A Word from the Pastor

April 4, 2024

Since the year 2000, the Church has referred to the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday. Pope St. John Paul II made that designation when he canonized St. Mary Faustina Kowalska, a religious woman who lived in the first half of the 20th century. She is said to have had revelations from Jesus who sent her as a messenger “reminding the world of the truth of our faith revealed in the Holy Scripture about the merciful love of God toward every human being.”

The main point of this revelation is that our God is a God of love and compassion, not of punishment or retribution. God desires that we return the love we have received by loving God and our neighbor. God desires that we accept his invitation to taste of his mercy by turning away from our sins and accepting his forgiveness.

Long before this 20th century revelation, God had revealed to St. John Eudes that God desires to embrace sinners and extend his mercy to all who suffer, physically or spiritually. He believed that he and his confreres were “Missionaries of Mercy.” Back in the 17th century, he wrote to his brothers: “We are missionaries of mercy, sent by the Father of Mercies to dispense his treasures of mercy to those in need.” The mercy of God was the principal theme in the more than 120 parish missions he preached in his lifetime. As he formed young men to be priests, he stressed this fundamental message: “you are missionaries of mercy.”

Many people know that St. John Eudes was “the father, apostle and doctor of liturgical devotion to the Holy Heart of Jesus and Mary.” (Pope St. Pius X in 1909). For St. John Eudes, that Heart of Jesus and Mary is a rich symbol that encapsulates the love and mercy of God. He referred to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as “a Furnace Burning with Love for us.” He always preached that the mercy of God is easily accessible to all people.

The Eudist Fathers want to share some of the richness of the spirituality of our Founder. That is why we will be offering St. John Eudes in the Easter Season. Join us for 5 Thursday Nights or 5 Friday Mornings and experience the spirituality of this great missionary of mercy. The series will begin on Thursday, April 11, at 7:00pm and be repeated on Friday, April 12, at 10:00am. The first presentation will give an overview of the life and mission of St. John Eudes. I will share the other topics next week.



Please plan to join us. We believe our founder has a lot to offer. We’d like to share it with you.

In one Heart,

Fr. Ron 

 rmbagley@yahoo.com



Many Thanks!

After a wonderful Lent and Sacred Triduum, it’s important to thank so many people who helped us grow in faith through our programs and liturgical celebrations:

• Our music ministry (a splendid combination of all our choirs), the lectors, Eucharistic ministers, altar servers, ministers of hospitality and sacristans who all contributed their gifts and talents to our liturgies.
• To our parish staff who put in many extra hours to make sure that the set-up and décor for all the liturgies was in place and well-prepared.
• To all those who prepared and led our Bible Studies, Lenten Mission and other adult faith formation programs.
• To our various service ministries who reach out in our name to those who lack food and shelter.
• To our priests and deacons who led us in vibrant and deeply spiritual celebrations.
• To our wonderful parishioners who filled our church over and over again for the liturgies and spiritual programs of Lent, Holy Week and Easter.

May God continue to bless the St. Patrick Catholic Community with a lively faith, a desire to share that faith, and a commitment to serve those in need.

The Gospel of John



Fr. Azam Mansha will offer a six week course through the Diocesan Institute on the Gospel of John and Letters. It will be held at St. Patrick’s beginning on Monday, April 15. See the attached flyer for details..

Divine Mercy Sunday



For those who are interested, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy will be prayed in our church on Sunday, April 7, at 4:30 pm (prior to the 5:00 pm Mass). 



For more information about Divine Mercy Sunday, use the link below:

Children of Abraham

Judaism, Christianity and Islam are called the Abrahamic faiths, because each tradition sees Abraham as a pivotal figure in its history. This year we have a rare coincidence of Passover (April 22-30), Easter season (March 31- May 18) and Ramadan (March 10 – April 9) celebrated in close proximity.



Despite their many differences, all three of these ancient religions share a common ancestor. This article which appeared a few years ago in the Catholic newspaper of the Diocese of Orange shares some insights into that common heritage.

Showers of Blessings

Showers of Blessings is in need of your help once again. We are currently low on jeans and underwear. We will be having a jean and underwear drive on the weekend of April 20 and 21 at all Masses.

We need -

1. Gently used, or new men’s jeans - Sizes 30, 32, 34 especially but all sizes will be accepted
2. Men’s (new) boxer briefs - all sizes
3. Women's (new) underwear - sizes small, medium, large

Thank you all for your continuing support of our ministry. Our guests are very appreciative of all we can provide to help make their lives a bit easier.

Catholic Trivia Night

Get your team together!

Sign up for the first St. Patrick’s Catholic Trivia Night to be held on Tuesday, April 30 at 7:00 pm in our parish hall. You need a team of three to compete. It could be from the same organization (Altar Society, School Board, Knights of Columbus, etc.), or the same ministry (Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Catechists, Youth Core Team, etc.), or any group of neighbors or people you socialize with.

How will it work? Teams will answer multiple choice questions about the Bible, Catholic customs and traditions, and Catholic teaching. Reviewing the Catholic Trivia from the last few years of newsletters would be a good place to go to prepare. The teams that choose the most correct answers and do so the fastest will be the prize winners.

Sign up by sending an email to Fr. Ron (rmbagley@yahoo.com) with the names of your team members, their email addresses, and the name you have chosen for your team (e.g., The Adams Street Trio). There will be a limited number of teams and first come first served. No entry fee.

Spectators are welcome and encouraged to attend to cheer on your favorite team. 

Have You Seen This?

This video has gone viral. This mother gorilla shared a beautiful moment with a newborn human baby and her human mother.

Online Giving Reminder

If you currently use Online Giving for your electronic giving, please make sure you login to the application frequently to make sure your payment method is current and your donations are being processed.

Click on the Online Giving icon below to create or access your account.

Catholic Trivia

"Catholic Trivia”... not because they are trivial but because these might be things that not everyone knows. Test your knowledge by reading the five questions, remember your answers (or jot them down), then click the link below to find the answers.

1. The apostle Thomas is referred to in the gospel as Didymus. What does that name mean?
2. When Jesus appeared to his disciples after the resurrection and Thomas was not there, with what words did he greet them?
3. According to the Acts of the Apostles, for how many days did Jesus remain with his disciples before returning to heaven?
4. How many times do the gospels record the risen Jesus appearing to his disciples?
5. What other names are given to the Second Sunday of Easter?

Feel free to email Fr. Ron with ideas for future Catholic Trivia questions rbagley@stpatrickcarlsbad.com

If you have other members of your family or your friends who would like to be on our email list, just let me know or write to Mary McLain at mmclain@stpatrickcarlsbad.com We will be pleased to add them.

Masses are available on our website www.stpatrickcarlsbad.com

We have a YouTube channel where we have daily and Sunday Masses.