| Memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus |
| The Little Flower: Happy Memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church, also known as the Little Flower or the Saint of the Little Way. Pope Pius XII said of this French saint: “She rediscovered the Gospel itself, the very heart of the Gospel.” She lived her life by doing ordinary things with great love. She died at the age of 24 years. St. Thérèse famously stated shortly before her passing, “I am not dying; I am entering into life!” Eldest Daughter: Speaking of France, I hope you enjoyed watching Pope Leo XIV’s visit to what historians call the “eldest daughter of the Church.” It appears many people are entering the Church in France. One recent convert to Catholicism said that France is transitioning from a Christianity that was once ‘inherited’ to a Christianity that is ‘chosen.’ People are searching for the meaning of life. Then they realize that God is searching for them. Blessed Fulton: The Church in the United States is incredibly blessed to have one of our own, Fulton Sheen, beautified. Archbishop Coakley wrote a great article in which he emphasized Sheen’s encouragement for people to spend time in Eucharistic Adoration. Anxiety: In our second reading for this Sunday, St. Paul tells us to “have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests to God.” I think all of us can become anxious now and then. Here is a summary of what St. Paul is suggesting: it’s called the ARRR method. First, acknowledge the feelings in our hearts (such as anxiety). Then relate those feelings in our hearts to God. Be honest. Then take time to listen and receive what God might be speaking to us. And finally, respond to what God might speak to our hearts. Assisi: This Sunday’s Mass takes precedence over the Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi, perhaps one of the most favorite saints in the world. The Church is celebrating the 800th anniversary of his death this year, from January 10, 2026 – January 10, 2027. St. Francis totally surrendered his will to God. Anniversary Masses: Our Anniversary Masses are two of my favorite Masses each year. It is wonderful to see couples who have shared so many years of marriage, hear how they met, and pray with them in thanksgiving for the gift of their marriage. This year’s Masses will be October 11 at 2 pm at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Salina and October 25 at 2 pm at St. Nicholas of Myra in Hays. If you are celebrating your 1st anniversary or an anniversary ending in 5 or 0, we would love to have you join us. Click HERE to register. High School Adoration: Please continue to pray for all our young people and parishes participating in our High School Adoration Campaign. My hope is that our young people will develop a deeper relationship with Jesus and encounter His love for them. Holy Fire: I am excited that we will once again welcome middle school students from across the diocese to Holy Fire on November 7 in Hays. Last year was the first year of ‘Holy Fire’ for our middle school students and I was quite impressed with the turnout and the speakers. Please pray that our young people have a wonderful encounter with Jesus! CYO Convention: Our annual CYO Convention will be November 14–15 in Hays. It’s great seeing so many of our high school students from across the diocese come together for the weekend. This year we are excited to welcome Joe Melendrez as our speaker. I hope every parish will encourage their young people to attend! Matea: I want to thank Matea (Gregg) Fredenberg for all she has done for our diocese over the past seven years in our Communications Department. She has been such a blessing to us and has helped us share the good things happening throughout our diocese in so many ways. Matea is beginning a new chapter as she focuses more on her photography business. Thankfully, we will still see her around from time to time! Rosary: October 7 is the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. Our diocese is celebrating the Rosary again this year by hosting a Eucharistic Rosary Congress for Life beginning October 4 and ending October 10. Click the link above to find a host parish near you. Respect: Juniors and seniors from our Catholic Schools will gather in Salina for the annual Respect Life Retreat on Wednesday, October 14. This day provides students an opportunity to step away from their regular school schedules for prayer, fellowship, and reflection on the dignity of every human life. Please keep our students and retreat leaders in your prayers as they spend the day growing in their understanding of our call to recognize Christ in every person. Kolbe: I am looking forward to participating in the next Kolbe Retreat on October 22 for our brothers at the Correctional Facility in Norton. This retreat has an incredible impact on those who have been incarcerated. To learn more, check out Kolbe Prison Ministries of the Diocese of Salina. Mission: World Mission Sunday is the weekend of October 17 – 18. A friend of mine, Fr. Augustine Dada, will be celebrating Masses at the Cathedral that weekend promoting our Church’s World Missions. Thank you for supporting our brothers and sisters throughout the world. Stalin: I was talking with Bishop Anthony Corcoran, the new bishop of the country of Kyrgyzstan, as part of my work with the Church in Central and Eastern Europe. Bishop Corcoran actually came to Hays to celebrate the Volga German celebrations many, many years ago. In his country, when Stalin came into office, he deported many Volga Germans and Polish people to Kyrgyzstan. Bishop Corcoran joked that Stalin was the ‘great evangelizer’ because the Volga Germans brought the Catholic faith to the country, much like the Volga Germans did when entering Ellis County. With my love and prayers,Bishop Vincke |
| Some quotes worth reading from Saint Thérèse of Lisieux: “Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.” “Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing.” “I know now that true charity consists in bearing all our neighbors’ defects–not being surprised at their weakness, but edified at their smallest virtues.” “Holiness consists simply in doing God’s will, and being just what God wants us to be.” “It’s true, I suffer a great deal–but do I suffer well? That is the question.” “Do you realize that Jesus is there in the tabernacle expressly for you-for you alone? He burns with the desire to come into your heart… don’t listen to the demon, laugh at him, and go without fear to receive the Jesus of peace and love…” “It is better to leave each one in his own opinion than to enter into arguments.” “And it is the Lord, it is Jesus, Who is my judge. Therefore I will try always to think leniently of others, that He may judge me leniently, or rather not at all, since He says: “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged.” |
Bishop Vincke’s E-News to the Faithful | October 1, 2026
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