From the Pastor’s desk— October 6, 2024

      

Dear Parishioners,

Have you ever wondered what a parish is for? My guess is many of us haven’t thought about it much. Your parish is just where you go to church and get your sacraments and go to catechism. Maybe you go to your parish for friends and festivals. That’s all true, and it’s what I’ve always thought a parish was. But lately I’ve thought about what more it is.

A parish is also a place where people go out from. All of us know somebody who doesn’t know Our Lord Jesus, but who really needs His love. Each of us is sent forth at the end of mass to bring Jesus with us. We are loved at Church then the priest sends us to bring God’s love from Church to our world. The word “mass” means “sending on mission.” When the priest says, “The mass is ended, go in peace,” he’s saying, “The mission is set, go bring the peace of Christ into our struggling world.”

Here’s my challenge, my invitation for all of us here at Sacred Heart: look for ways to bring peace and joy into the lives of the people we know outside of church. The parish is already a place to recharge and be renewed for mission. Our work today is going out to preach the good news of Catholic faith. Preach to the poor in spirit with acts of steadfast love, humility, and hope. People don’t need to come all the way to Church to meet Jesus, we carry the Church with us to the people who are still far away. Like the father in Luke 15, who ran to embrace his prodigal son while he was still far off.

     

   

           

 

             

  

Fr. Joseph