On the one hand, the mission to extend the Good News of God’s redeeming love in Jesus Christ calls for the proactive commitment of each of us as individuals. At the same time, we belong to the Lord as members of the Church. As Church, we are called to witness to the Gospel. For the most part, we experience Church at the level of our parish faith community. From time to time, we are reminded that our Parish belongs to a network of parish communities called a diocese. Resurrection and St. Mary Parishes belong to the Diocese of Toledo.
In significant ways, our Diocese equips each parish to carry out the mission that Christ has entrusted to the Church as a whole, namely to make and to grow disciples. Our Diocese serves our parishes in ways such as the following: 1) by providing training for men to serve our parishes as priests and as deacons; 2) in helping persons with a variety of corporal needs through Catholic Charities; 3) by assisting persons who have suffered the trauma of divorce to experience healing and the possibility of entering a new life; 4) by offering specialized formation for the religious education leaders, teachers and catechists in our parishes.
As parish communities, we do not have the financial and personal resources to carry out these essential services all by ourselves. Working together with the other parishes of our Diocese, we can provide the resources that each parish needs to carry out Christ’s mission for the Church. The Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA) offers an opportunity to do just that. Next weekend, February 6th and 7th, is Commitment Weekend for the ACA. Our Parishes have a good track record in supporting the work of the ACA. Please pray for the Lord’s Blessing upon this annual opportunity to support the Lord’s work at the diocesan level and then respond as the Lord leads you to do this. An opportunity will be offered at next weekend’s Masses to fill out and to turn in an ACA commitment card/form. May our generosity and good will as individuals and as parish communities be evident in our response to the ACA.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK begins this weekend, January 30th and 31st.
The role of transmitting the Faith of the Catholic Church to children and youth falls primarily upon the parents. Catholic schools exist to support parents in their role in ways such as the following: 1) Catholic schools offer a framework within which all learning is to occur, namely the Faith of the Catholic Church. This is expressed in prayer, worship and in the manner in which persons are valued and treated. Examining the teachings of the Catholic Faith and their implications for daily living is an important part of the curriculum. 2) Attending Catholic schools calls for a significant commitment of service and financial resources. A number of parents make real sacrifices in order to provide a Catholic setting for the education of their children. 3) A primary work of Catholic schools is to sow seeds of faith in the lives of the students who attend. In some cases, it takes years for the seeds of faith that were sown to produce an abundant spiritual harvest in the lives of students.
Regardless of how our parents choose to provide for the education of their children, let’s all pray for the Lord’s Blessing upon our Catholic schools. May the presence of St. Mary School and other Catholic schools continue to serve as a powerful and convincing witness to the Faith of the Catholic Church.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Nelson Beaver – Pastor