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Third Sunday of Easter, May 1, 2022

Dear friends,

Our CONGRATULATIONS to the forty-nine SJE children who received Jesus for the first time on Saturday, 30 April, at the 10:00 a.m. First Communion Mass. I am not only proud of them but also their parents and grandparents for their support, encouragement, and dedication to enriching the faith life of their families. I’d like to thank Dawn and her team of catechists who prepared the children for this special day through ongoing faith formation both on Sundays and during sacramental prep sessions, and I earnestly request that you continue to bring your children to Mass to receive Jesus in the Eucharist and grow in their faith as disciples of Christ.

The 50 days of the Easter season continue, culminating with Pentecost on the 5th of June. As we celebrate this Third Sunday of Easter, let us continue to reflect on Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances, this time at the Sea of Tiberius. He prepares a meal on the shore near where the disciples were fishing and invites them to join him, instructing them to “bring some of the fish you just caught.” Jesus doesn’t need anything from us for his glory, yet he rejoices in our gifts of honor and praise. While our gifts do nothing to support his majesty and glory, his acceptance of them inspires us to do our best, to live as committed, Christian disciples.

During the month of May, we honor, respect, and reverence our Mother Mary. I encourage all of you to pray the rosary at home, imploring Mary’s intercession particularly for the Ukraine and an end to war.

Thank you to all the team members and participants of the synod listening sessions requested by Pope Francis. It was especially wonderful to have feedback from our youth groups and to hear of their love for God and for our Church.

There was much thoughtful commentary regarding both parish level matters and the Church as a whole, and while it will be a year or more before we hear from Pope Francis, we do not need to wait to move forward locally with actions that can strengthen communion, participation and mission within our parish and in our lives. I would ask that you please pray on these themes and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you. Stay tuned for further conversation and future opportunities to better strengthen our faith community.

The following is the report presented by our synod team. It will go forward to our deanery, the diocese and, ultimately, to the Pope. The team read through the hundreds of pages of notes that were provided to them and discerned the most common themes. The following is a brief synopsis of the report:

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
  1. Participants have great personal relationships with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. 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
  2. A sense of belonging comes from close friendships with other parishioners, full participation in church activities and ministries, and receiving the Eucharist during Mass. 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.
  3. Young adults would like more ways to connect with other young Catholics and to participate in activities that help satisfy their faith curiosity.

We will continue with more of the report in next week’s bulletin.

Be Blessed!

With love, Fr. John