Happy Sunday!

Merry Christmas! I pray everyone had a very good Christmas filled with the joy of the newborn Christ! Thank you so much to all of our staff and volunteers who did such a wonderful job making everything happen. We have been working short handed and though things do not always run smoothly we are certainly doing our best. This Sunday we celebrate Holy Family Sunday. I would like to share an excerpt from a homily of Pope St. Paul VI on his visit to Nazareth in 1964.

Happy Sunday!

This Fourth Sunday of Advent finds us in great anticipation of the coming festivities of the Nativity of the Lord! The entrance antiphon for Mass is taken from Isaiah 45 and proclaims, “Drop down dew from above, you heavens, and let the clouds rain down the Just One; let the earth be opened and bring forth a Savior.” The prophecies of Israel come closer to fulfillment during this time as we continue to prepare ourselves for Christmas. In the Gospel for this Sunday it begins, “The angel Gabriel was sent from God…” We know where this story is heading as Gabriel is about to announce to Mary the birth of Jesus.

Happy Sunday! We are at the halfway point of Advent, celebrating Gaudete Sunday this weekend. The Church sings in the entrance antiphon, “Gaudete in Domino semper!”, “Rejoice in the Lord always!” We rejoice because the Lord is near. In fact, the opening prayer of the Mass begins thus, “O God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s Nativity…” We continue to meditate on the theme of “waiting” which distinguishes Christian spirituality in this season. We are waiting for the Lord to come at Christmas, but also at the end of time. We are like the virgins who wait with lighted lamp and flasks of oil. No one can wait for us, each of us must be attentive to the signs of the Lord’s coming.

Happy Sunday!

Thank you to all who participated in Giving Tuesday by supporting our endowment held by the Catholic Community Foundation. By growing our endowment, we prepare for stability in the future of St. Joan of Arc. If you were not able to participate, you can still donate and your gift will be matched by 50% up to $50,000!

Fr. Connealy, Deacon Peter, Deacon Andy, Deacon Mark and the Staff at St. Joan of Arc wish all of the Parishioners a very blessed and joyful Thanksgiving.

P. Connealy, Diácono Peter, Diácono Andy, Diácono Mark y el personal de St. Juana de arco les deseo a todos los feligreses una muy Acción de Gracias bendita y goz.

Happy Sunday!

We are nearing the end of Ordinary Time as we celebrate the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time this weekend. At this time of year the Gospel we hear on Sunday tends to have a more eschatological bend, that is, it is often focused more on the end times. This Sunday is no different. In it we hear about the master who gives his servants five, two, and one talents. Those who received five and two both doubled their master’s money. However, the servant who received one talent, “out of fear”, buried his master’s talent. The master calls him wicked and lazy because he merely tried to maintain what was entrusted to him. The Christian life is not about maintaining but growth. Each of us, by nature of our baptism, is called to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth and beauty of the Catholic Church. This is no small task, but a lifelong mission. We cannot be content to preserve the faith as our own personal decision. No, the joy of Jesus Christ is meant to be shared. It is a gift that does not close in on itself, but is for our eternal life and the eternal life of all.

Dear St. Joan of Arc Parishioners,

As I sit to write this letter, my Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate is fast approaching. By the time this letter makes the Sunday bulletin, I will be ordained. It’s strange to say that… I have been discerning, studying, and praying for the Lord to guide me through this formation process for the last seven years… now, it’s suddenly here!

As parents, my wife, Pam and I asked all of our sons to, at a minimum, be open to the possibility that God may be calling them to a priestly vocation, and if so, that's where they would find their greatest joy and fulfillment. Ironically, encouraging them to consider their vocation is part of the reason why we felt like we should take our own advice and be open to the Permanent Diaconate.

Happy Sunday!

This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints, the feast commemorating all those unknown people who share the life of God in heaven. Pope Benedict XVI reminded us in 2006: “This, then, is the meaning of today's Solemnity: looking at the shining example of the Saints to reawaken within us the great longing to be like them; happy to live near God, in his light, in the great family of God's friends. Being a Saint means living close to God, to live in his family.” This great solemnity, which adds nothing to the glory of the saints, is to awaken in us the desire to embrace our true destiny in heaven with all the holy ones.

Happy Sunday!

This weekend we are publishing our financial report for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. There has been no lack of excitement around the parish given the circumstances in which we found ourselves due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For those of you who might skip to the bottom line you’ll find good news! I am so grateful that given all that has happened this year we remained in the black. This is because of you! Thank you for your continued support of our wonderful parish. The mission never stops!

Happy Sunday!

Thank you for all your prayers while I was away on retreat. I am glad to be back to the desert! In this week’s Gospel we hear the famous line from Jesus about civil authority, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” How fitting as we near elections that we are presented with our duty to our nation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, “It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. The love and service of one's country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity. Submission to legitimate authorities and service of the common good require citizens to fulfill their roles in the life of the political community.” In contributing to the good of society, it is truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom that help dispose the society more to Christianity. Everything that is true comes from God and can lead us back to him. The more we promote truth and dive into it, the more we can know the living God.

Happy Sunday!

We received some exciting news this week. As you know, during July and August we were promoting a matching gift opportunity to increase online recurring gifts. Everything up to $27,060 would be matched in new or increased online recurring gifts. I received a letter this week which said that the donor family was so impressed with our efforts that they are going to match every gift that met their criteria. This means that, instead of $27,060, we will receive over $55,000! I am incredibly grateful to all of you for participating in this gift and to the donor family for giving us this opportunity.

Happy Sunday!

We are continuing to slowly get back to something of a normal routine here at St. Joan of Arc. We’ve had some great showings at our Verso l’Alto Youth Group. It’s great to see so many high schoolers on Monday nights. Thank you to our wonderful core team for helping lead our teens.