Year of Unity

Dear Parishioners,

I hope everyone had a safe and fun Independence Day last weekend! May God always watch over us and bless our country. It is good to be home again! Due to my travels, I'll have to keep this short this week, but in the future, I look forward to sharing reflections and experiences from my retreat and pilgrimage.

I feel very rested and rejuvenated, and I am so grateful for that. There's been a lot going on lately, and I truly felt blessed to have the opportunity to pray, refocus, and come back refreshed. I'm also very grateful for everyone's efforts that kept things running smoothly while I was away. Thank you for your prayers for me during my travels; please know that I was praying for all of you back home as well.

Some highlights of my trip include nocturnal holy hours at Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Paris, my retreat at the monastery, and a day at Lisieux with St. Thérèse. I'd encourage you to learn more about St. Thérèse and her "Little Way" of Gospel holiness — it's really good stuff! I'll be sure to elaborate more in the future and share some of the graces and insights that came to me during my retreat.

This week, we are launching our theme for the year for our Family of Parishes: unity. More than anything, Jesus prayed that His disciples be one, as He is one with the Father. Through conversations with the Family Leadership Team and Family Pastoral Council, it seemed like the right time to focus on unity, which will prepare us well for the Family Unity Discernment process next spring. You can read more on the Year of Unity page of the website, and watch for more information over time on the website, in the bulletin, and through all our usual means of communication.

Let us all come together as one, so that we can find strength in our commonalities and richness in our differences.

Yours in Christ, with Mary,
Fr. Henry Hoffmann