July 1, 2012

Dear Disciple of St. Mary‘s,

With prayerful wishes, I welcome you to St. Mary’s Parish as a follower of Christ.  From your glorious arrival as a newborn child to your arrival here at the parish, God’s plan has been alive for you.  This moment in history, like the establishment of St. Mary’s, is always characterized by the challenges of the times.  In earlier years, for St. Mary’s, it was the celebration of Mass in a log cabin, in steel workers' homes, in other churches, and in the railway tunnel. In fact, the church was built by the faithful who brought a rock back on the way home from work (to build our beloved historic St. Mary’s).  For all of us now, it is the uniting of the faithful to rebuild the church by passing on our deep faith in, and devotion to, our Savior.

Your arrival is no accident to St. Mary’s, just as it was no accident that we found the strength to build a church to honor our Savior and His Mother. It is my mission to lead you forward to accomplish the works of these times.  Together, through the zeal of the apostles, we can lead the way to strengthening our knowledge and set an example of ministry to the unfortunate, to the youth, to the elderly, to the fallen.  You have been chosen.  You have been called to be a member of St. Mary’s who encourages the lost and the weak to seek the strength of Christ.  You will be a warm and welcoming member of a community to so many new arrivals in the coming years. This is what makes you a special and a graced member of a church community.

Since my arrival, we have begun a new journey together. The church needs you and cares for you as you do for the church with all our weaknesses and strengths. We are called to be stewards of God’s plan. I know that I need your help as well as that of God. Please reach out to our brothers and sisters who may not be going to church. You will be a great influence on them by inviting them to St. Mary’s to praise God and receive His Blessings and Graces in the Sacraments. Please take someone with you to church if they feel unsure or afraid. This will be your work in the name of God. We will also begin to develop the zeal of the youth by inclusion in the work of the Gospel.  After all, it was given to be heard by everyone.  Together, we can do many good things if we take one day at a time with the Lord.  We pray, let us now begin.

Take one day at a time with the Lord.