As our parish prepares herself for the Year of Faith, proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI, we can focus with the Universal Church on the ‘new evangelization’ espoused by Blessed John Paul II and taken up by the Order of Bishops for our sanctification and the deepening of our faith.

The parish becomes the focal point in our efforts to understand firstly that the root of our faith lies in the faith of our Archbishop, and secondly, that our Archbishop sends us forth in the name of Jesus to help him in the mission given to him by the grace of God and the Apostolic See.

The Holy Spirit walks with us on our journey to heaven, a journey we do not take alone, for Catholics believe in community, we are indeed defined by community, the deep sense of communion which gives definition to our Church and to our family life.

Blessed John Paul II did so much to identify the role of the Successor of Peter, the Apostle, as the Vicar of Christ, as the Apostle and Bishop who teaches, governs and sanctifies the Universal Church. This same reality applies to our local Apostle, the Archbishop who is the High Priest, the Shepherd and the Apostle for us as servant and with us as father.

Saint Basil the Great, in the book On the Holy Spirit, taken from the Office for January 2, writes this: “A spiritual man is one who no longer lives by the flesh but is led by the Spirit of God, one called a son of God.” This can be seen as the overall context of our parish life; the reason why parishes are formed, so we can be ‘spiritual’ men and women and support one another’s life in the Spirit.

“We are all members of one another, but with different gifts according the grace God gives us. So the eye cannot say to the hand, I do not need you, not the head say to the feet, I have no need of you. All the members together make up the body of Christ in unity of the Spirit.” “God has arranged the various parts of the body according to his own will (Bishops and parishioners) but there exists among them all a spiritual fellowship which makes it natural for them to share one another’s feelings and to be concerned for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer with it, if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

Also, in this great Year of Faith, the Church celebrates Fifty years since the Opening of the Second Vatican Council.

As our parish prepares herself for the Year of Faith, proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI, we can focus with the Universal Church on the ‘new evangelization’ espoused by Blessed John Paul II and taken up by the Order of Bishops for our sanctification and the deepening of our faith.
The parish becomes the focal point in our efforts to understand firstly that the root of our faith lies in the faith of our Archbishop, and secondly, that our Archbishop sends us forth in the name of Jesus to help him in the mission given to him by the grace of God and the Apostolic See.
The Holy Spirit walks with us on our journey to heaven, a journey we do not take alone, for Catholics believe in community, we are indeed defined by community, the deep sense of communion which gives definition to our Church and to our family life.
Blessed John Paul II did so much to identify the role of the Successor of Peter, the Apostle, as the Vicar of Christ, as the Apostle and Bishop who teaches, governs and sanctifies the Universal Church. This same reality applies to our local Apostle, the Archbishop who is the High Priest, the Shepherd and the Apostle for us as servant and with us as father.
Saint Basil the Great, in the book On the Holy Spirit, taken from the Office for January 2, writes this: “A spiritual man is one who no longer lives by the flesh but is led by the Spirit of God, one called a son of God.” This can be seen as the overall context of our parish life; the reason why parishes are formed, so we can be ‘spiritual’ men and women and support one another’s life in the Spirit.
“We are all members of one another, but with different gifts according the grace God gives us. So the eye cannot say to the hand, I do not need you, not the head say to the feet, I have no need of you. All the members together make up the body of Christ in unity of the Spirit.” “God has arranged the various parts of the body according to his own will (Bishops and parishioners) but there exists among them all a spiritual fellowship which makes it natural for them to share one another’s feelings and to be concerned for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer with it, if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”
Also, in this great Year of Faith, the Church celebrates Fifty years since the Opening of the Second Vatican Council.