My dear parishioners,
I hope that you and your loved ones are well, and I join you in prayer for all who are suffering from the impact of COVID-19.
This weekend marks the 133rd anniversary of the founding of St. Matthias Parish. Next weekend will be the 111th anniversary of the first Mass for Queen of Angels Parish. With such a deep well of history, resilience and strength to draw from, this is a timely week to begin our journey together as one parish family.
Renew My Church is not an easy process, even without the pandemic. When some small part of the process seems frustrating, obscured, or overly complicated, I remind myself that the mission imperatives are to make disciples, build community, and inspire witness. None of those things happen in an instant, and none of them are possible at all without the grace of God.
- We will continue the work of making disciples by sharing and reflecting on the Gospel each Sunday, whether from home or gathered at church; by welcoming and forming the children in our community through Catholic education and Religious Education in the forms they must take this year; and by living our faith with joy each day so that our neighbors may see the light of Christ in us.
- We will build community as we can, with the personal connections we form with one another. I see this already happening through our work of welcoming parishioners back to church and making reopening plans for school in the Fall. Ministry leaders are reaching out to the people to invite new volunteers to participate in their mission, and our staff people are in regular communication to begin to coordinate daily and weekly operations at our churches.
- And we will strive to inspire witness by modeling our lives on Christ: by giving more than we take, and by being a people who ask “how can I help you?” rather than “what’s in it for me?” because if we are compassionate to all, we will begin to feel that we are not other, but one.
Please keep me in your prayers as I will keep you in mine, and do not hesitate to reach out by phone or email. Above all, I pray that we will have patience with one another as we navigate the challenges ahead of us.
Be assured of my prayers, love and support for Father Larry McNally and for all of you,
Monsignor Jim Kaczorowski
Pastor, Queen of Angels and St. Matthias Parish