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Dear Friends in Christ,
The picture on the cover of the bulletin is one of our kiddos who participated with 50 other children this past week in “Vacation Bible School.” The theme of the VBS was “Let’s Go Digging for Treasure.” The treasure of course is God’s love revealed in the bible, most especially in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The love of Christ is primarily revealed in the lives of his body and the church, including in a special way through our children and youth.
Our Children’s Church Program, Confirmation prep, and ASB represent our commitment to plant the seeds of faith, hope, and love in our young people, and deepen their Catholic lives and participation in the church. This is a source of hope for our present and future life as a church. One of the challenges to this in recent decades however is the alarmingly high percentage of teenagers and young adults who eventually distance themselves from Catholic faith and practice, in particular regular participation in Sunday Mass. Many of you voiced concern about this in our synod listening sessions last year. It needs to become a higher priority for us.
One source of hope here also occurred this week with the beginning of “World Youth Day” in Lisbon Portugal. Some brief background to this event:
World Youth Day (WYD) is the gathering of young people from all over the world with the Pope. It is also a pilgrimage, a celebration of youth, an expression of the universal Church, and an intense moment of evangelization for the youth world. Although its Catholic identity is clearly evident, WYD opens its doors to everyone, no matter how close to or distant from the Church they are. It aims to provide all participants with a universal Church experience, fostering a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. With young people as its protagonists, World Youth Day also seeks to promote peace, and unity among peoples and nations around the world.
My brief message to all the youth of our parish, children, teenagers, and young adults is this: We love you and value your presence in our Catholic community. We pray for you and support you in your journey to discern your vocation in life. We need your energy and talent to be effective in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus. You are always welcome at St. Bridget’s, and we hope to see you soon!
Blessings of peace,
Fr. William Heric, Pastor
