Father's Thursday, 6/11/2020 Message

Being able to go to school from 1st through 8th grades at St. Barnabas in Philadelphia, gives me a feeling of great joy to be able to celebrate this Memorial of St. Barnabas.  I am including a picture of the Church below.  With the unfortunate closing of many schools and parishes in Philadelphia, this school is the only one that has remained open, and is now attended by students from at least 5 neighboring parishes.  It celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters have been there since the beginning.  Many who attend were not Catholic, but, have since entered the Church.  With this happening, it seems having the Parish named St. Barnabas was very providential.  

Considered by the Church as a loyal follower of Jesus Christ, St. Barnabas, like St. Paul, was not actually one of the 12 apostles of Jesus, although both had received a special mission to evangelize and to spread the Good News.  He was a cousin of St. Mark, the author of the Gospel. As one of the earliest Christian disciples in Jerusalem, St. Barnabas was considered as the most esteemed man of the first Christian generation. Formerly known as Joseph, the apostles renamed him Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.”

Together with St. Paul, his missionary companion, they converted thousands to the faith. He was one of the first prophets and teachers of the Church in Antioch, now known as the city of Antakya in Turkey. According to stories, St. Barnabas was stoned to death for standing by his Christian faith in Salamis, Cyprus where a shrine has been built in his honor and memory. 

God bless you,
Fr. Robert