by Fr. Charlie Goraieb  |  04/30/2022  |  Weekly Reflection

Dear Friends,

I am writing this letter during Easter Week, still experiencing the joy and gratitude for all that we commemorated so beautifully last week.

I trust that you are aware of our new Pastoral Council. On April 2 we gathered to pray and discern the needs of the parish and to determine which ones to tackle first. The process clearly revealed the love the council members have for their parish and their desire to see OLMC flourish. Everyone understood that we have to balance our efforts between fostering community and spiritual growth with outreach to those who need to be invited back to the Church as well as those who need to discover the Lord of Lords for the first time.

This classic tension between communion and mission is a struggle for every religious organization. When a parish closes in on itself and focuses only on the well-being of its members, it fails to heed the words of Jesus who sent His apostles out to preach to all nations, making disciples of them. On the other hand, if a parish is so focused on outreach and works of mercy to the exclusion of seeking spiritual depth, these good works will not flow from a place of spiritual maturity.

With that as a preface, the Council identified over 20 areas needing attention. While each one of them is essential, we simply cannot address them all at once. After weighing them in terms of their priority relative to the rest of the list, we have come up with six areas which we hope to direct the parish resources for the next year (July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023). They are:

1. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
2. Youth Ministry (Jr and High School)
3. Community-wide welcoming events (our neighbors as well as parishioners)
4. Deepening the Catholic Identity of the School
5. Adult Formation
6. Pro-life Ministry
 
Some of these areas (like numbers 1, 3 and 5) are already ongoing, even if more can be done. The other three are going to require a strategic approach and an appeal to all of you who want to share your time and talent in building up the Kingdom of God.
 
Adoration: We are looking at ways of increasing the times in which the Blessed Sacrament is exposed. We are also in discussion with the Diocese and some expert members of the parish to envision an adoration chapel which would be available 24 x 7. More on that to come.
Youth Ministry: The Finance Council has approved next year’s budget which includes a full-time Youth Minister. As of this writing, some applications have already been received and a process is being put in place to interview and select the best candidate for the position. Please ask the Lord to help us with the gift of discernment for this crucial role. If we want our young people to know and follow the Lord, they must be evangelized and formed in all aspects of the riches of our Faith.
 
I will report back to you as we progress on these and the other priorities. Again, if you see an area that you would like to support/participate in, please contact Kelly Martin at the front office and leave your name and your area of interest and you will be contacted.
 
During this Month of Our Blessed Mother, may she, who is the Patroness of our Parish, guide and inspire us as we move to fulfill the mission of Her Son’s Church
 
Thank you and God bless, Fr Charlie Goraieb
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