon and eternal life to those veterans who died protecting the liberty of the people. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. In honor of Veterans Day, the Archives Ministry in our Parish is inviting all the parishioners to come to the blessing of the historic plaque which has been installed on the front wall of our Church two weeks ago and the Military Memorial which was built by the Gude family in 2022 right next to the Church. The Blessing Ceremony will take place at 9 am after the 8 am Mass on Sunday, November 9, 2025. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “ This day is holy to the Lord our God; do not weep, do not be sad.” (Nehemiah 8:10) November 2nd is the day of Commemoration of All Souls which is known as All Souls Day. This year it falls on Sunday, the Day of the Lord. Instead of transferring the commemoration of souls to Monday, the Church authorities have decided to observe it on Sunday. The celebration of Masses on Sunday will be in observance of All Souls Day. There will be no Gloria sung at the beginning of the Mass. The month of November is dedicated to praying for the souls in purgatory. Therefore, the Church encourages the faithful to pray for souls, offer Masses for their salvation and visit the graves of their loved ones.  We are also called to pay closer attention to the teachings of the Church on the following: HEAVEN: Those who die in God’s grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live forever with Christ. They are like God for ever, for they see Him as He is, “face to face”. ( CCC 1023-1024) PURGATORY: According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, purgatory is a state of final purification after death and before entrance into heaven for those who died in God’s friendship, but were only imperfectly purified; a final cleansing of human imperfection must be completed before one is able to enter the joy of heaven. (CCC 1030-1032) HELL: To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from Him forever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called “hell”.(CCC 1033-1037) I want to emphasize that our God is a merciful God who loves us so much that He wants us to be with Him in heaven. Finally, I want to thank all of you who came to the Ministry Fair last weekend and decided to participate in one or more ministries. Your participation not only helps others in our parish, but gives Glory to God. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. (Psalm 118:24). I want to inform you that Frank and Andrea Gude have been chosen from our Parish as the recipients of St. Jude Medal. Frank Gude, who is 95 years of age, is the oldest member of the Parish and has always been one of the Parish’s most active and dedicated members. He has been singing in our church choir for seventy years and he continues to sing in the choir at the 8 a.m. Mass every Sunday. He has served the Parish as a Lector, Eucharistic Minister, as President of the Men’s Club, and as a member of the Parish Council. He was very involved in establishing our Sacred Heart Early Childhood Center. He has always been someone we can count on to get things done. Frank and his late first wife Rosemary, who also received the same award in 2014, donated the tabernacle to the Parish. Andrea Gude also has been a long time parishioner of our Parish. She has served the Parish as a Sacristan, Lector, Eucharistic Minister, member of Women’s club, Martha’s Table, and, recently, head of the healing ministry. Andrea was instrumental in starting the Human Trafficking Ministry in our Parish by inviting an officer from Pasco Sheriff’s Office to speak on Human Trafficking last year. Frank and Andrea are an example of doing God’s work in their every activity and we are blessed to have them as members of our Parish. This weekend we are hosting our Parish Ministry Fair after all the Masses. We have a number of exciting ministries that have been established. I urge you to attend the Ministry Fair and accept God’s invitation to become involved in one or more of these ministries. By doing God’s work, through these ministries, we put our Faith into action. It takes hard work to organize a Ministry Fair and to prepare a ministry brochure. My heartfelt gratitude goes to our Ministry Organizers, Mary Andrysiak and Kelli Crabb, our staff, Iris Alicea, our Parish Administrator, Jennifer Caiazzo, our DRE, and John Bard, who is in charge of maintenance for the Parish, for their roles in organizing the Ministry Fair. I also want thank Peggy Moffett, President of Women’s Club and the members of the Club for providing refreshments during the Ministry Fair. Please join your fellow parishioners in attending the Ministry Fair, and learn all of the ways you can serve God and your Parish.  See you all at the Ministry Fair.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,  “ This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. (Psalm 118:24) This weekend we celebrate World Mission Sunday. Our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV has urged all of us to take part in World Mission Sunday. I have previously highlighted World Mission Sunday in last week’s bulletin and asked all parishioners to help our Holy Father by generously donating towards the Missions in the second collection at all Masses this weekend. Who is a Missionary? The answer: All baptized Christians are commissioned by Christ to spread the Gospel and to be His missionaries. We are all Missionaries of Hope to the people we interact with. Some of us are called to go overseas to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to people who have never heard of Him, while others remain at home where they are called to live the Gospel message of love of