Welcome!

Spring 2022

Friends,

The Lord is risen! While the world around us still spins, Easter is a sure reminder that death and evil have been defeated. As we move forward in this Easter season, I give thanks for each one of you and the faith you bring to our community. We have a few opportunities in front of us in the coming months as we grow as disciples.

• Our first opportunity is the invitation to live in community, inviting and welcoming people back to Mass, sacraments and formation in faith. If you are visiting us or new to our community this Easter, welcome! We want you to feel at home. If you are a long-standing member, think about how you are inviting others back to church. Think about how you are encouraging new faces to become involved in our community of disciples. Parish leadership will be doing the same.

• In the coming months, we will be increasing our focus on the true presence of Jesus, his body and blood, in the sacrament of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith and of our lives and we will be learning more about what that means for our worship and for our practice of faith. Jesus is truly present to each one of us in the Word and the Eucharist and when we participate in the Eucharist, Jesus is broken and shared through each one of us. When we begin to learn about and appreciate that mystery, we can have a powerful impact on the world around us.

• The one-by-One capital campaign at St. Mary continues. This is the time when your support counts most. 40 parish families have pledged so far, which means that approximately 1250 families have not yet pledged. A sacrificial gift from each family will take us the rest of the way. I ask you to consider your gift. St. Francis Xavier will have the opportunity to participate in the one-by-One campaign beginning in January of 2023.

I am blessed to walk with our communities as pastor and I am grateful for the growth and life I witness happening. Bishop Ricken continues to express his focus on missionary discipleship, vocations and worship of Jesus and I encourage you to look through our bulletins to see a small sample of the lives being touched and formed by Jesus through this shared vision. As we enter this Easter season, let us make the Eucharist, the greatest act of thanksgiving, an even greater priority in our lives that we might thank God outwardly for the gifts and fruits we receive daily and generously share them with the world. May we bring God’s kingdom to earth.

Peace,

Fr. Mike Ingold

Pastor