June 21, 2026 • Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Parish Family,

Happy Father’s Day! Today we honor all our fathers – those living and those deceased, those fathers who have lost a child, our spiritual fathers, and all who fill a fatherly role. Pope Saint John XXIII said this: “It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father.”  So what is a real father? 

A father is someone who wants to catch you before you fall but instead picks you up, brushes you off, and lets you try again. A father is someone who wants to keep you from making mistakes but instead sometimes lets you find your own way, even though his heart breaks in silence when you get hurt. A father is someone who holds you when you cry, corrects you when you break the rules, shines with pride when you succeed, and has faith in you even when you fail. And even when a father dies, the bond of father and child does not end. That connection of love cannot be destroyed. He watches over you and prays for you to our Heavenly Father, our Almighty God!

Saint Joseph is the Patron Saint of Fathers.  He was entrusted with Mary and Jesus and cared for the Holy Family.  We ask his intercession for all fathers today and everyday.

Here is a special prayer for Father’s Day. 

Heavenly Father,
we give You thanks today for all fathers and father figures
who reflect Your love, guidance, and care.
Bless them with wisdom, strength, patience, and joy
as they fulfill their vocation to lead, protect,
and nurture their families.

We remember with gratitude those fathers
who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith.
Grant them eternal rest in Your heavenly kingdom
and comfort those who miss them today.

Bless fathers who are struggling,
those who carry heavy burdens,
and those who long to be closer to their children.
Renew them with Your grace
and fill their hearts with hope.

May Saint Joseph,
faithful husband and loving foster father of Jesus,
be their model and intercessor.
Through his example, may all fathers grow
in faith, selfless love, and devotion to their families.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Grace and peace!
Father Neil Sullivan