This weekend, we continue to welcome our new arrivals at Fort Leavenworth, including the families associated with the Command and General Staff College! Know that you are most welcome to join us at Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph for the time that you are here!

This coming week, we will be celebrating the beautiful feast of the Assumption, a holy day of obligation here in the United States. We will have four holy day Masses in the parish: A 7:00p.m. Vigil Mass on Thursday evening, August 14, at Immaculate Conception Church; and on Friday, August 15, 6:30a.m. at St. Joseph; 8:30a.m. at Immaculate Conception, and finally, 12:00noon at St. Joseph.

Every Assumption Day at Immaculate Conception, we celebrate the founding of the Old Cathedral Parish by Bishop John Baptist Miege, S.J., on August 15, 1855. This year, we will be marking the 148th Birthday of the Parish with a special celebration at the 7:00p.m. Vigil Mass on August 14. As usual, we will decorate the church with blue and white balloons to commemorate each year of the parish's existence. Also, the Altar Society will host an ice cream social in Meige Hall after Mass. We will also be awarding the 2003 Bishop Miege Award that evening. Past recipients include: The late Frankie McEvoy (2000); John Biringer Miller, Jr., and Robert Martin (2001); and Robert Atkins (2002). Come join us for this very special parish celebration!

Also, be aware that the time is drawing near for us to begin plans for the 150th Anniversary of Immaculate Conception Parish. We will begin that 150th year, just 365 days from this August 15th! You will be hearing more about our plans for that event in the weeks ahead.

In this weekend's liturgies, we continue our focus on the gift of the Eucharist, as we contemplate the third in a series of four Gospels by St. John on the Bread of Life. Having reviewed the importance of the Introductory Rites of the Mass and the Liturgy of the Word, we focus this Sunday on the Liturgy of the Eucharist. I will also be reviewing a number of changes brought into effect by the General Instruction of the Roman Missal.

Several months ago, I spoke to you regarding the Archdiocesan Guidelines for Eucharistic Ministers and the reception of the Eucharist by the faithful. The Church asks us to make a uniform sign of reverence before receiving the Eucharist - a bow (not a genuflection) - while processing forward to receive both the Body of Christ and the Blood of Christ. The faithful may receive either on the hand or on the tongue. We have been asked not to give special blessings to infants, children, and those adults unable to receive Holy Communion during the Communion Rite, but to bless them at the time of the Final Blessing. I will try to review a number of these changes during this week's homily!

God bless you always!