Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Since writing to you only a few weeks ago about the challenges facing the Church, things seem to have only become more disheartening. Like many of you, as I watch story after story arise of apparent corruption within the Church, I too often feel frustrated, saddened, and angry. Many voices are crying out for justice though, and we have to pray God’s will is done and the Church is purified of all that corrupts her.
As members of the Church ourselves, in our great love of the Church, hopefully on our part we are all asking, “What can I do?” None of us is in a position to change the past, or make many of the changes that need to be made, but the one thing we can do is pray. We are called in this time to pray for victims, for the Church, for all those who need a conversion to the Lord. Therefore I would like to extend the time our parish holds adoration, as an offering to the Lord and to encourage more of us to come to the Church and pray for these intentions. Spending time with the Blessed Sacrament is a beautiful way to connect directly with our Lord, so we can intercede for others as well as find encouragement for ourselves. My proposal is to extend Monday adoration, which currently begins after the 12:05 Mass, so that it continues until 8:00 in the evening. In order for this to happen, we would need volunteers to commit to being in the Church for a half hour or an hour time slot so that the Eucharist is never unattended. If you are interested in making such a commitment, please contact the rectory and we will hopefully be able to make this change in the coming weeks. It would be beautiful even to begin on October 1st, the feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
When it comes to action though, the best thing we can do is begin right here in our own community where we are in a position to make a big difference. I would therefore also like to hold an evening of pray and discussion about the future of Notre Dame. In a time where so many parishes are struggling, it’s important we remain vigilant in finding ways to reach out to the community and keep this parish vibrant. So we will be holding an evening of prayer and dialogue on Thursday, September 27th, at 7:30PM. We will have a period of adoration, followed by an open dialogue regarding the future of the parish. I hope many parishioners from all age groups and communities are able to join. This parish belongs to all of us, and it’s only when we share that responsibility that we will thrive. In these challenging times I pray that all of us may renew our commitment to our faith and to our Church, that we may together spread the Good News of Christ to so many who desperately need it.
Yours in Christ,
Father Scolaro