July 29, 2001

On A Mission

Technology Ministry
If you’d like togive your time and expertise at helping our parish connect its telephone systems or develop its computer networking or work on its website, you can let us know by filling in our
online form

Mission Support
Thank you to all who supported the appeal for our Diocesan Mission Parish last weekend. We collected over $5,100

Quote of the Week
“Sometimes silence is your friend.”

Today’s Bible Quote
“Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you.”
Luke 11

Missing in Action
Father Ralph:
“When I got back from El Salvador I found that this coming week there are so many priests staying in our rectory that they need my room. So I’ll take a week’s vacation. I’ll be back next weekend."

El Salvador
We returned from the Mission Trip to El Salvador. See the trip online

Want to e-mail Father Ralph?

 

Past Columns:
July 22: Piecing Together
July 15th: Unpacking St Brigids
July 8th: Happy to Be Here
July 1st : First Words


St. Brigid’s is involved in mission work these summer weeks. Last Sunday we heard talks about the Diocesan Mission parish in the Dominican Republic and parishioners generously responded to the call to reach out to our brothers in sisters in the parish in El Cercado.
Next weekend our Diocese will be involved in The American Missions Appeal -- this collection goes far to support missions throughout the Americas -- Appalachia, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic as well as African American and Native American communities throughout the United States.
A group of 23 parishioners just finished a Mission Awareness Retreat in El Salvador and I was privileged to be part of this group of travelers for a most remarkable journey.
The people of El Salvador have suffered unimaginable horrors for the past decade -- a brutal civil war, one of the most severe hurricanes in recent memory, and two earthquakes earlier this year. The average Salvadoran has been affected by these events but the ones most affected are children and the elderly. Children were left without family when their parents were killed in the war or in the natural disasters. Some children were abandoned by their parents because they could not afford to raise them. Many elderly were also abandoned in the streets.
A number of agencies were established to reach out in love and mercy to those who were abandoned. We spent the week with the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) who took us to children’s homes and a home for the elderly. We were able to see first hand the poverty and injustice that people struggle with and we marveled at the great love that we experienced in the homes we visited.
I was very moved by the great love that the young people from our parish showed throughout our journey. There were many generous moments -- including a spontaneous decision to purchase and install new basketball backboards and rims at a home for children whose backboards had rusted away.
One lesson we learned was to appreciate the opportunities for mission here at home and to appreciate all we have. We are truly blessed with many riches -- especially the love in our families and in our parish community.

Come Visit Our Online Tour of El Salvador!

For the Record..

See Father's Ralph's first spoken greeting to the community at St. Brigid..

Italian Mass
(translation provided)

Spanish Mass
(translation provided)

Haitian Mass
(translation provided)

Mass in English
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