News - July 2024 RSS Feed

This weekend we welcome three new members into full communion with the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church - Dustin Philipson, Lynnea Hamilton, and Elijah (Eli) Hamilton. Although they already belonged to the universal church by reason of our common baptism, they however were not in full communion and could not partake in the Body and Blood of Christ given to us in the Eucharist. This weekend they will profess the Creed, be Confirmed, and receive their First Holy Communion.

It is recorded that over 60,000 people attended the National Eucharistic Congress, held at the Lucas Oil Stadium and the International Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis from July 17 - 21. I am grateful to the Lord that I was able to participate in this epochal event in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States. Alongside the number, I was thrilled by the diversity in the demographics of people who attended, from young and old, men and women and children, Cardinals, Bishops, priests, religious (male and female), in fact, the whole church was present.

In the First Reading for this weekend, the prophet Jeremiah proclaims the Lord’s denunciation for those shepherds who instead of caring for the Lord’s flock have resorted to self-care and comfort at the expense of the flock. They have become predators, exploiting the flock for their own selfish interests. As a result, the Lord will raise up a shepherd from the household of his servant David who will take care of his flock as he desires. This promise of a shepherd-king would be fulfilled in Jesus, who calls himself The Good Shepherd.

"We exist to rescue people from the poverty of an identity outside of Jesus” At all the masses this past weekend I introduced our parish mission statement, which is drawn from the Four Clarity Questions that are at the heart of who we are, what we do, and how we make ministry decisions.