From the Pastor's Desk: September 15, 2019

From the Pastor’s Desk:                                                                                                        
September 15, 2019
 
     This Sunday, the Church in the United States celebrates Catechetical Sunday under the theme: "Stay with Us." Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity for all to rededicate themselves to this mission as a community of faith. The word “catechetical” comes from the Greek root word "catechesis” meaning "to echo, or resound." Catechesis is the act of resounding or bringing the Church's teachings to the world. A catechist is one who teaches in the name of the Church. The ministry of the Word is a fundamental element of evangelization through all its stages because it involves the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God.
 
     “We are living in a secularized society which continues to squeeze Christianity to the margins, or completely out of engagement with Jesus Christ and the Church. We are losing baptized Catholics at an alarming rate.  According to Pew Research, nearly one-in-four Hispanic adults (24%) are now former Catholics and most of them are “nones”, a term used for people with no religious affiliation.
 
     Many parents are saddened to report that their children are leaving the Church after preparing for and celebrating initiation sacraments, and after years of Catholic School or parish religion classes. Figures for Baptisms, Church weddings and weekly Mass attendance are down. Those who self-identify as atheists or agnostics (“Nones”) now make up roughly 23% of the U.S. adult population.
 
     Adults, especially young adults, are more likely to say they are not religiously affiliated than in past generations. (Michael Lipka. A closer look at America’s rapidly growing religious ‘nones’. . . , pew research center; 5/5/2017).  Also growing in numbers are those who are baptized, and in junior or senior high school, who are increasingly stopping to self-identify as Christians and grouping themselves among the “Nones”.
 
     At the same time, we are blessed with an incredibly generous cohort of faithful who are sacramentally graced to give Gospel witness in their homes, schools and workplace, if only they were invited, trained and supported in their outreach as missionary disciples. It will take the whole Church’s witness and engagement of the “Nones”, inside and outside the walls of the church and across society, to reach out, accompany them, and share the joy of the gospel with them.  May the joy of our life in Christ be so remarkable that even the “Nones” are moved to ask what is the secret behind this joy and claim it for themselves” - Bishop Robert Barron, Chairman Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis USCCB.
 
     We are blessed that in our parish, in response to the challenges of the day, and for the second year we continue to offer the New Family Faith Formation Process that in a very real and authentic way extends support to parents in their role as the first and foremost educators of their children’s faith. To the coordinator- Laura Austin, her assistant- Jackie Arsenault, RCIA-C coordinator- Jon Ayers, and the dedicated group of catechists and other volunteers who work hard all year long to serve in these capacities, I want to thank you very much and invoke the Lord’s blessing upon each and every one of you to have strength to continue to be witnesses for Jesus Christ.  You are a true blessing to all of us. We pray that God our Father, the Father of Love, fill you with confidence and joy as you proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.
 
     I wish you blessed week and let us pray that each one of us will bring the Gospel of Jesus to those we meet daily on our journey of life, so our lives may imitate the disciples on the road to Emmaus, “Stay with Us“(Luke 24:13-35).
 
With prayers,
Fr. Andy