A few months ago I told you all about how my wife knows better than anyone just how much I care and worry about each and every one of you: our Parish Family, our own families, and our guests who come to St. John for the love, joy, and engagement of our Catholic Faith. I have not slept well this week for sure. No matter what the attempted reasoning or explanation, there are no words for the senseless violence that occurred last weekend in Orlando. It calls to my mind all the times we have witnessed these types of acts, both here in the US and abroad. I and my family were in DC on 9/11. My first son had not even had his first birthday. Imagine the weight of knowing how much the world had changed for him that day and magnify it for the 14,000 members of our Parish Family. We are all vulnerable in some way, and it is our responsibility to create a safe environment here within the campus of Saint John, a sanctuary where people can worship, laugh, cry, and come together in a joyous and restorative way every single day. Hatred can only be met and bested by love, not violence. However, love is not an adjective, it is a verb. We love so we must act, both for our own community and to serve those in so much pain in Orlando.
I want to thank all of our ministries and their members for embracing our Safe Environment program. It is essential to our Parish Family to make sure that every face they see at St. John not only illustrates the loving and merciful gaze of Jesus, but that they are ready to provide the protection of our Catholic Church. Several groups that are directly responsible for our safety, namely the Ushers and Greeters and the Knights of Columbus, have become certified Crowd Managers. The North Naples Fire Department came in March to St. John and certified over 30 parishioners in Crowd Management. What is Crowd Management? It is the ability to understand the physical environment and the people within it to ensure their safety. Some of it is common sense. Some of it is situational awareness. Looking around the church, seeing it bursting at the seams during many Masses with standing room only, and this past week, with 500 youth and adults participating in Vacation Bible School, you can see how important Crowd Management is to our church.
I hope you will always feel safe and enjoy your faith journey as part of our Parish Family. We are working together to make this small spot on the Earth a shelter to welcome all to our Catholic Community.
