Mass:

Sunday September 27, 2020

Please reserve a seat for this week's upcoming 9:00 AM Mass.

Date: 09/27/2020 (Sun.)

Time: 9:00am - 11:00am EDT

Location: The Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception

Related files: Returning to Church and What to Expect

Please click on the Link below to signup Mass on Sunday September 27, 2020

 https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040449A4AD2BA0F94-mass

Passing On Our FAITH!!!

Dear Friends and Family of the Basilica,

When I was newly ordained, I lamented to a good friend that I was struggling with time management. I was failing to accomplish everything that I needed to do. Returning phone calls and emails to friends went on the back burner and I never seemed able to get to them. My prayer life was even suffering. She told me that my problem was not with managing my time but with prioritizing my day. She had noticed that I prioritize everything based on urgency instead of importance. Wise lady! There is seldom a sense of urgency about praying or calling a friend, but they are among the most important things we can do.

In times like these we are most grateful for our faith. The hope that comes from knowing Jesus is unsurpassed by anything that can be taught in school. When it seems as though we are forsaken or forgotten by others, we stay strong knowing that our Lord never abandons us! He has not brought us this far to leave us now. It is of utmost importance that we stay strong in faith. It is of equal importance that we pass that faith on to our children.

Catechesis is more than simply “Religious Education”. It is the passing on of the faith from one generation to the next. We stand on holy ground that was made fertile by the people who made sure we had a strong faith. There were certainly more urgent things in life, but to them, nothing was more important. I give thanks to God for everyone that brought me to this holy and fertile place. My parents, my family, my teachers. They knew what I would need to build my character as I grew into a man and they made sacrifices to ensure I had it.

Children today need a strong connection to their faith and their church even more than we did. I know that this time of separation from each other is difficult and we can sometimes forget or neglect that which is most important: prayer, exercise, compassion, peace and mercy, catechesis. We are all struggling. It is easy to put off doing those things because there are so many things that are more urgent. Nothing is more important.

Please take a minute and register your child(ren) for our Catechetical program here. It is how we pass on the importance of faith.

Peace,

Fr. Jim

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