I should be returning from my trip today (Sunday) but not until the afternoon. I trust that you supported our missionary visitor last week. Such priests remind us yearly that the Church is larger than our parish and even our Diocese. It is spread throughout the world and so many depend upon us for financial and prayerful support. I’m sure many of you will be happy to see one of our former pastors celebrate the 10:00am Mass today. Father Ned Weist is always welcomed back to St. Leo’s and I’m glad he was available to be with some of you this weekend. We also welcome Father Ed Luca who is also retired but who continues to be of great help to us active priests in covering for us when we are away. Though I haven’t even left yet as I write this bulletin article in advance of my vacation, I’m sure it will be good to return to St. Leo’s as it always is.
Please remember that you can still sign up to participate in the ARISE program which will begin next month. It’s a great way to sit back & reflect on what your faith has meant to you and to ask how it can be more meaningfully experienced in your life now. I am convinced by my own experience that we grow most in faith when we share it with others. I enjoy listening to the questions and thoughts of others and I also like the opportunity to share what my faith means to me. We do all this with the Scriptures, the Word of God himself, as the foundation of our conversation. We do this in an atmosphere of prayer. We do it trusting each other, learning from one another, and supporting others by our own faith. Remember the words of Jesus from a couple weekends ago: “Whenever you are gathered in my name, I am there with you.”
I’d like to offer another reminder about the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA): if you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the Catholic faith, please join us on Wednesday, October 1st, from 7:00-8:30pm in the Parish Center. You are welcomed if you are already Catholic and want to support those curious about our faith, you are welcomed if you are not Catholic (whether baptized in other denomination or not) and want to ask questions about Catholicism. Feel free to invite someone you know who may benefit from our informal conversation and bring them yourself. Each week a presentation on some aspect of our faith will be offered, and questions are welcomed and encouraged!