Our Savior and our friend

As I frantically try to write a bulletin article before retreat begins, I am convinced that I need to pray more and better. This is a common theme for me and something that comes up each time I go on retreat. So, it is not new for me. In light of this recurrent realization, I want to encourage all of you to increase your prayer. It does not have to be much – just five minutes in the morning or evening or driving in silence to work. Saying a decade of the Rosary on your lunch break or in between different household tasks. Prayer puts us in friendship with our savior. This is the one friendship we need, not just because it is the only friendship that can satisfy our hearts. It is the only friendship that can save us from eternal death. In Jesus Christ is all of our hope. Just a few reminders:

First, please take the Disciple Maker Index Survey. We ask that you do this online if possible. This makes the lives of our staff easier, and we do not have to fret as to whether the paper copies made it to the Catholic Leadership Institute where the data can be gathered from the surveys. Here is the link: https://portal.catholicleaders.org/dmi/survey/y8g293.

Second, we are continuing to move forward as we become a Family of Parishes. This is especially true in the area of staff and pastoral council. Staff have been meeting with each other to discuss how to work better together so as to help serve our Lord and our parishes effectively. The meetings have taken place in groups of employees who have a shared area of parish life. This will mean that greater signs of unity appear and that not everyone reports to me as we develop a staff hierarchy. We are also beginning discussions on bringing all four of our pastoral councils into one unified pastoral council for the St. Joseph, Pillar of Families Parishes. We are working to ensure that each parish’s autonomy is guarded. This means that three parishes will not be able to have power over one parish. Instead, we want to foster a spirit of care for each other through a unified pastoral council. Other parishes have models for having a unified pastoral council in their Family of Parishes that work. So, we are not starting from scratch in this. Also, this will not happen until January 2024. We have time to work out the details.

Finally, I want to thank Jesus for all that He has done for me and for all of you. He is so good to us, and showers love upon us though we do not deserve or earn His love. With that, I want to leave you with an aspiration of St. Josemaria Escriva “May you seek Christ. May you find Christ. May you love Christ.” As your pastor and spiritual father, this is all I desire for you, my parishioners.

Peace in Christ,

Fr. Jarred Kohn