St. Boniface Catholic
by Sue Beams

The Fourth Sunday of Easter has been designated as "Good Shepherd" Sunday. Members of St. Boniface welcomed Fr. Paul Key as the celebrant of today's Masses. Fr. Key is a former Presbyterian minister who has waited 14 long years to be ordained as a Catholic Priest. In his studies he has learned many things about our Catholic faith and he shared a few of those with us that we may not know.

In his homily, Fr. Paul likened the values and qualities of a shepherd to practices of the Catholic faith. A shepherd takes care of, protects, provides for and knows each of his sheep. He is often sleepless, farsighted, vigilant, and self sacrificing, just as Jesus Christ is! In today's readings we are told that we cannot enter God's house except through Jesus. Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, is man's means of salvation. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. Sheep know the voice of their shepherd ... and we should know the voice of our Savior and have a personal relationship with Him.

Fr. Paul also spoke of the need for Vocations, especially for Priests and Sisters. The word vocation means `to be called.' God has a plan for each of our lives. We need to be `on fire!" for the Lord and his plan for us! How beautiful to follow Jesus! Fr. Paul encouraged each of us to contemplate just what we are willing to sacrifice to help those who are heeding the Shepherd's call to the Priesthood or Sisterhood.

Members enjoyed refreshments following the Mass and had a chance to exchange a few words with Fr. Paul. Copies of Fr. Key's books were made available to anyone interested in purchasing them. Several `free' handouts were also available.

The Youth of St. Boniface did an outstanding job of helping a parish family with the spring clean-up of their yard. The services of the Youth were greatly appreciated and we should be proud of the young people of St. Boniface for their efforts! The Youth will meet on Saturday, April 26 from 4-6 to design a tshirt and make plans for future activities.

Congratulations to Josef Camacho, son of Terry and Carolyn Gray who recently received acceptance to Subiaco Academy Preparatory High School in Arkansas. His tuition is covered for this year; however, deposit money is still needed. If anyone is interested in contributing to this worthwhile cause, please see Fr. Jesse or Mrs. Gray. Congratulations, Josef and our prayers are with you!

Congratulations and best wishes to all who are celebrating birthdays and anniversaries.