God’s mercy transforms human hearts; it enables us, through the experience of a faithful love, to become merciful in turn. – Pope Francis
If you have been away from the Catholic Church, whether it has been just a few days or decades, welcome! St. John is such an active and engaging positive force for mercy and joy in our little corner of the world, and we are so happy you have chosen to join us. Many people that pack our church on a weekly basis may never get a chance to see the rest of our beautiful campus, or experience the faithful community we enjoy year round. This Palm Sunday is a unique opportunity to take a few moments to explore Saint John the Evangelist. First, if you are attending some of our Sunday Masses, we have overflow at our Ballroom, which will have more seats for you and provide the same experience of the Eucharist and the Mass. Aside from the traffic getting in and out of the campus (and as we have asked people to be respectful when parking and heed the fire lanes so as to not make it even more difficult), you can walk around and visit several parts of our campus that you may not even know exist:
- Prayer Garden: As one of the most gorgeous and serene locations on campus, the Paniccia Prayer Garden entrances as you first walk into its lush environment. A water fountain helps you center yourself and prepare to enter. You are met by a statute of Saint Francis of Assisi, sitting atop a waterfall. I have seen people spend hours reflecting and praying in this garden and I hope you find some time to walk around the back of the church to visit our Prayer Garden.
Veteran Memorial: At the front entrance to our church, there stands a statue of a soldier embracing Jesus, along with our flags and special memorial stones for veterans and their families. We can never show enough gratitude to our veterans and their sacrifices, and I am proud that we have such a touching tribute.- Memorial Garden: We are very blessed to have such a fitting and beautiful location as a resting place for those who have gone before us. Our Memorial Garden is accessible through several hedge rows from the front of the church, and from the parking lot, with a Celtic Cross fittingly welcoming you into this sacred area.
These are just a few locations I would recommend you spend a few precious moments this weekend. We continue to develop and while we have begun the work our current blessings have allowed us to accomplish for the Build Our Future, Serve Our Past capital campaign, we still need our entire Parish Family to give in order to reach our additional goals. If you have any questions, please contact Joe Lichwalla, the Campaign Coordinator at 239-495-2001 or email: [email protected].
You can also learn more information about the Campaign at: www.sjecc.com/future