Dear Friends in Christ,
This past Tuesday, our diocese would have had the last session of the School of Discipleship. It is a great joy to know that thirty-one of our parishioners have participated in this program in the last month. I have attended each of the sessions myself being the pastor and representing the clergy. The program has been held at Incarnation Parish in Mantua and has been very enjoyable. We are not assigned at tables with our parishioners (although we may be randomly with some). The evening begins with some questions for discussion followed by adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament. We spend time praying in the presence of the Real Presence, celebrate Benediction and then take a break for snacks. We then listen to the evangelist Jeff Cavins who is speaking to us from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The School of Discipleship is the creation of Bishop Williams who wants our diocese to ever come alive in the faith. In many ways, Our Lady of Hope Parish is ahead of the game in that after the Covid crisis and the forced closing of churches, our Parish Council was concerned about our returning to the practice of the faith. We discerned that we would begin the Christ’s Life program which was a smashing success. People prayed together and Sundays were not days to pray and run, but our vestibule is full of the faithful talking, laughing and sharing time together. We have continued having a similar program that we named, Living Christ. I have met with the same group for all the years we have been doing this program (it is different every year, not in structure, but in content) and we meet regularly and even go out to dinner to share time over a meal. Our “Table 4” as we call ourselves, has been a joy and friendships were forged. The Lord is the one Whose Spirit calls out to us as brothers and sisters. Our bishop wants our parishes to be alive in Christ and when people come to us, they encounter the living and loving God. We are so blessed that we have our chapel open every day until the evening for prayer before the Lord; we have our beautiful grotto that is a comfort to so many and we have had our grounds to stroll around praying the Holy Rosary and other prayers. Day and night activities are taking place in the church and parish hall for the youth up to our seniors. Christ is active in Our Lady of Hope and it is a joy to see it. We have changes coming up, but always, “Christ, the same, yesterday, tomorrow and today!” To all of our beloved mothers, “Happy Mother’s Day!”To Our Lady, above all, thank you for being a mother to us!
God bless you,
Father Szolack