From the pastor
Earlier thisweek I attended the Holy Cross Pastors Convocation in Indiana. It’s always fun to catch up with brother priests, particularly in our religious order who also pastor parishes. We get to share with each other about the many activities and life in our various parishes and learn from each other. St.John Vianney is the largest Holy Cross parish in the US and I love to tell them about all we have going on here – sacramental life, evangelization, discipleship, works of mercy and the gazillions of programs and events we enjoy each year.
Most importantly during the week we got to pray together for the people we serve and renew our zealfor doingGod’s work in the parishes. You may know that our religious order, Holy Cross, also leads several universities in the United States and our priests work in diverse and myriad ministries. Many are professors or campus ministers. Others work in administrative roles. We also lead missions to the homeless and vulnerable, like at Andre House in Phoenix. Still others serve for a period oversees.
Yet, the parish remains one of the most significant and beautiful ministries in which we serve. Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York (for whom we pray as he enters the papal conclave this week to help elect our new pope!) wrote a book in2000 called»Priestsfor the Third Millennium’ and noted how important parish work is for priests today. The Cardinal has a folksy and sometimes humorous way of explaining his points. In one he says, ‘When the judge asked the infamousthief WillieSutton why he robbed banks, he replied, «Cause that’s where the money isr’ When they ask us, ‘Why do you want to be a parish priest, we can respond «Cause that’s where thesouls are!»
Pope Francis wrote that parishes are the geographical place where the Church lives its mission out – where the day-to-day life of being a Catholic is lived out as families and disciples. It’s not to say that missions, universities, and institutions are not important – Lord knows they are and we are glad to have them! – but just that for a priest, it’s in the parish where weget to most concretely live our sacramental ministry and help all those souls there deepen their life in Christ and get to heaven.
If we priests dont thank you enough for being a part of SJV Parish and letting us serve you, please know that it’s always in our hearts. The overwhelming sense from our few days together as pastors was how tremendously blessed and happy we are ‘to be where the souls are» and serve you as pastors. We admitted we have days in which we may be overtired or cranky. But, I suppose in any family that happens from time to time. Please be patient with me and thank you for your prayers and love.
Together, as a parish – especially our huge and diverse one – we follow Jesus and count on His DMne Mercy. We also invite others toget toknow Him and receive the salvation onlyJesus can give. There’s a lot of souls here in Gooclyear and Avondale who may feel «unconnected» or even lost But we know they will always find a warm welcome at St. John Vianney. We are getting tighter and tighter on space in the Church andthe parking lot – what a problem to have! But we will always find room for more. Invite your family and friends, coworkers and neighbors, to Masses, fellowship, our education programs and activities.
All praise and glory be to Jesus Christ! And let’s always remember that the family that prays together stays together!
De parte del párroco
A principios de esta semana asistí a la Holy Cross Pastors Convocation en Indiana. Siempre es gratificante ponerse al día con hermanos sacerdotes, sobre todo de nuestra orden religiosa, que también son párrocos. Tenemos la oportunidad de compartir con los demás sobre las muchas actividades y la vida en nuestras diversas parroquias, y de aprender unos de otros. San Juan Vianney es la parroquia de la Santa Cruz más grande de los EE.UU., y me encanta contarles todo lo que hacemos aquí: la vida sacramental, la evangelización, el discipulado, las obras de misericordia y los miles de programas y eventos que disfrutamos cada año.
Lo más importante es que durante la semana pudimos rezar juntos por las personas a las que servimos y renovar nuestro celo por hacer la obra de Dios en las parroquias. Quizás sepan que nuestra orden religiosa, Holy Cross, también dirige varias universidades en Estados Unidos, y que nuestros sacerdotes trabajan en diversos y múltiples ministerios. Muchos son profesores o ministros en colegios. Otros desempeñan funciones administrativas. También dirigimos misiones para personas sin hogar y vulnerables, como en Andre House de Phoenix. Y otros sirven durante un tiempo en el extranjero.
Sin embargo, la parroquia sigue siendo uno de los ministerios más significativos y hermosos en los que servimos. El Cardenal Dolan, arzobispo de Nueva York (por quien oramos al entrar en el cónclave papal esta semana para ayudar a elegir a nuestro nuevo Papa), escribió un libro en el año 2000 titulado Sacerdotes para el Tercer Milenio y señaló lo importante que es el trabajo parroquial para los sacerdotes de hoy. El Cardenal expone sus ideas de un modo campechano y, a veces, humorístico. En una parte, dice:
“Cuando el juez preguntó al tristemente célebre ladrón Willie Sutton por qué robaba bancos, respondió: ‘¡Porque ahí es donde está el dinero!’. Cuando nos preguntan: ‘¿Por qué quieres ser párroco?’, podemos responder: ‘¡Porque ahí es donde están las almas!’”.