Mass: Sunday July 12, 2020

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

Date: 07/12/2020 (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 July 12, 2020

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

Dear Friends and Family of the Basilica,

We are constantly reminded that we are a people formed in the image of God who is a unity of diversity. Equal in majesty, equal in power, equal in love. 

What is happening in our country now is the result of centuries of sin against that unity and equality. To deny a person their equality is to deny God. As someone once said, “our chickens are coming home to roost”. But we know that God is with us through all the turmoil. There are so many signs of victory that we should celebrate: All four officers responsible for the death of George Floyd are arrested and charged. Police officers throughout the land (including Norfolk’s very own Police Chief Boone) are taking a knee in solidarity with the protesters.  Monuments that have long been a humiliating reminder of a dark and shameful past are being removed. These are certainly worth celebrating! Alleluia!

 But these victories are battles, not the war. We know that the real enemy we fight is sin and hate in the enduring form of racism. We are ultimately not fighting for justice for George Floyd or Ahmed Aubrey or Breonna Taylor. We fight for Justice which is healing of a relationship made wrong by sin. We fight for Peace, which is the daughter of Justice. We fight for Equality in our Diversity. We fight for the Trinitarian image in which we are created. So for everyone who is marching, keep marching. Everyone who is praying, keep praying. Everyone who is advocating, keep advocating. We are encouraged by our faith which is from of old. As Isaiah still proclaims from the mountain top:

“Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The LORD is God from of old,

creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary,

and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.

He gives power to the faint,

abundant strength to the weak.

Though young men faint and grow weary,

and youths stagger and fall,

They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,

they will soar on eagles’ wings;

They will run and not grow weary,

walk and not grow faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31

We are a people unified in diversity! We are a people who serve the God of Justice! We are a people who hope in the Lord. We will run and not grow weary, we will soar like eagles! We will not stop until the war is won. Be encouraged, stay encouraged, encourage each other.

I miss you and wait for the day that we can celebrate together in our restored Basilica.

In His Love,

Fr. Jim

  https://fundraise.foodbankonline.org/team/298181