August 23 & 30, 2026 Bulletin

Dear Parishioners,

    I’m sorry that I have not been able to celebrate Mass these past few days. I have had a bad summer cold hit me this past week. I think we all know how bad those can be. They sneak up on you, but you know they’re coming. Monday night I had a little tickle in the back of my throat. Tuesday my voice started to grow hoarse. Wednesday the runny nose came on and then it just hit me like a ton of bricks. It seems so ironic and unjust to get a cold in the summer.

    As I’ve been speaking about some of the items that are used for the celebration of Holy Mass, I forgot to mention the pall. Pall in general just refers to a covering. At funerals, the pall covers the casket. In English when we refer to a bad feeling coming over a situation we speak of a pall coming over us. In the context of Mass, it is the flat linen covered square of cardboard or plastic that covers the chalice(s) during Mass. While it is part of the ritual of Mass, that’s a whole other conversation, it also serves a very practical purpose. It protects the Blood from profanation, such as an insect or dust getting into the chalice. While it’s not always used it is supposed to be. Again, that is because since we believe that the bread and wine truly becomes the body and blood of Christ, we should do all we can to protect it.

    While the pall does protect the Precious Blood from profanation it also helps cultivate our devotion. The act of using it demonstrates respect for the Sacred Species and by our knowledge of this that enriches our belief. Likewise, I have started using a chalice veil over the ciborium that holds the Consecrated Hosts that are reserved in the tabernacle. This has its origins from the veil in the Jerusalem Temple for the Holy of Holies. Indeed, Fr. Parker’s moving of the tabernacle to the center of the church helps to demonstrate that it is the fundamental event that happens at Mass which highlights respect for the Sacred Species and cultivates our devotion as well.

    On Saturday August 22nd we celebrate the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It falls fittingly on the Octave (eighth day) of the Assumption. We have so many wonderful Marian feasts that begs the question, is St. Mary’s connected to any particular feast of our Blessed Mother?

Sunday August 23rd is the feast of St. Rose of Lima (d. 1617). She is the first canonized saint of the new world. Born of Spanish parents she was baptized as Isabel Flores y de Olivia but because of her radiant beauty was given the name of Rose. She was confirmed by St. Turibius and lived along three other saints: St. Martin de Porres, St. John Macias and St. Francis Solano. She refused to marry and became a Dominical Tertiary (third order), a lay order. She helped to found the first monastery of cloistered nuns in Lima. She was known for her life of prayer, austere penances, mystical experiences and charismatic gifts.

    Monday August 24 is the feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostles. He was also known as Nathaniel. Along with St. Thomas is said to have preached the Gospel in India, where from the earliest days they were knowns as the Christians of St. Thomas. He also preached the Gospel in Armenia, which would become the first Christian nation, where tradition says that he was flayed alive.

Tuesday, we celebrate two saints. King St. Louis of France (d. 1270) was a model ruler and father of eleven children. He was a Franciscan Tertiary who cared for lepers. He built St. Chapelle in Paris as a reliquary for the crown of thorns. He died of plague in Tunisia during the Second Crusade. He is the patron of masons and sculptors.

    Also, on Tuesday we celebrate the feast of St. Joseph Calasanz (d. 1648). Born in Aragon he founded the Clerics Regular of Religious Schools, also known as the Piarists. He was dedicated to helping poor children and faced many trials and calumnies for his work. He is patron of all Christian schools dedicated to the poor.

    Lastly, Thursday August 27 is the feast of St. Monica (d. 387). She was born in Tagaste in Northern Africa, which was then part of the Roman Empire. After Thirty years of prayer, she obtained the conversion of her dissolute pagan husband and her famous son, St. Augustin. She is patroness of mothers. My only mother, inspired by her example, prayed for me to return to the Faith, not knowing that my birthday is the feast of St. Augustin. More on that next week.

Fr. Pisut

 

August 9 & 16, 2026 Bulletin

Dear Parishioner’s,

   It has been just about a month since I’ve been here and I’m really starting to feel at home. That being said it, was only last week that I was able to start settling into the rectory since it was being cleaned and painted. I appreciate that the parish was willing to do those things to help me feel at home. Thank you for your generosity and hospitality.

   Ever since I first came here, I’ve been touched how everyone kneels after Mass and prays for the next person who will pass away. It is a lovely tradition. Kneeling is an important part of our Catholic prayer life, both in the liturgy and personally.  It has always been a part of our worship. It is mentioned in both the Old and the New Testament, fifty-nine times in the New Testament in fact. Some people have even returned to the long-standing custom of kneeling to receive Holy Communion.

   Recently, I moved the kneelers that were in the vestibule and placed them in front of the statues of Jesus and Mary. I invite parishioners to take the opportunity to kneel in prayer before these two great saints that God choose to be instrumental in his plan of salvation. Perhaps, you may have noticed that the altar has been moved back slightly. That was to allow space for people to comfortably kneel during the wedding ceremony as well, another long-standing Catholic tradition that is becoming popular again. Whether it’s in Mass, to receive Holy Communion, in front of a statue of our favorite saint or just by our bed at night kneeling is an essential aspect of our faith. As Benedict XVI stated, “The man who learns to believe learns also to kneel, and a faith or a liturgy no longer familiar with kneeling would be sick at the core. Where it has been lost, kneeling must be rediscovered, so that in our prayer, we remain in fellowship with the apostles and martyrs, in fellowship with the whole cosmos, indeed in union with Jesus Christ Himself.”

