November 22, 2023
Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. John’s,
Happy Thanksgiving from St. John’s!
As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, know that I am so thankful to be here at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and School. Every time I gather with parishioners or staff, I witness Christ’s powerful love. Whether it is in our parishioners reflecting God’s love back to Him in the Mass, or our volunteers and staff stepping up to serve the spiritual needs of our parishioners, I am impressed with your yes to follow Christ. Here are a few ways in which I witnessed Christ this month:
- In the beautiful Masses we celebrated on All Saints day asking their intercession and knowing that holiness is possible for us
- In the beautiful Masses on All Souls as we prayed for those who have gone before us
- In the Holy Spirit guiding different conversations or Homilies where I knew it was not my own words but that of Christ
- In the small group leader training as our parishioners wanted to share their love for Christ with others
- In the participants and sponsors in OCIA wanting to learn the faith so that they can follow Christ more closely
- In the generous spirit of our parishioners and staff to our Restore to Gather Capital Campaign
- In the beautiful Anointing Mass where we anointed 115 people approached Christ, asking for healing
- In our school students celebrating Mass together and praying boldly and loudly the Our Father
- In our parishes musicians as they beautifully performed Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Coronation Mass in C Major
- In our volunteers who serve families in need both with food from our food shelf and clothes and baby supplies from our Kidz closet
- In our commission members as they share their expertise and use the gifts God has given them to help us serve our parishioners better
- In our small group leaders and participants as they approach the Father together in prayer
God is at work and it is beautiful to be a part of His ministry here at SJB! Know of my gratitude for your yes and even taking the time to read this and grow in awareness of parish happenings here at SJB.
As we celebrate Chris the King Sunday this weekend, I am grateful to serve our King with you by my side and know of my prayers for you and your families. As we approach Advent, may the Holy Spirit open our eyes to witness to Christ in every interaction we have.
As the Father loves me, so I also love you,
Father Paul Shovelain
Pastor