“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20). The last words of Jesus recorded in both Matthew’s and Mark’s gospels included the clear command to go to the ends of the earth and proclaim his gospel – the good news of our salvation through him. Since then, the Church has engaged in this important work and we are blessed to respond to that call here at St. Katharine of Siena parish, the local expression of the Universal Church. Since the winter of 2019, a small and very dedicated group of parishioners (Marie Northington, Juan Salinero and Rosanne Terzian), led by Laura Kerr, our parish evangelization coordinator, has been inviting other parishioners to embark on a disciple-making endeavor in our parish. Over 60 parishioners have responded and have engaged in studies that have led them to deepen their relationship with Jesus and equip them to lead others to do so. With this solid foundation and in response to the third priority of our Next Generation Parish Pastoral Plan, we are now expanding this endeavor and inviting everyone in the parish to join in this essential work of the Church and our parish.
Laura and her Evangelization Team are prepared to lead even more groups of parishioners through prayerful discernment and personal study to an ever closer relationship with Jesus. Using well-developed resources, they will help everyone who participates to encounter Jesus Christ, experience conversion, embrace discipleship and become equipped to share their faith with others. I want to encourage everyone to prayerfully consider joining in one of these faith-sharing groups; you will find it to be very fruitful, I’m sure! You can sign up on our parish web site, via Flocknote or by contacting Laura at evangelization@sksparish.org.
CULTURE OF LIFE CONCERT
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Mt. 5:9). In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offers us the way to experience God’s blessings in this life and for all eternity. One of his blessings was upon the peacemakers. Tragically, ever since Cain slew Abel, the world has experienced violence and hate. We are witnesses to it today as we read about or watch on television people being besieged in Ukraine and other areas of war and unrest around the world. And, we experience it much closer to home as the gun violence claims so many victims throughout the Philadelphia region and around the country.
All of this violence is the result of a fundamental lack of respect for the right to life that all humans have received from God from the moment of conception to natural death. We may feel helpless to do anything to stop the violence and hate but are also aware that God listens to our prayers and will send his Holy Spirit to guide us to a holy response to this unholy violence and hate. And so, our seventh annual Culture of Life Concert will offer us all a sacred moment to come together in prayer, asking God to bring his peace to our world in turmoil and to guide us to work for that peace.
I invite everyone to join with the choirs from our parish as well as St. Thomas of Villanova and St. Martin de Porres parishes in prayer and song for an end to violence and hate – even if you haven’t sent in your RSVP. The concert begins at 3:00pm this afternoon in church and will be followed by a reception in the parish center. Let us come together as peacemakers to pray that God will shower his peace on our troubled world.