   As we transition from July to August it is good to remind ourselves that since the 16th century the Church has assigned special devotions to each month to help us grow closer to God, His Son and His Saints. July is dedicated to the Precious Blood. August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Wearing the Miraculous Medal, which has an image of Our Lady’s Heart on it, is a good way to celebrate this month.

   As I reflect on  Lady’s Immaculate Heart, I realize that this is the first time I’ve been at a Church named after Mary or the Holy Cross, which by the way is the devotion for September. As a seminarian I was at St. Theresa’s in Des Moines, as a deacon I was at St. Joan of Arc and St. Athanasius in Evanston, IL. My first assignment I was at St. Francis in West Des Moines, the largest parish in the diocese. While I studied Canon Law, I was at St. Joseph in Beltsville, MD. I was pastor for the first time at Sacred Heart, Chariton; St. Brendan Leon and St. Francis Corydon, the smallest parish in the diocese. They didn’t even have a church; they used a Methodist church on Saturday nights. Lastly, I was at St. Augustin. I’m proud to now have the beautiful arrows of St. Mary and Holy Cross in my quiver of church names.

     Fr. Pisut

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July  26 & August 2, 2026 Bulletin

Dear Parishioner's,

    I have been pastor of St. Mary/Holy Cross for a couple of weeks. I thank all of you for the kindness, generosity and welcoming you have shown me. It is always a big change for a parish when pastors move. Both the pastor and parishioners leave behind treasured relationships and have to invest in building new ones again. Please keep introducing yourself and forgive me if it takes a while for your names to sink in. I thank you for your patience and understanding as you get to know me and I get to know you.

    Of course, when of the most noticeable changes is the way a priest celebrates Mass. On the one hand all priests celebrate the Mass the same way since there are specific rubrics we are required to follow. Nevertheless, we know that priest’s personality shine through. To that end some people have already asked me a few questions so I thought I would share those here. First, people ask me about my hat I wear at Mass. It is called a biretta. Any priest can wear one. It is a symbol of the priestly office. A priest can wear it just as daily wear but in the context of Mass it is worn processing in, processing out and any time the priest is seated. When a priest is functioning in Mass, he does not wear it. You have actually seen it before, usually worn by bishops and cardinals, though it is a different color depending on one’s rank in the Church. For regular old priests like me it is merely black.

    Another practice someone noticed was how I keep my thumb and index finger together. This is done after the consecration until the purification of the sacred vessels at the end of Mass. This is done to safeguard any particles of the host that may have adhered to the priest’s fingers. Until recently it used to be required but is now optional. However, since we really believe Christ to be truly present in the Eucharist it is prudent to protect against the profanation of the Sacred Species.

    In addition, for most of the Mass I am not looking directly at the congregation. This reflects the nature of the Mass as a prayer directed towards God. If you listen to the dialogue at Mass, you’ll notice that most of it is the priest speaking to God and not the congregation. As such his gaze is directed towards God. When the priest does engage directly with the congregation, such as in the homily, then his gaze is directed toward them.

    Lastly, we are in the middle of summer and people are traveling and enjoying their summertime activities. I hope your summer is all you wish it to be. We know it goes by so fast. Still, it’s also important to make time for Sunday Mass and our daily prayers. After all, we wouldn’t have our lives to enjoy the beautiful summer if it wasn’t for God. Let’s show him our gratitude!     - Fr. Pisut

 

July  12 & 19, 2026 Bulletin

Dear New Parishioner's,

I’m so glad to be your new pastor. However, I’ll be staying with my younger sister for a few weeks while the rectory is being put in order. I also have an older brother. Don’t be surprised that you might see them at church from time to time. This is my fourth assignment in my 23 years as a priest. I was an associate pastor at St. Francis of Assisi in West Des Moines from 2003-2006. Next, I studied Canon Law at the Catholic University of America in Washingtom D.C. from 2006-2008. Following that I was pastor of Sacred Heart in Chariton, St. Francis in Corydon and St. Brendan in Leon from 2008-

2015. Lastly, of course I was pastor of St. Augustin from 2015 until just this past week. I have also been the Judicial Vicar for the Diocese of Des Moines since 2009 and I will continue to have care for the Latin Mass Community at St. Augustin. I look forward to getting to know you. It will take me some time to learn names and faces so please be patient with me. The best thing you can do is just say your name every time you see me and hopefully that will help it sink in. For those of you who are not sure how to pronounce my name it’s pronounced pea-shoot, like a peashooter. However, don’t be afraid if you mispronounce it, it wouldn’t be the first time. While I understand you are sad to lose Fr. Parker I am happy that he is the new pastor at St. Augustin. He is a good man and they will no doubt do well by him. I look forward to serving the people of St. Mary/Holy Cross and thank you for so warmly welcoming me as your new pastor.    ~ Fr. Pisut