Dear Friends of Saint John the Evangelist Parish,
Over the past several weeks, we have witnessed the destructive power of nature as we have watched people’s lives devastated by the recent storms in Texas, the islands in the Caribbean, and now in our State of Florida. Many of you evacuated to avoid Hurricane Irma and some of you stayed to brave the storm. I followed the path of Irma for the last several days of my vacation. I spent a lot of time thinking and praying for each one of you. As Hurricane Irma past through Naples, I spent several anxious hours watching her path. I feared the worse as I listened to weather reports as I sat in the living room of my mother’s apartment in England. My worry was not so much rooted in physical buildings, but the temple built of living stones – that is to say, all of you. I returned to Naples after midnight on Tuesday, my flight was one of the first to fly into Fort Myers.
On Wednesday morning, I called Jean-Paul Boucher, our parish manager, to inquire about everyone’s safety. I was happy to hear that everyone was ok. As I drove through the neighborhood where the rectory is located and onto the parish, I visibly witness the damage left behind. Trees had fallen down and were uprooted, people’s roofs were damaged, water remained in the streets. It was apparent to me that the community of Naples had a lot of work to do in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
As I toured the campus of Saint John’s, I also saw the wide scale damage of Irma. The parish landscape was decimated, the church roof and ceiling severely compromised, as well as the parish center. Many of our carpets were saturated with water. The reality of no power meant that the possibility of cleaning up was going to be a hard task. My first order of business was to allow all of you an opportunity to celebrate Mass together and feel the healing consolation of the Holy Eucharist. Bishop Dewane came to celebrate the 9 a.m. Mass last Sunday as a gesture of his love and support for our community.
In the weeks ahead, many of us are faced with the task of dealing with damages from this storm. For many, this is a daunting task and will require a lot of energy to turn things around. Let us not lose sight of the fact that we are now all safe. For this, we give God thanks! Saint John the Evangelist Parish will remain strong in the months ahead. As a community of faith, we will reach out to those who have been severely impacted by Hurricane Irma. We have already set up a relief station for Catholic Charities at the entrance of our church building. Donations of food, water, and monetary gifts will help the poorest of the poor on our own doorstep.
Please know that you are all in my heart and prayers. I will continue to offer you the support and resources of the parish as best I can in the future. The parish offices and campus will open as soon as power returns to the area. Mass will be celebrated as normal. In the words of Sacred Scripture, I encourage you all, “Be not afraid!” May God grant you his healing presence and those you love.
Sincerely in Christ,
