From the Pastor's Pen - June 16, 2019

“The Holy Spirit enabled them to begin to live a completely new kind of life.” These words, from St. Cyril of Alexandria, inspired me a great deal for the feast of Pentecost

last weekend. So has Pope Francis: “The Church’s customs, ways of doing things, schedules and structures can be channeled for evangelization of today’s world rather than just for self-preservation” The writers of the church also note that the Spirit moves us from fear to courage. Do we need that, to do our Christian job in today’s world?

So for a parish to preserve itself—its own life—is so important, but not the ultimate goal. We exist to fulfill the command of Jesus when he Ascended: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” We’re growing a bit more into this call. Even our Garage Sale this weekend has an invitation to faith, like we did for our Festival.

Today you’re invited in this Spirit to contribute to the directions of the parish. The survey during Mass time is an unusual step, but one that gives all the faithful a chance to give input to the most up to date Strategic Plan. The survey can also be done online at the parish website. At the end of the summer, we’ll receive a fascinating provisional Parish Portrait from all this, till we generate the full plan.

By now, you definitely should have received your letter on our Special Capital Appeal. This is an internal community appeal, so we can continue our activities—including outreach—in reasonable comfort. Thanks for your consideration and decisions.

. . .As I write this, the last game of the long hockey playoffs with our Blues has not been played. I don’t know what the outcome will be. Already, though, I count the team, and the city and entire region, as winners. We’ve gotten a huge infusion of revenue, and also public interest. Our city and region have been showcased in ways unable to be bought. Other intangibles, too—resilience, belief in teamwork. I hope we can take the best from this sometimes rough sport, be proud of who we are, and tackle our challenges with courage and persistence.