Posted on May 17, 2024 View all Pastor's Letter
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus,
Today, we celebrate the great Solemnity of Pentecost throughout the universal Church. With this solemnity begins the universality of the Church, and from that day on, it will be the force that will guide and inspire it forever. That day, the apostles and Mary were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to preach courageously. Those frightened men had been transformed into brave preachers who did not fear prison, torture, or martyrdom. It is not weird; the power of the Spirit was in them and will continue to work permanently to this day. As Christians, we must be clear that “The Holy Spirit,” the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, is the soul of my soul, the life of my life, the being of my being; He is my sanctifier, the guest of my deepest interior. To reach maturity in the life of faith, the relationship with Him must be increasingly conscious and more personal. In this celebration of Pentecost, let us open our interior doors to the Holy Spirit.
Thanks to this life-giving action of the Holy Spirit, our parish is growing little by little, and our ministries are also becoming stronger. I often get discouraged when I see that many do not get involved in pastoral and evangelizing action. It seems like they are not interested, but then I react and think about all the positive things we have, and how we have grown, I know that the few groups we have need more members and to be a little more active, but I always ask for the action of the Holy Spirit to guide you and give you strength to continue and awaken that apostolic desire in your hearts. We must let the strength of the Holy Spirit awaken its gifts in us and continue evangelizing; there is still much to do.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to every one of the parishioners who have generously donated the Eucharistic Adoration candles and sacred ornaments. Your contributions are not just valuable for the parish; they are a testament to your deep devotion and love for our Church. For me, the decorum and dignity of everything used for worship and Eucharistic Adoration is of utmost importance. This week, I will send you a sample of what the candles will look like, and I am still searching for a dignified and reverent cope. The candles will not be red lamps but six elegant golden bases. Once again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who has donated to this work.
This weekend is the last Sunday of our Religious Education program. Therefore, I thank all the volunteers and catechists for all the great work they did throughout this entire year 23-24; for me, as your parish pastor, this program is essential because it shapes the future of the Church, and without the volunteers and catechists who offer their time and part of their Sunday this would not be possible. Thanks also to its coordinators Karla Aleman and Magdalena Lopez, who put in all their efforts so that everything is in its place every Sunday: materials, rooms, and much more.
On a lighter note, I am thrilled to introduce a new member of our rectory, Bosco. Bosco is a chocolate Labrador dog who has officially become the pastor’s dog. He is a bundle of joy and enthusiasm, and I am sure he will bring a smile to your face. If you see us walking together, please don’t hesitate to say hello. Bosco is always eager to meet new friends. I am sharing a photo of him so you can get to know him better.
I hope you have a happy Pentecost feast!
Fr. Alex
