Focused on the Great Commission

As faithful Catholics, where do we look for the mission of the Church? We look to the Gospel. This week, Jesus assures us to not be afraid and calls us to be “catching” others to follow in his way. In this period of Ordinary Time that we’re in, Jesus repeatedly tells us that our mission is to proclaim the Good News and to care for the poor and the oppressed. At St. Joseph’s, we take this great commission of Jesus to heart. We proclaim the Good News in our Sunday and daily worship; we share our faith in our Faith Formation, Youth Ministry and evangelization programs for young people and adults alike. We are deeply committed to caring for the poor and vulnerable through a vast array of social ministry initiatives including our new Penfield Hope ministry. This is where the heart and soul of our parish life is: grounded in the Gospel call to share the Good News and care for the poor.
 
Recently some critics of  the Church would have you believe that you have another mandate: to withhold your support of Gospel-missioned parishes and diocesan initiatives as a way of standing with the victims of clergy sexual abuse. We as a community of believers always stand with the victims of sexual abuse. We, as a parish staff, share our resolve that this mandate to withhold support is wrong-hearted. The withholding of support for the good work of Catholic parishes does not provide the love and support and care that these victims deserve; it only serves to harm others. Victims of abuse deserve our whole-hearted support and they deserve our laser-focused  attention on preventing these atrocities from occurring in the future. As lay and ordained, we need to work together not only to enforce zero-tolerance policies but also to identify ways to improve priestly formation so that young men are better prepared for a healthy life in ministry. Something has been horribly broken in the past; now we must find a new way forward.
 
This is overwhelming to think about, if we try to go it alone. That’s why it is so important that we come together. If you are seeking this kind of strength found only in Christian community, we invite you to join us this Lent for Discovering Christ. Here you can be renewed in your own faith while talking with others about the challenges we face as a Church today. And/or join us tomorrow evening at our 7pm Parish Pastoral Council meeting where we have committed our first agenda item every month to allowing people to voice their concerns and ideas about the crisis facing our Church today. Or pick up a copy of Everyone Leads and read along with us! Come, be part of the solution and recommit yourself to the great commission to share the Good News and care for the poor among us.