Dear friends,
It is with such joy that I greet you following my return from pilgrimage to the Marian Shrines. What a blessed privilege it was to celebrate Mass at the beautiful shrines and cathedrals in Europe and to keep the St. John’s community as the focal point of our prayers. I take this opportunity to thank all those who joined me not as tourists but as pilgrims on a journey. Pilgrimage is time spent away from our worldly homes – often to spend sacred time in holy places – during which we strive not only to renew our faith but also to build inspired relationships that will, in turn, help strengthen our larger community.
As most of you know and have experienced, the air conditioning issue for the parish center has persisted longer than we anticipated. The classrooms and office space have been without air for over a month due to replacement part delays. I’d like to thank the staff, the ministry leaders, and the various groups that have suffered through this period of inconvenience, sometimes grudgingly but most often graciously. The system should be repaired and up and running soon, but we do know that one of our AC units will need to be replaced in the near future, and that will require diocesan approval. I thank you for your patient endurance and apologize for any further inconvenience.
During the month of October, we have had a number of second collections. This week, we are focusing on those who have lost their homes and property and, as the case may be, their lives due to the devastating effects of Hurricane Ian. This disaster relief from all the dioceses will go a long way in helping restore normalcy to the people of our State of Florida. Checks can be made out to St. John the Evangelist with a note in the memo line stating: Disaster Relief. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Halloween decorations are on display everywhere. We will celebrate Halloween with our annual “Trunk or Treat” festivities on Friday, 28 October, from 6.30 to 8.30 p.m. Halloween is a very Catholic festival during which we remember all the saints on the eve of the Feast of All Saints (1 November). During the course of time, however, it has lost its Catholic roots by embracing other aspects of our secular culture. I encourage you to remember the real reason for the celebration when choosing costumes and decorations, and that is to celebrate our saints.
I have spoken to and can confirm the news that Fr. John Patrick Riley has reached his new place of residence and ministry. He now lives at CASA SANTA CRUZ in Phoenix, AZ, which is one of our Holy Cross houses situated right in the city. Fr. John Patrick thanks all of you for your prayers and assures us of his. He can be contacted at: 7126 N. 7th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85021-8608. We wish him God’s blessings with his new ministry in the Diocese of Phoenix.
I am happy to welcome Sr. Joan Grace who is visiting us after retiring to Ireland a few years ago. May your short visit among us be refreshingly blessed!
We will be celebrating the Solemnity of All Saints (a Day of Obligation) on the 1st of November and the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day) on the 2nd of November. Since both of these feasts are so important to our Catholic faith, we will be offering 3 Masses on each of these feast days. Please note the timing of the Masses: All Saints (8 a.m., 12:05 p.m., and 7 p.m.); All Souls Day (8 a.m., 12:05 p.m., and 6 p.m.).
We now have a firm date for the ground-breaking ceremony for the Grotto of our Lady. Bishop John Noonan will grace us with his presence on 6 November 2022, presiding at the 11 a.m. Mass. Afterwards, he will bless the completed works of Phase 1 and follow with a blessing of the grounds for Phase 2, the grotto.
This weekend, we celebrate the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, and the Scripture readings invite us to reflect on the virtue of humility. Humility is the recognition that regardless of our accomplishments, we all stand in need of the Lord. Our God hears the cry of the poor and the oppressed. “The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal (Sirach 35:21). Let us confidently approach him with our petitions.
Have a blessed week!