St. John Vianney Catholic Church | Father Troy’s Weekly Letter

We are believers of the Good News!

Jun 25, 2020 In Father Troy's Weekly Letter

Dear friends in Christ: One of my favorite scripture passages is Philippians 4:8. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. I will be the first to admit that I do not always live up to this beautiful advice from St. Paul, but I try to do so. Not just because these words of St. Paul are divinely inspired as is all of Sacred Scripture, but because of the effect this Word of God...

A “Catch All” Letter

Jun 23, 2020 In Father Troy's Weekly Letter

Dear Friends in Christ, This is one of those “catch all” letters. First and foremost, please know that you and your loved ones are in my prayers. I pray for your safety and well-being, your health and most especially that you may remain close to Our Lord who loves you so very much. It has been a true burden that we have been unable to open up the church and have everyone come to Mass. It saddens my heart to know that many have been deprived of the sacraments for many weeks now. I would like to invite you again to...

Today’s Test

Jun 10, 2020 In Father Troy's Weekly Letter

Dear Friends in Christ, Lately, as we continue to deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 and the recent social unrest, I have been telling people that this has been a test. In my mind, this is becoming clearer and clearer. How we have been dealing with all of this and the subsequent challenges is revealing who we are and what we really believe. As we remember from our school days, tests reveal how much we have absorbed and understood and how well we can effectively communicate what we have learned about a given subject. Tests reveal our...

Pray, and Pray some more!

Jun 5, 2020 In Father Troy's Weekly Letter

Dear Friends in Christ, If you have tried to e-mail me lately, you will have received an automated response informing you that my inbox is full and overflowing. Many of our parishioners have been very generous in sharing their concerns, opinions and advice with me. I am thankful that so many wish to communicate with me, however for every person who advocates one thing, there is another person advocating the exact opposite. Back in March when activities and liturgies were suspended, there were a lot of e-mails, letters and such and then it decreased a little, but it never stopped. In...

Open your Hearts Today

May 29, 2020 In Father Troy's Weekly Letter

Dear Friends in Christ, What an absolute joy it was to once again have the church officially open for Masses last weekend. The crowds were small and we were well within the 50% capacity of our big church, but it was wonderful nonetheless. People were very respectful of social distancing and there did not appear to be any difficulties. Thank you to all of our wonderful parishioners who came to Mass. We will continue the practice of social distancing with non-household members maintaining a social distance of six feet (two empty seats). Every other pew will continue to be roped off....

The Great Commission

May 21, 2020 In Father Troy's Weekly Letter

This weekend we observe the Solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord into heaven. In our Gospel reading at Mass, we hear the Great Commission that Jesus gives to his disciples. “All power in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always until the end of the age.” (Mt. 28.20). These words are always relevant but even more...

The Prayers of the Mass

May 15, 2020 In Father Troy's Weekly Letter

How have you been using this time of the Stay at Home order? While all of us just want things to get back to normal, this can be a time for us to use wisely or we can use it poorly. Probably for most of us, it has been a little bit of both. No doubt there has been some stress, maybe some anxiety and some challenges to our coping well with things. Maybe the first few weeks, we were able to be attentive to things but as time passes, it may be getting more difficult. That is certainly understandable....

Sixth Sunday of Easter

May 13, 2020 In Father Troy's Weekly Letter

Dear friends in Christ: It now seems like so long ago but it is still Easter. This Sunday is the 6th Sunday of Easter! May we never cease to rejoice in our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Still, even in the midst of Easter joy there is no escaping the reality of this tragic coronavirus saga. Hopefully, we are at or near the backside of this pandemic and will soon be able to approach, once again, our daily activities without fear or worry. In our area of west Houston we have been extremely fortunate and blessed in that there have been very...

Be Not Afraid

May 8, 2020 In Father Troy's Weekly Letter

Dear Friends in Christ, First and foremost, Happy Mothers’ Day to all of our moms! While this is a most peculiar year and time to celebrate, we cannot fail to remember and thank God for the gift of our mothers. My dearest sisters, please know of our deep appreciation for you, not just for all of the many ways in which you care for us and show us your love, but for you as you! May God in His love continue to bless you and may you always know of the intercession of Mary, our Blessed Mother and follow her example...

Keep the Lord’s Day Holy

May 2, 2020 In Coronavirus Updates, Father Troy's Weekly Letter, SJV News

Dear Friends in Christ, While we still cannot meet for Sunday Mass, please remember to keep the Lord’s Day holy by praying the Liturgy of the Word together as a family tomorrow at your regular Mass time. We will resume weekday Masses on Monday, May 4. Masses will be at 9:00 am, 12:10 noon and 7:00 pm in the church. Confessions will be heard 20 minutes before each Mass in the cry rooms. Until we can all meet on Sunday, please consider coming to one of the 15 daily weekday Masses. When coming to church, please remember to observe the health protocols. For more information, please...

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