From the Pastor’s Desk
Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Oct 29, 2023
“For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.”
– Thessalonians 1:8
Brothers and Sisters,
Today, I pray that the words of St. Paul act to boost your confidence just as much as they must have when the Thessalonians first heard them. It must have felt wonderful to hear Saint Paul acknowledge their faith community’s positive impact in spreading the faith and leading others to Christ.
Much like Saint Paul, I, too, want to share that when I reflect on a current snapshot of our parish community, I see the fruits of our parishioners vibrantly living out their faith, and it’s inspiring! Your enthusiasm to serve has brought new energy and momentum to our Mass Ministry and celebration of Masses, improved weekly commitments to adoration in our Chapel, been the catalyst for adults to form new friendships and deepened others while living out their Catholic faith, and has made great strides to engage the whole family while developing the faith of OLPH’s children and youth through our school and parish ministries.
It is fantastic to witness all the ways our faith community is living out many of the “best practices” for a healthy parish, made visible in your commitment to alleviating the suffering of those living on the financial and societal margins through our St Vincent and Salt Ministries as well as your deep commitment to growing in faith here at OLPH and in your homes through your participation in our many special events, prayer opportunities, book studies, and ministries. Your participation demonstrates your confidence regarding the administration and finances of the parish, and I’m grateful. As you know, we had a significant deficit between our offertory income and operating expenses last year. As a result, we recommitted to acting as faithful and transparent stewards while prudently cutting spending at the same time as increasing ministry opportunities — no easy feat!
As you will see when reviewing our financial statements for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the financial health of our parish has improved. Still, I encourage you to evaluate what the Lord calls you to give to the parish and other valuable charities and ministries and ask yourself if you can increase your level of support. Do this while understanding that sharing your resources with deep gratitude to God and openness to hear the Lord’s call to generosity is the ideal. As you invest in us through your participation, engagement, and offertory generosity, I am confident the Lord will continue to bless our parish.
Regarding parish facilities and maintenance, the status of the gym floor offers us a good indicator of where we are. Many parishioners (and some visitors) have already commented to me how impressed they are with our Parish Gym and Bathrooms, which were recently renovated the past summer. Yet, many do not realize that due to supply constraints, a temporary floor was placed (most noticeably in the center). This flooring project is incomplete, and additional work is expected shortly. Your financial gifts to the offertory and building fund allow us to stay on top of campus improvements like these. I hope your confidence is boosted in our OLPH parish community when you witness all the progress your support has accomplished —thank you!
Pope Francis committed a letter to the faithful on Sunday, October 15, to the life and wisdom of St. Thérèse, the Little Flower; let us place our confidence in the love of the Lord made alive in our wonderful parishioners. Let us live out of that confidence, which challenges us to love the Lord and one another
Finally, please join us this week as we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints, a holy day of obligation, with Masses on Tuesday, Oct 31st, at 5 PM and Wednesday, November 1st, at 8:15 am and 7:00 PM. Then, on Thursday, November 2nd, we will commemorate All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) with Masses held at 8:15 AM and 5:00 PM.