From the Desk of Fr. Kevin
Brothers and Sisters,
It’s been a busy few weeks. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, the weekend of May 8/9 I was able to say a few days with my parents in Denver. It was nice to have chance to visit with them and some of my siblings (and their myriad of children). You may or may not remember that I am one of 8 brothers and sisters. All but 2 are married and most of them live in Denver with their spouses and kids, so every time I visit Denver I have a few house calls I make. Seeing my parents age and my siblings families grow seems to put life into perspective. We are all on a pilgrimage in this world and the faith is passed from generation to generation.
Last weekend I accompanied the bishop to confirmations in Hobbs. We left Friday night and returned to Las Cruces on Sunday evening. While tiring, it was nice to see the families and faithful on the other side of the diocese. By the time you read this, we will have had the celebrations of confirmation for our parishioners. Bishop Baldacchino came on Tuesday and Thursday to  preside over the liturgies.
This weekend we celebrate the feast of Pentecost. At the time of Christ, 50 days after the feast of Passover the Jewish people celebrated the feast of Shavout (Pentecost is greek for 50). Shavout was a celebration of the revelation of the law (Torah) on Mt. Sinai. This helps us understand the new meaning given to the Apostles. The prophet Jeremiah had prophesied “I will put  my law within them and I will write it on their hearts” (Jr. 31:33). In Pentecost we celebrate the fulfillment of this promise.Christianity is the announcement of God’s desire to remake us, to give us a new heart, to remove our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh.
He to whom God grants his Holy Spirit becomes a new creation and in this creation the Spirit of God is manifested.  We often presume that since we go to Mass, all is good. But let’s be honest, how often would others describe you as full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, or as someone who is long-suffering, gentle, faithful, modest, continent and chaste. If you are like me, you will realize that there is a lot of daylight between yourself and those attitudes. Which is why Pentecost is a feast; that which we lack, God wants to give us as a gift. And so let us implore him to grant us this gift, the greatest of gifts, one that re-creates us in the image of Christ.
Happy Pentecost,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Fr. Kevin
PS. I am away once more this weekend for meetings on the East Coast. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone next weekend. In case you have forgotten, I’m the tall skinny priest with an accent.
Hermanos y hermanas,                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Han sido unas semanas muy ocupadas. Como mencioné hace unas semanas, el fin de semana del 8 y 9 de mayo pude decir unos días con mis padres en Denver. Fue agradable tener la oportunidad de visitarlos a ellos y a algunos de mis hermanos (y su gran cantidad de hijos). Puede que recuerdes o no que soy uno de los 8 hermanos y hermanas. Todos menos 2 están casados ​​y la mayoría vive en Denver con sus cónyuges e hijos, así que cada vez que visito Denver hago algunas visitas a domicilio. Ver a mis padres envejecer y a las familias de mis hermanos crecer parece poner la vida en perspectiva. Todos estamos en peregrinación en este mundo y la fe se transmite de generación en generación.
El fin de semana pasado acompañé al obispo a las confirmaciones en Hobbs. Salimos el viernes por la noche y regresamos a Las Cruces el domingo por la noche. Aunque cansado, fue agradable ver a las familias y los fieles del otro lado de la diócesis. Para cuando lea esto, habremos tenido las celebraciones de confirmación para nuestros feligreses. El obispo Baldacchino vino el martes y jueves a presidir las liturgias.
 Este fin de semana celebramos la fiesta de Pentecostés. En el tiempo de Cristo, 50 días después de la fiesta de la Pascua, el pueblo judío celebraba la fiesta de Shavout (Pentecostés en griego significa 50). Shavout fue una celebración de la revelación de la ley (Torá) en el monte. Sinaí. Esto nos ayuda a comprender el nuevo significado que se les dio a los Apóstoles. El profeta Jeremías había profetizado: “Pondré mi ley dentro de ellos y la escribiré en sus corazones” (Jr. 31:33). En Pentecostés celebramos el cumplimiento de esta promesa. El cristianismo es el anuncio del deseo de Dios de rehacernos, darnos un corazón nuevo, quitar nuestro corazón de piedra y darnos un corazón de carne.
Aquel a quien Dios concede su Espíritu Santo se convierte en una nueva creación y en esta creación se manifiesta el Espíritu de Dios. A menudo suponemos que desde que vamos a misa, todo está bien. Pero seamos honestos, con qué frecuencia los demás te describirían como lleno de amor, gozo, paz, paciencia, bondad, bondad o como alguien que es sufrido, amable, fiel, modesto, continente y casto. Si eres como yo, te darás cuenta de que hay mucha luz natural entre tú y esas actitudes. Por eso Pentecostés es una fiesta; lo que nos falta, Dios nos lo quiere dar como regalo. Por tanto, implorémosle que nos conceda este don, el mayor de los dones, que nos recrea a la imagen de Cristo.
Feliz Pentecostés,
P. Kevin
PD. Me voy una vez más este fin de semana para las reuniones en la costa este. Espero verlos a todos el próximo fin de semana. En caso de que lo hayas olvidado, soy el sacerdote alto y flaco con acento.
 

