Dear friends,
A woman spoke to me a couple of Sundays and said, “No priest or seminarian has visited our home during the mission – and we have been waiting!” I could understand her frustration – it is definitely important to visit the homes and if I can reach her home I will. At the same time she understood how busy parish ministry can be and why many of us are often tied up with regular meetings that do not allow us to escape to the home mission. And I was proud of her for continuing to call neighbors, family and friends to her home to reflect on the scriptures. Her witness and her work are the most important parts of the mission of our parish: to welcome, to strengthen an understanding of faith and live in community.
Thank you to the many who participated in the Parish Lenten Mission project. In all, approximately 45 homes held several sessions. And thank you to all who attended the recent Easter reunion of all who attended the mission. Your reflections will help guide the next series of missions. Your feedback will help guide the invitation to others to be welcomed to bible studies and other workshops in the near future.
As a matter of fact, there are two very special workshops coming up, to which I would like to invite you. These workshops will be given by graduate students from Catholic Theological Union. They will direct a dialogue around faith development, community building and spirituality, using the bible. The first workshop will be given in English on Wednesday, April 25th at 7 PM in at Immaculate Heart of Mary Hall. The second workshop will be given in Spanish on Wednesday, May 2nd, at 7 PM at IHM as well. Both workshop are opportunities for all of our faithful. I would especially invite our ministers and anyone who wants to be a minister. Musicians and catechists would also find the workshops helpful.
When we can gather, we find strength from one another. It is one of the reasons for the Sunday assembly in the mass, and it is what we hear in the scripture during these Sundays. The disciples gathered and they were renewed in spirit and hope. It is the way of our faith together… it is the way to know the resurrection
Sincerely,
Fr. Bruce Wellems, CMF