Posted on September 16, 2026 View all Pastor's Letter
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In this Sunday’s Gospel (Mt 18:21-35), Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus answers, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.”
Forgiveness is one of the deepest expressions of an authentically Christian life. To forgive does not mean ignoring our pain or pretending that the wrong we have suffered does not matter. Rather, it means refusing to allow hurt, resentment, or anger to have the final word in our hearts. We forgive because we ourselves have first been forgiven by God.
A parish that desires to evangelize must also become a community of reconciliation and mercy. Our witness becomes credible when those who come to us discover a community where people know how to welcome one another, forgive one another, and begin again.
This weekend, we will celebrate our Ministry Fair, a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the different ministries, groups, and movements that enrich the life of our parish. I especially encourage those who are not yet actively involved in a ministry to stop by, learn more about the many opportunities available, and prayerfully consider where the Lord may be calling you to serve.
Our parish is not simply a place where we come to celebrate Holy Mass; it is a community of disciples called to live, serve, and proclaim the Gospel together. Each of us has received gifts from God, and those gifts bear greater fruit when we place them at the service of others and the mission of the Church.
One of my primary responsibilities as pastor is to promote the work of evangelization. To evangelize means to bring Jesus Christ to others—not only through our words, but also through the witness of our lives. St. Paul VI reminds us in Evangelii Nuntiandi that “evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity” (EN, 14). The Church exists in order to evangelize.
Pope Francis also reminded us that every Christian community is called to live in a permanent state of mission: “I dream of a ‘missionary option,’ that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything” (Evangelii Gaudium, 27). This means that our ministries, activities, celebrations, and pastoral initiatives should not simply preserve what we already have. They should also help us reach those who have become distant from the Church, accompany those who are searching for God, and form true disciples of Jesus Christ.
It is precisely in this spirit that I would like to invite everyone to participate in our upcoming Parish Assemblies on September 19 and 20. During these gatherings, we will present our Parish Pastoral Plan, share our vision for the coming years, and speak in a special way about the evangelization project that we hope to develop together as a parish community.
This pastoral plan does not belong only to the pastor or to the Pastoral Council. It belongs to our entire parish community. I therefore hope that our ministry leaders, volunteers, families, young people, and all those who love our parish will participate, learn about this vision, and become active partners in this new stage of our mission.
Thank you sincerely for your continued support, generosity, and commitment to our parish. Together, let us continue building a parish that is alive, united, welcoming, and, above all, deeply committed to evangelization—a community where every person can encounter Jesus Christ and discover the joy of following Him.
May Our Lady, Queen of Apostles, intercede for our parish and help us become faithful missionary disciples of her Son.
With my prayers and blessing,
Fr. Diaz
