The Church’s first duty is not to hand down condemnations or anathemas, but to proclaim God’s mercy, to call to conversion, and to lead all men and women to salvation in the Lord. – Pope Francis
We have all had a very busy Fall. From our Parish Family members returning from their Northern homes to the constant activity of the families with their sports and dancing and school events, I cannot believe it is already November. In the midst of all this activity, however, the leaders of the Catholic Church held a historical meeting in Rome to discuss the future of how our church approaches many challenging and essential topics of our time and our faith. This Synod of Bishops has ended and some of the most important themes about pastoral support of families, which do not look like the traditional nuclear family anymore, need to be tended to with care and mercy. In our parish, we have grandparents raising their grandchildren. We have single parents. We have blended families. We are here to support, heal, encourage, and enliven all around us. That is the focus of this Campaign, to provide a church and a community that illustrates the joy, love, and mercy of the Catholic faith. Pope Francis put it best in his homily to close the Synod Assembly:
Jesus’ disciples are called to this, even today, especially today: to bring people into contact with the compassionate Mercy that saves. When humanity’s cry, like Bartimaeus’, becomes stronger still, there is no other response than to make Jesus’ words our own and, above all, imitate his heart. Moments of suffering and conflict are for God occasions of mercy. Today is a time of mercy!
This is the temptation: a “spirituality of illusion”: we can walk through the deserts of humanity without seeing what is really there; instead, we see what we want to see. We are capable of developing views of the world, but we do not accept what the Lord places before our eyes. A faith that does not know how to root itself in the life of people remains arid and, rather than oases, creates other deserts. – Pope Francis 10/25/2015
As we develop and start the programs associated with our Build Our Future, Serve Our Past campaign for all members of our Parish Family, like the Catholic Adult Organization and CYO, we need our entire Parish Family to give in order to reach our additional goals. These goals will make it possible for St. John to root itself in the lives of our Parish Family and the community around us. 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