Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 16th August 2026
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today is a day of celebration! And I think we should allow that joy to be seen on our faces, heard in our voices and, above all, felt in our hearts. Today we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our heavenly Mother and Patroness, and we also celebrate the Feast Day of our church and our parish community.
And on such a beautiful day, perhaps the first words in our hearts should simply be: “Thank you, Lord.”
Today’s Gospel gives us a beautiful image. Mary has just received the news that will change her life. She is carrying Jesus within her, and immediately she sets out to visit Elizabeth. And something wonderful happens: where Mary arrives, joy arrives with her. The child leaps in Elizabeth’s womb, Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit, and Mary begins her beautiful song:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.” What a beautiful image for our parish on its Feast Day!
I would love the same thing to be said about this church: people come through these doors and find joy. Not because we have no problems. We do. Not because our lives are perfect. They are not. But because, through everything, God has remained with us.
And today we have so much for which to thank Him: for this church, for our children and families, for those who come faithfully Sunday after Sunday, for those who serve quietly, for every helping hand, every prayer, every act of generosity, and for everything that, with God’s help, we have been able to accomplish together.
Not everything during this past year has been easy. But today we can look back and say: “Lord, You have brought us this far. Thank You.”
And we believe that Our Blessed Mother has watched over us too. Perhaps there have been dangers from which we were protected without ever knowing it. Perhaps God has been working for us in ways we have never seen. Because a mother does not protect her child only when the child can see her. A mother also watches while her child sleeps.
And I like to think that Our Lady has done the same for our parish: quietly spreading her mantle over us and always leading us towards her Son.