St. John the Evangelist Catholic Community

Dear Parishioners,

Greetings from SJE!

I want to take this opportunity to say, “Thank You!”  Nearly a year ago, the whirlwind of COVID-19 took the world by surprise in ways that we could only imagine.  Still a painful and inexplicable mystery, we continue to cope with the many challenges by supporting one another as a faith-filled family.  

As the birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ draws near, we are confounded by the proposed limitations to join with our loved ones.  We have indeed sacrificed much since March, and too many having lost loved ones to the coronavirus.  For Catholics the world over, denial of participation in celebration of the Eucharist was unprecedented.  We here in Florida have much to be thankful for, as many other states still do not have that privilege.

As we enter into the season of Advent on 29 November, the First Sunday of Advent, we begin a new Liturgical Year and, hence, a new resolve to remain close to and trust in the Lord.  Let us also continue to make the necessary sacrifices for care of one another.

I would like to update you on the many activities that have kept our focus:

Outreach Ministry:  Because of your generous support, our Social Outreach Ministry continues to serve those in need.  The Fr. Patrick Peyton room has been transformed into a large pantry, thanks to your overwhelming response to our call for donations to help our community.  I have met with the Outreach Ministry, and we are moving forward with plans to serve our less fortunate brothers and sisters a Christmas meal on Wednesday, December 16, 2020.  

Children’s Hunger Project:  Our annual food-packing event to support the Children’s Hunger Project took place on Saturday, 21 November in the parish hall. Following all COVID-19 safety precautions, our 200 volunteers worked in two shifts to achieve the goal of packaging 5000 food packets.  Thanks to our brother Knights, the many volunteers, and you, my dear parishioners, for your continued support of this project which helps feed 2000 students in 45 Brevard County Elementary Schools.  I would like to congratulate Cheryl Cominsky, Executive Director, and her team at the Children’s Hunger Project as they commemorate 10 years of providing essential weekend nutrition to students in Brevard County.

Christmas luncheon for our parishioners who are alone:  Celebrating with family and friends is the hallmark of Christmas joy.  Due to COVID-19, many of our travel and entertainment plans have been upended.  Hence, we will host a Christmas buffet luncheon for those who are single, alone, and who have nowhere to go.  We will celebrate both the joy of Christmas and the Feast of St. John the Evangelist on Saturday, December 26, 2020 in two shifts one at 11 a.m. and the other at 2 p.m.  Please call the office with your RSVP by Friday, December 18, 2020.

Annual Christmas Giving Tree:  This time of the year is filled with thoughts of gifts to be shared.  Our annual Christmas Giving Tree will be placed in the narthex beginning on November 24^th and through December 21^st.  This exercise of charity brings indescribable joy to the recipients.  Please stop by the church to pick up an ornament with details for gifting individuals of a variety of ages, situations, and needs/wishes.  Thanks to Susan Answay for leading this ministry and to Al McKenna and John Moster for setting up the trees.

Founder of the Knights of Columbus has been beatified:  Congratulations to the members of our local Knights council.  On Sunday, 1 November, we celebrated Blessed Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, who was officially beatified on 31 October at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral in Hartford, CT.  He is the first parish priest from the United States to be beatified and was known for his tireless work among his parishioners.  McGivney died at the early age of 38 from pneumonia.  The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic fraternal organization, a mutual aid society geared especially toward working men and their families.  We congratulate and thank our brother Knights for their dedication to our Catholic Church and for their tireless service to those in need.

Faith Formation:  Faith Formation classes continue as a hybrid model of learning from home and with once-monthly, in-person classes.  Our dedicated team of catechists continue to support the families of our parish during this most unusual and difficult year.  For those who still have not registered their children, I urge you to please contact the office for information on how to do so.  It is imperative that our children learn the awesome gift of our faith!

Spiritual Resources:  During these unprecedented times, we find ourselves spending more time at home which, as we know, brings both blessings and challenges.  One blessing is the gift of time.  I’d like to suggest you spend some quality time as a family watching the variety of faith-filled programs offered on FORMED.org.  We have renewed our parish subscription for another year and hope that more of you will sign on to enjoy the best of Catholic content.  The site offers entertaining movies, enlightening programs, inspiring talks, and a great selection of popular eBooks - all just a click away!!  To create a new FORMED account and start watching today, please follow this order:  click Formed.org / click Sign up / select "I belong to a Parish or Organization"/ find our parish by name (St. John the Evangelist) or zip (32940) / enter your email - and you're in! There is no fee to join, so please make use of this important resource to more fully understand how blessed we are to belong to the Church founded by Christ himself.

Welcome to our winter residents:  I have begun to notice the return of our friends from the north, and we are overjoyed to see you again.  Worship protocols vary, but we want you to know that your health and well-being are of utmost importance to us here at St. John’s.  As an act of both solidarity and charity, we urge you to please wear a mask when you come into the church and maintain appropriate social distancing.  Politics and other ideologies aside, may we seek first to care for and respect those in our communities.

Advent special Mass on Sundays:  I have witnessed the anguish and heard the cries of some in our parish who would love nothing more than to come to church and celebrate the Eucharist in person but, due to their vulnerability, pre-existing conditions, or fears of the crowds, they are unable.  As a gesture of love, we would like to offer on the Sundays of Advent a special Mass at 1 p.m. in the church only for those in the above categories.  We will strictly enforce COVID-19 safety measures with compulsory wearing of masks, and maintenance of more than 6 feet of social distancing.  

Advent programs:  As we prepare to celebrate the profoundly significant moment in time when God entered humanity in order to redeem it through His Son, let us take pause during these four weeks of preparation to absorb the true meaning of the Advent season.   We will be offering something special each Tuesday at SJE:

1 December 2020:  Advent Reconciliation Service at 7 p.m.  There will be several priests available to hear confessions.

8 December 2020:  The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Patronal Feast of the United States of America.  Mass will be offered at 8 a.m. / 12.05 p.m. / 7 p.m.

15 December 2020:  “Stations of the Crib” at 7 p.m., also livestreamed.

22 December 2020:  Reconciliation from 10 to 12 noon and again from 4 to 6 p.m.

THANKS to all for your continued support of our parish, one where GOOD works abound!  

Soon I will be sending our Christmas Mass schedule with numerous options for attendance.

Be Blessed … and stay safe!

With love,

Fr. John