My dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

I've always found it odd that we celebrate Labor Day by taking the day off from work; it would seem to me that we should call it "No Labor" Day. Regardless of what we call it, this weekend is typically considered the last weekend of summer. Students are back to school. Summer camps are ending. Daylight is decreasing by the day.  The weather starts to turn cooler and our Fall wadrobes begin to appear. All-in-all, our summer mentality and mindset is replaced by a new way of thinking.

Here at The Catholic Center we transition from the quiet, almost too quiet, days of summer when our students are away, to the hustle and bustle of university life. Students are stopping by to pray, study, snack or just hang out. The silence of the summer months is now filled with the voices of students passing by outside the Center as they walk to classes. All of our usual activities are ramping up.  Bible studies, dinners, retreat options, etc., it is a very exciting time. Our true labor is just beginning.

With this in mind, I am asking that everyone who attends The Catholic Center, student or non-student, and all those who are attached to the Center because they are alums, parents or just friends, to join me daiy in prayer, asking God to bless the work that we do here. Our challenge is to helpour students and others to encounter Christ and to grow in their relationship with Him.  Everything we do here, from social activities to service projects, is meant to be an opportunity to grow in faith.  In a world which has so many competing voices vying for our students' attention and hearts, it is essential that we pray that the voice of Christ is hear above all others. This is only going ot happen if we remain commited to prayer as individuals and as a community of faith.

So I am asking that all of us offer some prayers each day for the ministries of The Catholic Center at UVM. Offer a rosary or just a decade. Attend a daily Mass here or wherever you are able to attend. Ask your favorite saint to intercede for us here. In other words, please pray for us because our students need a place where Christ can be heard, seen and loved.

Wherever you may be spending you "No Labor" Day this year, know that we will be praying for you, please pray for us because there is no greater work that can be done than this.

In Christ our Hope,

Msgr. John J. McDermott, VG