Dear friends,
I have heard it said that the month of December is the most Charitable month of the year. I beg to differ. At St. John’s, every month is a charitable month. With joy and gratitude, I want to share how this is.
My heart brims over at the memory of sharing the joy of Christmas on the 15th December, 2022, with 210 of our brothers and sisters from the Handicapped Community of Brevard. You could see and feel their joy and gratitude. Serving them was a delight and a good way to celebrate my birthday. One, whose name is Jason, spoke several times to me during the event. He said: “this is the only time we get to see each other and this reunion does something special to my soul.” I thank our Outreach Ministry, Kitchen Ministry, Parish Life Committee, Media Ministry, the volunteers and our staff for their help in putting it together.
Through the Giving Tree program, we provided more than 400 hundred gift items for the those in need to share our joy of Christmas. Thanks to Susan Answay and her team for organizing and managing this program. Thanks to you all for taking the trouble to select a tree ornament, follow directions, do the shopping, do the wrapping, and dropping the gifts off. Those who benefitted from these gifts include children from Central Brevard Sharing Center; seniors from Aging Matters and Triad for Brevard Seniors; homeless youth/young adults transitioning from foster care in the Crosswinds Youth Services, including our OpenTable Ministry, and the Wraparound Youth Services programs; and the handicapped brothers and sisters served by the Congregation of Holy Cross in Peru.
Gratia Plena in collaboration with Feed my Flock ministry will be taking care of a few homeless families in the week following Christmas. Our Grief Support Ministry and our Funeral Ministry teams work long hours supporting those families that are grieving.
Our Ministry to the Sick volunteers visit the hospitals and the more than 12 nursing home facilities that come under our jurisdiction. Apart from bringing Christ to them, they bring with them our love. The Rosary Makers make several hundred rosaries a year, and the Sunshine Ministry makes hundreds of prayer shawls that go to different people that need them.
We at St. John’s are blessed with so many wonderful people who lead, guide, and participate in our parish and our abundant Ministries. I would like to express my gratitude to Fr. Vincent, Deacon Rick, Deacon Mike, Deacon John, Deacon-in-the-Making Tom Buddington, and our lovely staff for their ongoing commitment to our parish. I am indebted to the many ministry teams that worked hard to make our liturgies and our parish life come alive this year. I thank the many volunteers including our Catechists and their assistants, Front Desk Volunteers, Offertory Team, Art and Environment Committee, the Choirs, Sacristans, EMHCs, Lectors, Altar Guild and Altar Linens ministries, the children who participate in the liturgies, Altar Servers, Ushers, Greeters (Hospitality), Media Ministry, Digital Media, CCW, Respect Life ministry, CRHP teams, RCIA team, Church Cleaning teams, Kitchen and Parish Life ministries, the Gardening Crew, Coffee and Donut ministry, Welcome Ministry, Youth and Young Adult Ministries, and the many others who help any time without batting an eyelid. There are those that prepare people for the sacraments such as the Baptism and Marriage Prep Team, Wedding Coordinators, and those who help with Confirmation prep. Thanks to the many who take my assignments “on the go.” Praise God for all of these!
We also are blessed to have people involved in various ministries that pray not only for us but for many who need our prayers. We are grateful to such ministries as: Flourish Our Faith, Kerygma Healing Prayer, Charismatic Prayer Group, Contemplative Prayer Group, Small Christian Community, Small Spanish Christian Community, Men of St. Joseph, those who lead the Rosaries, Prayer Line ministry, Men’s Discipleship, Blessed Is She, and Ultreya. I offer my heartful gratitude to all of you for your incredible dedication and commitment.
You made me so proud this year as we not only packed 5,100 food packs for the Children’s Hunger Project, but also through your generosity we were able to assist the many NGOs that help the poor including: Family Promise of Brevard, Brevard Senior Nutrition Program, Daily Bread, Sharing Center of Central Brevard, the Haven for Children, Bishop Grady Villa, the Children’s Hunger Project, St. Stephen’s Way, and some of our Catholic Parishes and Catholic Schools. This is an amazing achievement. In addition to this, you have been generous in helping the Missionary Coop from India, our Sister Diocese in Dominican Republic, and Catholic Charities. Our out-reach ministry continues to help pay for house rentals, electric, water and gas bills for the many who knock on our doors. We have served the Farm Workers in Fellsmere with canned food items and with the shoe and long-sleeve shirt drives.
A special word of thanks to those who participated in Our Catholic Appeal 2022, helping the Diocese of Orlando reach out to many people in need of food, housing and medical assistance. Through it you have also helped our diocesan Seminarians, Deacons, and Priests in their formation. Through your generosity, you have also helped the Diocese to keep up with its wonderful liturgies.
If anyone should ask you what you do for charity and service as a Catholic, you can proudly tell them what you do through our lively community of faith-filled parishioners.
I am pleased to announce that we will be going on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe from 15-20 May 2023, and another 11-day pilgrimage to Greece and Ephesus from 11–21 October 2023. More details will be coming soon.
By the way, Christmas season only begins now. Do not pack away your nativity sets until the Feast of The Baptism of the Lord, which will be January 9, 223. Until then, enjoy the serenity and joy that comes from the meditations of the Nativity Scene.
I am so pleased to announce that this year we can celebrate Eucharist on the feast of our patron, St. John the Evangelist, December 27, with Bishop Bill Wack, C.S.C., at 6 p.m. Please come. Let us celebrate our Patron, St. John!
May the Child Jesus continue to be born every day in our hearts, in our parish community, and in our families. Spread the joy of Christmas to everyone you meet!
Have a blessed week!
With love,
Fr. John