God and neighbor. The charge to all of us-- parents, grandparents, teachers, Catechists, Priests and elders—and yes, even children—is to be missionaries in our daily lives. Where does our “mission” begin? The answer: Right outside the Church door as we leave Mass We enter into our own “Mission land” as we walk to the parking lot to get into our cars. We enter into this “Mission land” as we go to school or work and interact with others every day. This is how we live the Gospel in our daily lives. Another way of being a “missionary” for Christ and participating in World Mission Sunday is by taking an active role in our Parish ministries. There is a ministry or committee for everyone where their interests and talents can be used to serve others. As we host our Parish Ministry Fair next weekend, please make it a point to learn about the ministries in the Parish and become involved in at least one ministry. This is the way we serve Christ as His “missionaries”, show our faith in our actions and teach our children and youth to be actively involved in the Church. Prayer for Missionaries: Lord, bless all the missionaries, those who proclaim the Gospel in homeland and those overseas taking the Word of God to people in distant lands. Amen. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,  “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. (Psalm 118:24). Please give your attention to the two upcoming events. 1 . World Mission Sunday 2025 World Mission Sunday is next Sunday, October 19, 2025. On this Sunday we especially pray for the Missions overseas in distant lands where the Gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed. Some of these countries are poor. The Church asks us to help the missionaries in those poor and forgotten areas by our monetary donations. The Good News of Jesus Christ is “preached” to the people in these areas by helping them build churches, schools, hospitals, orphanages, providing drinking water and other basic needs. Please be generous to the missions and the people they serve as we take up the second collection for the Missions. This is the Universal nature of the Church to love and care for the poor and the needy throughout the world. 2. Sacred Heart Church Ministry Fair Our Parish Ministry Fair will be held the weekend of October 25-26, 2025 after all the Masses. This is an opportunity for our parishioners to visit the tables/booths with the displays of different ministries in the Parish hall. Please consider joining a ministry which appeals to your heart. By participating in one or more of these ministries, we help not only people in our Parish, but become the “eyes and hands of Christ” to others in the community. Each ministry has a leader or coordinator who is responsible for the ministry. I have appointed two of our Parishioners: Mary Andrysiak and Kelli Crabb as co-directors of ministries in our Parish. Their immediate role is to produce ministry booklets and to plan and organize the Ministry Fair. I am confident of their dedication and hard work. I am grateful to them for saying ‘yes’ to this big responsibility. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. ( Psalm 118:24) I want to thank the members of the St. Joe Fall Festival Committee and volunteers for their hard work in organizing the festival. I am sure the parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish and the people of the area had a fun- filled time. God bless you for hosting this community building event. In the Catholic Church., the month of October is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. We are encouraged to pray the rosary daily for the dignity of human life from the moment of conception until natural death. The Church teaches us to protect, preserve and promote the gift of God-given life at all stages. The Feast of the Holy Rosary which is celebrated on October 7th commemorates the victory of Christian forces at Lepanto in 1531 thanks to the praying of the rosary. Miracles have happened throughout the world through the praying of the rosary. I highly recommend that parents take the initiative to pray the rosary with your children. We are also called to pray the rosary for peace and unity in the Church and in the world. Despite the hatred and violence present in the world, we pray with hope that people will change and that love will prevail over hatred. By praying the rosary, we entrust ourselves to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary who will present our prayers to her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. St. Francis of Assisi (1180-1220), whose feast is celebrated on October 4th, invites us to be instruments of peace, love and healing. May peace reign in our hearts, in our homes, in our country and in the world. Please keep all the priests of our Diocese in your prayers as we gather together this week, October 6-9, 2025 at the Bethany Center in Lutz, for our annual Priestly Convocation.  