Happy Easter! Alleluia, Jesus Christ has risen! Alleluia!

      Many of our volunteers were able to be present at the Appreciation Dinner this past Friday. Let me repeat the sentiment of that evening: THANK YOU! We are truly grateful!

      Of course, the Parish Pastoral Council initiates that event as a way to recognize that which is expected of a parish faith community. We expect that the members of the parish will serve each other. Through worship, prayer, Sacraments, faith formation, retreats, days of reflection, service to the poor and hungry, etc., the parish family serves the people who come to her doors. This service is a form of Evangelization: sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

      St. John Paul II, as well as Popes Benedict and Francis have emphasized the need to “evangelize,” that is, to know the Good News and share the Gospel with others, including those who say they are Catholic but who have not grown in their faith. “The New Evangelization is a time of awakening, of new encouragement and new witness that Jesus Christ is the center of our faith and daily life. It calls on every member of the Church to a renewal of faith and an actual effort to share it" (The Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith. Proposition #5)

      The four major moments of the new evangelization dynamic as outlined by the Diocesan New Evangelization Area are: 1. Discover Jesus; 2. Follow Jesus; 3. Worship Jesus; 4. Share Jesus. In the coming weeks I will write more about these dynamics and about how we can put them into practice in our daily lives. This is not just a step by step process whereby we must do one thing first and then the next. Learning about God, knowing Jesus, and feeling the Holy Spirit are experiences which often occur in surprising ways.

      At this time, I ask each of you to think about the three key “target areas” as outlined by the Diocese for the dynamic of evangelization: 1. Ourselves — We must continually recommit ourselves to placing Christ at the center of our lives. 2. Our immediate family and friends. We often call this group the "fallen away," the "disengaged" or the "alienated." They may be our spouse, our children, grandchildren or our close friends. 3. The wider world — We are called to be witnesses of the faith to "the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

Happy Easter! Alleluia, Jesus Christ has risen! Alleluia!

Peace, Fr. Andy