Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Jerome,
Pax Christi semper vobiscum!
What a great blessing for our parish to have the rededication of the Sisters’ Convent on this Solemn Feast. The Oratory of Divine Providence will have the Sacramental Presence of Jesus where the Missionary Sisters of Saint John will be the main guardians. My gratitude to our parishioners who restored and repaired the interior of the convent building over the last eight months. Also, our gratitude to the families who contributed to defray the cost of renovation. Most importantly, join me in thanking Saint Joseph for being with us in this process. He has been actively guiding our workers and inspiring them with creative ideas. Would it simply be coincidental that the men who did most of the interior remodeling were named José? Or was it the manifestation of Saint Joseph’s intervention while the restoration project was being done? I think our spiritual encounter with him is made realistic through the phenomenon of our daily trust and prayerful communication with him.
In the past we have prepared and served a Thanksgiving Meal for our homeless neighbors. Perhaps we could do this again through our communal effort. However, there might be a bit of a change in terms of who are we intending to invite. During the past few months, we have been assisting our Venezuelan asylum seekers with clothing and basic toiletries. We have also provided Sunday evening meals for the rest of those who live on the streets of our neighborhood. I wonder if this year’s Thanksgiving luncheon may be a good opportunity for us to invite them again for communal acquaintances and camaraderie. I will keep you posted through Facebook and our parish website before Thanksgiving Day.
In addition, I want to remind our parish leaders to submit their tentative group activities for 2023 during the calendar meeting on the evening of November 28th. The calendar year will be our point of reference in terms of the anticipated community-building activities. Please make sure to send representatives from each group if the leaders are unable to attend.
Lastly, the season of Advent is just around the corner. However, before anything else, as we come to the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations, I recommend that we all spend an evening of prayer so we can put together a meaning as to what we are trying to accomplish as a parish. I invite you to for an evening of communal reflection on Friday, December 2nd. This evening of reflection will be offered in both languages so that everyone may have an opportunity to be more reflective of the meaning of the Advent and Christmas festivities.
While we celebrate the Solemn Feast of Jesus Christ the King this weekend, I pray that all of us may choose to be a part of God’s project in our local church by being participants to the unfolding of God’s Kingdom.
Sincerely in Christ and Mary,
