January 24, 2022
Note: This 50th Anniversary e-newsletter will be sent bi-monthly through June 2022.
Our Monthly Theme: Community
After Encounter and Accompany, the third facet of living as missionary disciples is Community. We are brought to community by the work of the Holy Spirit. Sent by the Father and Son, the Holy Spirit transforms our hearts and allows us to enter into the perfect communion of the blessed Trinity, where all things find unity. It is the Holy Spirit who makes known a rich variety of personal gifts, while simultaneously creating unity that is not uniformity but a multi-faceted harmony.
We can most easily find community in the celebration of Mass. When the liturgy of a parish is celebrated well, the faith of the parishioners is strengthened. The community of faith becomes a place of invitation, welcome and hospitality, especially for those seeking Christ or longing to return to him.
Let us reflect on these questions today:
- How do we cultivate a communal and missionary spirit within our parish family?
- Are there areas that we need to work on to strengthen our family as a community of faith?
Upcoming Events:
- Saturday, January 29: Second virtual parish listening session for the archdiocesan synod, 10-11:30 am on Zoom. Sign up for the listening session.
- Saturday, February 5: Third virtual parish listening session for the archdiocesan synod, 10-11:30 am on Zoom. Sign up for the listening session.
- Wednesday, February 9: Kickoff of the virtual book discussion on "The Spiritual Work of Racial Justice: A Month of Meditations with Ignatius of Loyola" by Patrick Saint-Jean, S.J., 7 pm on Zoom. Contact Mary Jordan to sign up.
St. Francis Fun Fact on Our 50th Anniversary
Parishioner Dan Sullivan was an 11-year-old altar boy when founding pastor Fr. John Stack presided over the parish’s first Mass in June 1972. Because the parish was established three years before the church was built, clergy celebrated Sunday Masses in the Redland Middle School gymnasium, which had a raised stage, while weddings and funerals took place at St. Martin’s Catholic Church. During the first Mass celebrated at the middle school gym, the altar servers were using a silver tea bell to call attention to the most sacred moments of the Mass.
“I walked across and kicked the silver bell halfway across the wooden stage,” Dan said. “It was very memorable.”
See Our 50th Anniversary Speaker Series
Are you up late watching new shows on Netflix or on your DVR queue? If you are interested in some quality content, then check our our two talks from professors at the Catholic University of America, as part of our 50th Anniversary Speaker Series. On October 9, Dr. Susan Timoney joined us to discuss "Living as Missionary Disciples" in an engaging and accessible talk. And, on December 16, Dr. John Grabowski spoke in the Parish Center on "Challenging Issues for Faithful Catholics," giving attendees food for thought on the seeming disconnect between the Church's teachings on sexuality, marriage, and family life and social and political justice.
