From the Pastor’s Desk: October 14, 2018

 
     This weekend our parish community celebrates our "Patronal Feast”- the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist. This great parish celebration gives me the opportunity, together with Fr. Xaviour, Deacons Bob and Steve, the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Family, dedicated staff, committed members of PAT and devoted Ministry Leaders, to extend my heartfelt prayers and words of gratitude to our parishioners and benefactors– living and deceased– and all who in any way contributed- by prayers and deeds- so that today we can joyfully celebrate another year of faithful service to our parish community and beyond. You are a true blessing to us and your love, faith, care, dedication and commitment to our community makes St. Luke Parish such a wonderful and vibrant parish family. It is our daily commitment to bring the mission of our parish anew and alive so together we can strife for what is true, good, and beautiful. 
 
     It is with great joy that today I introduce to you our new Communication Ministry. Communication is at the heart of our daily lives as believers and is extremely important to offer a voice that will speak effectively with love and bear witness to Jesus in a world that is changing rapidly. The Church is a community, it is the gathering of those who been called together by Christ. The ministry will share news, tell stories, and build our community through a new digital platform of communication. We created a new parish website that is extremely user friendly, and among many new features, includes a live streaming option that we will use weekly for Sunday Masses and other liturgical celebrations. In addition, to manage the website we will enhance our presence through social media and attend parish events to capture and to share the life of our parish community. We promote those forms of communication to create a sense of connection and participation. Technology should always enhance communication, pastoral care, catechesis, community life, evangelization, advocacy, prayer, and so on.
 
     In his address on the World Day of Communication in 2009, then Pope Benedict XVI introduced the new reality called "digital continent". “Be sure to announce the Gospel to the citizens of the digital continent with enthusiasm. To share their fears and their hopes, their aspirations and their disappointments: the greatest gift you can give to them is to share with them the "Good News" of a God who became man, who suffered, died and rose again to save all people. Human hearts are yearning for a world where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion. Our faith can respond to these expectations: may you become its heralds!“
 
     “Let us boldly become citizens of the digital world. The Church needs to be concerned for, and present in, the world of communication, in order to dialogue with people today and to help them encounter Christ. She needs to be a Church at the side of others, capable of accompanying everyone along the way. The revolution taking place in communications media and in information technologies represents a great and thrilling challenge; may we respond to that challenge with fresh energy and imagination as we seek to share with others the beauty of God.” -Pope Francis, 48th World Communications Day.
 
     Please join us at the main celebration of the Patronal Feast on Sunday at the 11:00 am Mass celebrated by Bishop Estévez. After the Mass, we will have our Annual Parish Picnic sponsored by the Pastor’s Advisory Team. 
 
Saint Luke, the Evangelist, pray for us!
 
With prayers,
Fr. Andy