                                                                                           From the Desk of Fr. Trinidad Cuevas
 
​In one week we will be celebrating Pentecost and the end of the Easter season. But before we get to  Pentecost and the end of the Easter season there’s one solemnity that sadly often time gets overlooked or outright not given importance. I’m speaking about the Solemnity of the Ascension. Why is this Solemnity so important in our understanding of the meaning of Easter and the gift of the Holy Spirit poured upon us on Pentecost? Fundamentally the Ascension is the moment in our earthly existence when Christ joins our human nature with divinity, presenting our mortal flesh to the Father. In other words, Christ being the Son of Man by His union with us and we with our oneness with Christ, become sons and daughters of God. It is the completion of the resurrection and the moment when we become one body with Christ, as the apostle says: ‘Just as the human body, which has many members, is a unity, so it is also with Christ’. Or as St Augustin would say: “Out of compassion for us He descended from heaven, and although He Ascended alone, we also ascend, because we are in him by grace. Thus, no one but Christ descended  and no one but Christ ascended; not because there is no distinction between the head and the body, but because the body as a unity cannot be separated from the head”. This event witnessed by the apostles opens up the way for the Holy Spirit to descend upon the Church and ultimately upon every single member who invokes upon the Holy Spirit. I encourage all to take a  moment and reflect upon this great mystery as we prepare for the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

Fr. Trinidad 
Pax et bonum 
           
En una semana estaremos celebrando Pentecostés y el final de la temporada de Pascua. Pero antes de que lleguemos a Pentecostés y al final de la temporada de Pascua, hay una solemnidad que, lamentablemente, a menudo se pasa por alto el tiempo o no se le da importancia. Hablo de la Solemnidad de la Ascensión. ¿Por qué esta solemnidad es tan importante para comprender el significado de la Pascua y el don del Espíritu Santo derramado sobre nosotros en Pentecostés? Fundamentalmente la Ascensión es el momento de nuestra existencia terrena cuando Cristo une nuestra naturaleza humana con la divinidad, presentando nuestra carne mortal al Padre. En otras palabras, siendo Cristo el Hijo del Hombre por Su unión con nosotros y nosotros con nuestra unidad con Cristo, llegamos a ser hijos e hijas de Dios. Es la culminación de la resurrección y el momento en que nos convertimos en un cuerpo con Cristo, como dice el apóstol: "Así como el cuerpo humano, que tiene muchos miembros, es una unidad, así también lo es con Cristo". O como diría san Agustín: “Por compasión de nosotros descendió del cielo, y aunque ascendió solo, nosotros también ascendemos, porque estamos en él por gracia. Por lo tanto, nadie más que Cristo descendió y nadie más que Cristo ascendió; no porque no haya distinción entre la cabeza y el cuerpo, sino porque el cuerpo como unidad no puede separarse de la cabeza ”. Este evento presenciado por los apóstoles abre el camino para que el Espíritu Santo descienda sobre la Iglesia y, en última instancia, sobre cada miembro que invoca al Espíritu Santo. Animo a todos a que se tomen un momento y reflexionen sobre este gran misterio mientras nos preparamos para recibir el don del Espíritu Santo.

​P. Trinidad                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Pax et bonum

Brothers and Sisters,
We have had a few busy weeks here in the parish and we seem to be in the final stretch before summer. A week and a half ago the Campus Ministry had the “Full Moon Mass” at White Sands. It was Fr. Trinidad and my first trip into the park and we were impressed with the beauty. The students brought sleds, a football, and some strange game involving a net on the ground. We had a good time and finished the evening with the celebration of Mass on the sand dunes. I want to thank Shay, our Campus Ministry Intern, for doing a great job of organizing events for the students this semester.
Speaking of Campus Ministry, I have an update in that area as well. St. Albert the Great Newman Parish began years ago as a Newman Center. Newman Centers are named after Saint John Henry Newman (so our parish is really named after two saints) and was inspired by his writings. Their mission is to help Catholic students at secular universities live out their faith. The university experience of today is incomparable with that from 50, 40, and even 30 years ago. Our society is growing increasingly secular and what were once bedrock virtues recognized by society at large, now are often ridiculed and scorned. It seems increasingly common that universities become the petri-dish of ideologies and viewpoints antithetical to the message of Christ. Our Catholic brothers and sisters can find themselves immersed in this reality, quite foreign to their upbringing, and faced with a ‘sink or swim’ situation. Newman Centers are meant to provide a place for their faith to be nurtured and supported, a place where they can grow in faith and receive the graces, they need to resist the pull of the temptations they encounter.
In order to better carry out this mission, in order to truly support and accompany the students of NMSU and DACC, St. Albert the Great Newman Parish is looking for a full time Campus Minister. The Campus Minister will work with Fr. Trinidad and I in our outreach efforts, in planning events, and ultimately in connecting more students to Christ. I ask you to please spread the word and if you, or anyone you know is interested, please have them contact Isabel Gallegos for the job description.
 While I am speaking of jobs, there is another area that needs mention. Our Youth Minister, Dean Gontis, will be starting grad school and moving on. I’m grateful to Dean for his help in familiarizing me with a bit of the history of the campus ministry (which he has helped out with) and for his work with the parish youth ministry. It has been a challenging year for obvious reasons and we are looking forward to resuming in-person CCD classes in the fall. With Dean stepping away, we are looking for someone to take on the responsibilities of the Religious Education of grades 6-HS and to organize activities for the youth ministry. The position is part-time and once again, if you are interested, please contact Isabel Gallegos in the parish office.
One final note. I will be away for a few weekends. As you are aware, I still have some responsibilities at the Pastoral Center, one of which is assisting the bishop in some travels. As you read this, I will be in Denver visiting my parents and family for a few days, then I’ll be back during the week, but for the two weekends after that I will be away helping the bishop with confirmations and visits.
And one final, final note. We will continue the 6:30PM Sunday night ‘Student Mass’ through the end of May. We will discontinue that Mass for June-August before starting up again in September.
In Christ,
Fr. Kevin