Posted on July 14, 2025 View all Pastor's Letter
Dear Parishioners,
I hope you all enjoyed a joyful Independence Day celebration. As every year, it’s a special occasion to share with family and friends, and to give thanks for the blessings of freedom and unity. This Sunday, we celebrate the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, and the Gospel presents us with one of the most well-known and challenging parables: the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
At the heart of the story is not simply the morality of helping someone in need, but the revelation that love knows no boundaries. The priest and the Levite—both religious men—walk by. Perhaps out of fear, or to remain ritually pure, or simply due to indifference. They represent a kind of religion that becomes sterile when it forgets the concrete human person, the wounded face before them.
The Samaritan, on the other hand, stops. He sees, he is moved with compassion, and he acts. He doesn’t ask if the injured man is worthy, if he deserves help, or if he belongs to “his group.” He loves—because his heart is free. And in that gesture, we see the heart of God revealed: a love that stoops down, that touches wounds, that gives of itself, that gets involved. Christ Himself is the Good Samaritan. He comes to meet us—not passing us by—but stopping, lifting us, carrying us on His shoulders, and bringing us to the place of healing, which is His Church. But Jesus doesn’t want us to remain simply in the contemplation of His love. It is not enough to know who the neighbor is; we must become neighbors. We must draw close to those who suffer, even if they don’t think like us, even if their pain makes us uncomfortable. Christian love is not theoretical or selective; it is genuine and unconditional. It is concrete, practical, and it is measured by our capacity to draw near, to see with compassion, and to act with mercy.
Changing the subject, over the past few weeks I’ve spoken to you about the Bishop’s Lenten Appeal, and today I would like to share a broader message. First of all, I want to thank you—on behalf of the bishop—for your generous support of this campaign throughout the year. Your commitment to the mission of our parish and our diocese is truly a blessing. As you may know, we are still working to reach our parish goal, and at this time, we are $30,000 short of our target. Sadly, we are one of the few parishes in the diocese that has not yet reached its goal. We have a responsibility to do our part, and I genuinely believe we can fulfill it. With humility, I’d like to invite those who have not yet made a gift this year to please consider doing so. Little by little, we can reach our goal. Every contribution—no matter the amount—brings us closer and strengthens our witness as a parish community. Your ongoing support truly makes a difference in the life of our parish family and in the ministries we are called to sustain. Please receive my deepest gratitude and the assurance of my constant prayers.
Lastly, I remind all parents to register their children for Religious Education as soon as possible. Registration has been open since the end of May. I also invite any adults who still need to receive sacraments to sign up for the OCIA program so they may be prepared to receive them next year.
Wishing you all a happy and blessed week.
In Christ,
Fr. Alex