God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “ This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. ( Psalm 118:24 ) I am grateful to God and our Bishop Most. Rev. Gregory Parkes for installing me as Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Dade City, FL. I will serve you, the parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish, to the best of my ability. As St. Augustine said: “With you I am a Christian. For you, I am a Priest”. Together let us glorify God and bring people to the Lord as our Bishop told us during his homily. Beginning on Monday and going forward I will be offering a Holy Hour for all our parishioners every Monday. I thank all those who have worked hard to prepare for the event of the Installation: Iris Alicea, our Parish Administrator for overseeing the whole event, our DRE Jennifer Caiazzo for assisting Iris with the preparations, John Bard our maintenance person for cleaning and trimming the bushes on the grounds and painting the rectory doors, my friends and our parishioners Kelli and Roger Crabb for helping to spruce up the rectory, Sandy Holcomb, our parishioner for organizing the reception in the hall and the members of the women’s group and all who assisted her, our sacristans, lectors, ushers, eucharistic ministers and altar servers led by Hai Nguyen, Mary Jo Gude, the leader of decoration ministry for beautiful flower arrangements in the church and the hall, and finally the choir members from the three Masses who came together to lead the congregation in praise of the Lord at the 10:30 am Mass. I also want to thank all of those who worked behind the scenes to make this a special day for me and for the parish. God bless you all! I am pleased to inform you that Bill Zeranski our parishioner has graciously accepted the position of Youth Minister of our Parish. He was born here and grew up here in the parish. He has a great core team of committed parishioners who are ready to revive the youth ministry. Are you all ready for the Fall Festival? It is already here. The Festival Committee has worked hard to make this annual event special for the Parish and our community. The Fall Festival will be held on Saturday, October 4, 2025 from 9 am - 3 pm. Please invite your family, friends and neighbors and coworkers to this community building event. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it". (Psalm 118:24) Please join me in welcoming our Shepherd, the Most. Rev. Gregory L. Parkes, Bishop of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, FL, to our Parish. He is here to celebrate the Holy Eucharist at 10:30am mass, during which he will install me as the Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Dade City, FL. What is the installation of a pastor about? It is a formal liturgical ceremony where a newly appointed clergy member such as a Pastor or Bishop officially takes on the leadership of a parish or a diocese. In this case, our Bishop will officially present me to the parishioners, staff and Councils of the Parish. During the ceremony, I will lead the congregation in professing our Faith by reciting the Nicene Creed. At the end of the Profession of Faith, I will pledge an Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church, headed by Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. I will also pledge my obedience to Bishop Parkes. I am grateful to our Bishop for appointing me and installing me as your Pastor. With his blessing and guidance, I am here to serve God and you, the parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish. I pledge to do my best to celebrate the Sacraments of the Church reverently, to be with you in good times and through difficulties and to attempt, in everything I do, to faithfully shepherd our parish for the glory of God. I make it my goal to do my best to live out the Gospel and to be an instrument of the Lord to bring His understanding, consolation, presence, love and many blessings to you as we walk through our lives together. As I formally assume this role, I humbly ask for your prayers so that I will be able to faithfully fulfill my duties as God intends. I appreciate your support, patience and cooperation so that together we will happily serve the Lord and give glory to Him. I assure you of my continued prayers for all of you. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, BEHOLD THE WOOD OF THE CROSS, ON WHICH HUNG THE SALVATION OF THE WORLD: COME, LET US ADORE! From Good Friday Liturgy) This weekend we celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14th) which this year falls on Sunday, the Day of the Lord. The Crucifixion was the worst form of punishment legalized by the Roman Empire at the time of Our Lord for non-Roman citizens. Therefore, the cross was resented by the people. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the sinless one, by dying on the Cross made it holy. Today the Cross has become a symbol of Christ's victory over sin and death and our hope and salvation. The invitation of Our Lord to all of us is to Carry our daily crosses and follow Him. I would like to call your attention to the following two up-coming events: 1. The Eucharistic Encounter: On Saturday, September 20, 2025 Our Diocese will host a Eucharistic Encounter, from noon to 9pm, at Amalie Arena, Tampa. An estimated 15,000 Catholics from around our Diocese are expected to attend this uplifting Eucharistic Event. Nationally acclaimed speakers like Sr. Bethany Madonna, Fr. Mike Schmitz and musician Matt Maher will be highlighting the importance Of the Eucharist in our lives. The Encounter will conclude with Adoration and Holy Mass. I will be attending the event and encourage all those who have signed up not to miss it. 2. Our Bishop's Visit to our Parish: On Sunday, September 21, 2025, our Bishop, Most. Rev. Gregory Parkes, will be visiting our Parish to install me as the Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish during the 10:30 am Mass. As I am humbled to be given this opportunity and I pledge my obedience to our Bishop who is the Pastor of all the Parishes in the Diocese as per the Canon Law. Please join me in welcoming Bishop Parkes to our Parish. I have requested our Parish Administrator, Iris Alicea, to organize and oversee the event: the liturgical ceremony and the reception. She has graciously agreed to do so. Therefore, I ask all the liturgical ministers and other volunteers to cooperate with her so that it becomes a grace-filled event. God bless you! Fr. Bob Romaine