This weekend you and I do what we always do: we gather for Mass.
We’ll have about 2,500 people in our eight Masses,
and we’ll have more who will observe via the Internet.
And yet, there’s something we’re doing for the very first time:
All three parishes together
are observing the solemnity of St. John Paul II.
Today is a good time to reflect on what it means
that God gave us Pope John Paul II
as the patron of our three parishes coming together.
“JPII” had an unparalleled devotion to our Lady;
He must love being a protector of two churches dedicated to her!
St. Henry was a king who preferred peace to war;
John Paul helped peacefully win the Cold War.
What St. John Paul might best be known for is that all his life,
right until his last breath, was about pointing to Jesus.
There is a phrase he often used, which I’d like to propose
you and I adopt as our inspiration: “Open wide the doors to Christ!”*
He looked ahead to the 3rd Millenium
and foresaw reimagining parish life, to reorient familiar things.
That’s what you and I have been doing, and there’s more to do.
So, we pause to consider:
what do you and I want that reimagined life of our parishes,
the re-ignited spreading of our Faith to those around us, to look like?
Today, I’m giving you an invitation
to play an essential part in making that new reality happen.
That is the objective of our “Open Wide the Doors” campaign,
which you may have heard about already,
and you will hear more about, in the days ahead.
Consider the journey we’ve been on.
We could go all the way back to 1852,
when Our Lady of Good Hope was founded, under another name;
or to 1867, the beginning of St. Mary in Franklin;
or to the beginning of St. Henry in 1960.
Lots of challenges and surprises
and lots of people full of faith ready for them,
including our recent journey bringing us together.
Thank you for already opening wide your hearts to this journey,
and to the future that remains hidden;
but which will be far brighter faced with faith and not fear.
You and I, in turn, owe thanks to all who brought us thus far,
on whose work you and I will continue to build.
It has always required more than the ministry of our priests,
the instruction of teachers and catechists
and the labors of staff and volunteers, all so valuable.
No, you and I got here together; it requires all of us.
So, at this moment, I’m asking everyone to pause and consider:
What will be your part, my part of the story
as we write this next chapter?
You’ve certainly noticed new faces: mine!
Also our safety volunteers, and new staff members.
You have read about things we’re organizing in some different ways,
Both to get more value for your dollars and to serve people better.
We’ve opened wide the doors of our three campuses.
More people are enjoying the PAC at St. Henry.
You’ve seen improvements
at Our Lady of Good Hope and St. Mary, long needed.
These things all cost money.
You may not realize it, but I’ve been meeting quietly with folks
who have responded generously thus far with about $340,000 pledged
toward these efforts to make our shared homes more welcoming.
But the financial backbone of our parishes is your weekly offerings.
In the next few days, you’ll receive a letter inviting you to consider: what am I willing to offer to help open even wider the doors
of all three of our churches and all we can offer?
By “wider,” I mean this:
There are 130,000 people who live in our combined parish boundaries.
A lot of them are fellow Catholics who we haven’t met yet.
There are so many ways you and I can welcome them,
but our present resources are limited.
As you saw in my report a few weeks ago,
two of our parishes have a deficit,
almost all due to the maintenance needs we are catching up on.
We’re spending more because we’re doing more.
You and I can balance our budgets tomorrow by simply deciding:
we won’t be ambitious. We will stand pat.
But that’s not Opening Wide the Doors; that’s shutting them!
And our parishes will not thrive if you and I don’t step out in faith.
When you receive the mailing I mentioned,
please consider how you can help our parishes take these steps.
There will be a commitment card
and I ask you to pray about what you will do,
and bring your commitment to church next weekend.
And just to make clear: when you check that commitment card,
you decide what to offer and how it will be used.
One of our goals is to give you maximum flexibility
in being able to direct your donations where you want them;
and to enable you to contribute safely online or with an envelope.
We can’t do any of this without you!
St. John Paul II had another phrase he was famous for,
Which was, of course, Jesus’ own words:
“Be not afraid”!
Together, you and I can offer ourselves
and the treasures of our parishes, our shared home,
to welcoming more, to help others share our faith,
and as a result, we build the St. John Paul II Family.
It’s in our own hands. Be not afraid!
* After the first Mass, I was reminded by a reading in the breviary that Pope St. John Paul II said these words in his first homily as pope.
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