From the Pastor's Desk - August 31, 2025

Dear St. Martin’s Parishioners,

School is in session! What ever happened to the good ol’ days when school began after Labor Day? With our young ones heading off to their first day of kindergarten, middle or high school, or confidently strutting onto a college campus, it’s a good reminder for us adults that we, too, need to be growing in our faith. Here are some suggestions for our back-toschool course load:

1.Hallow App: I’ve heard from a few people recently how much this app has helped them to grow in their faith. It’s chock-full of handy tools that can aid your prayer life, knowledge of the faith, and even help you sleep at night!

2.Encounter School of Ministry: This two year program held at Mother of God community in Montgomery Village will equip you to be the committed and confident Catholic that can share the faith with family and friends. Inscription and the first month are free, and classes begin on September 9.

3.Bible in a Year/Catechism in a Year: Fr. Mike Schmitz released these podcasts a couple of years ago, and they have proved to be incredibly popular and useful for tackling the texts at the heart of our faith.

4.Fr. Joe’s Bible Study: Join Fr. Joe every Saturday morning at 7:00am to in the white house on Summit Ave. to discuss the readings for the upcoming Sunday. For those Catholics who want to “get more out of Mass,” this is an excellent way of going about it. The coffee’s free, too.

In Christ,

Fr. Dave