Dear friends,
On this 4th Sunday of Easter, our Scripture readings invite us to focus on the theme of our Lord as the Good Shepherd, one who protects his flock and develops an unbreakable bond between him and those who follow him. His offer is simple: Hear his voice and follow him, and nothing will separate us from his love. Amidst the many distractions of life, it is easy not to hear his voice. We must make the time to be attentive and tune ourselves to the sound of his voice. Paul and Barnabas give evidence of how they listened to the Shepherd’s voice and followed his call. Let us, likewise, pray for the grace of being attentive to the voice of our Good Shepherd.
Today is also designated as “World Day of Prayer for Vocations.” Let us pray for our young men and women to respond to the call to serve the Lord as priests, brothers, sisters, and deacons.
The month of May is dedicated to Mary, our Mother. I invite all of us to look to Mary as our model and a sure help in leading us to Jesus. Please pray the rosary every day of this month and be inspired by the life and discipleship of Mary. Today is also celebrated as Mother’s Day. Let us pray for our dear mothers, both living and deceased, asking for the intercession of our heavenly mother, Blessed Mary, to be united with them in cherishing life from conception to natural death.
I’d like to congratulate Tom and Barbara Kelly, recipients of the Family of the Month Award for April 2022. They have faithfully served the parish for over 20 years, and I thank them for their continued dedication and commitment to SJE.
Please see below the continuation of the consolidated report from those who participated in the three synodal listening sessions. Thanks to the team that led the sessions and to all participants. Have a blessed month!
With love, Fr. John
SYNOD LISTENING SESSION REPORT APRIL 18, 2022
St. John the Evangelist hosted the universal Church synod listening sessions that were composed of three parts:
- Liturgy of the Word based on the gospel story of the “Road to Emmaus”
- Small group sessions to reflect on three main themes
- Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction
The following is an overview – not a complete listing – of the feedback received from these sessions.
Communion: Growing together as a spiritual family
- Participants have great personal relationships with God, Jesus, and the Holy These relationships are strengthened by prayer, Scripture readings, Mass attendance, and new opportunities that include “The Bible in a Year” podcast, livestreamed Mass, and special events for the homebound. Support for our spiritual relationships comes primarily from family members.
- A sense of belonging comes from close friendships with other parishioners, full participation in church activities and ministries, and receiving the Eucharist during Fr. John and our deacons are personally invested in their flock, and many people come to St. John the Evangelist parish and stay because of their dedication and love for this community.
- Young adults would like more ways to connect with other young Catholics and to participate in activities that help satisfy their faith curiosity.
Participation: Engaging more fully with Jesus and the Body of Christ, his Church
- John the Evangelist is a loving parish, and Fr. John’s personal involvement is much appreciated.
- Ministries are important for inspiring closer relationships with Jesus and the Ministries could be strengthened by improving definition of their purpose, being more welcoming to new parishioners and ideas, and allowing different people to serve as ministry leaders.
- There is some mistrust of the hierarchy of the worldwide Catholic Church that inhibits full participation in our There is a need for a pathway to voice concerns and be heard.
- The gateway to the parish is the parish office. This is our first opportunity to show that we live our faith Visitors should be shown hospitality and responsiveness in all encounters.
Mission: Witnessing to the Good News
- Jesus forgave and broke bread with all types of people, turning unbelievers into faithful followers by treating everyone as children of God. We should be more forgiving and non-judgmental to those who have not followed Church teachings by finding ways to communicate more effectively and by being more inclusive with marginalized people such as LGBTQ, divorced Catholics, and those in prison.
- Increase opportunities for Catholic outreach to support community needs and to witness the gospel in ways which are more transformational versus transactional.
- Parishioners enjoy Eucharistic Adoration, beautiful liturgical music, and involvement in small faith Continue to focus on liturgy and the Eucharist as foundations of faith formation and growth.
- The Church should be open to finding ways to reduce the burden on a dwindling number of parish priests. Could the Church develop a role for women, like deacons, that would not conflict with Church doctrine? Consider adding additional parish staff which would give priests more time to focus on their role as spiritual leaders rather than spending so much time on parish administration.