I have been throwing the word “Mission” around quite a bit. Mission is a very special word here at Saint John, not just because Father John leads the Diocese Pontifical Mission work, but because it encapsulates our focus and direction. Mission means to spread the joy and love of our Church through evangelization and good works. We need to be outward focused, engaging the people of our communities with our faith and the easiest way to do that is with our actions. Our moments of encounter (https://legacysite.sjecc.org/familymission/the-moment-of-encounter-protecting-the-butterfly) should showcase how we respect and care for all people, no matter what their circumstance or position may be. I saw bags upon bags of food piled around our church hallways for Saint Vincent DePaul Society’s Thanksgiving Program this past week and it was heartening to see the outpouring of support our parish provides. I wanted to take a few lines to showcase the work Saint John parishioners are doing for the local communities all in the name of our mission:
- Immokalee Mission Team – Multi-organizational collaboration team to ensure Saint John resources (people, stuff, and funds) are most effectively utilized to support the people of Immokalee.
- Ladies of Charity – From educational support to giving drives, from nursing home assistance to packing Thanksgiving meals, the entire focus of the LoC is to provide aid to all those in our community that need it.
- Knights of Columbus – Charity is the first principle of the KoC. They focus all their efforts to show the love and respect for our neighbors.
- Saint Vincent DePaul Society – SVDP helps those in need in the geographical boundaries of our parish and elsewhere. When possible the conference helps in situations with rental assistance, electricity and water bills, lack of food, clothing, furniture, and in rare instances, funeral expenses. No act of charity is excluded.
- Habitat for Humanity – With two major locations in the Naples area, Habitat builds houses and gives hope and respect to hundreds of families in the area that they can become homeowners.
- Guadalupe Center – is committed to providing children of Immokalee access to high-quality, innovative academic and special support programs
- Men’s Club – Provides manpower and financial support for nursing homes and homeless shelters across the area
I highly recommend you take a look at these organizations, either on our website, in our bulletin, or by talking to some of our dedicated parishioners to find out more about how you can support and encourage their good works.