A Letter from our Pastor

01-15-2023Pastor's CornerVery Rev. Robert J. Deehan, VF

I am pleased to report that Cardinal Sean has recently approved our Parish Pastoral Plan that our Parish Plan Writing Team has been working on for about two years. This is a key part of the Disciples in Mission pastoral planning process that calls every parish / collaborative to determine 3 – 5 pastoral priorities that will focus on the mission of evangelization, which is to form committed disciples of Jesus who truly know Him, love Him, and who seek to draw others into closer relationship with Him and His Church.

The parish vision that the team came up with is this: Holy Family strives to be a joyful, welcoming community of faith that encounters Jesus and thinks with His mind and loves with His heart. In order to realize this vision, the team proposed that the first need is to address the culture of the community and to foster a renewed commitment to hospitality in the broadest sense. We seek to create a community of radical hospitality that is more than a singular ministry, but rather a shift of culture that can begin in specific areas the team has identified. The second need is to help people deepen their knowledge of and relationship with Jesus so that they can be better equipped to think with His mind and love with His heart, and to help these followers of Jesus become intentional disciples. An additional need the Archbishop wants all parishes to address is the area of vocations with a special focus on the diocesan priesthood. This is vital to the future sacramental life of our Church. To view the Parish Pastoral Plan, click here.

I am very grateful to the team members: Judy Haglof, Deacon Don Larose, Sarah Madigan, Marybeth MacQuarrie, Ken McCarthy, and Drew Tenney under the leadership of Jeanne Cregan, who have worked hard to come up with this Parish Pastoral Plan that includes the Parish Vision Statement, Pastoral Priorities, Goals, and Milestones that will direct the tasks necessary to achieve the goals. Presently, the team is addressing the implementation phase of the plan as outlined in each goal, which involves enlisting many more gifted parishioners to assure that the goals are achieved. Check out what areas you may be interested in and feel called to serve, and let us know. And, please pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us in carrying out this Pastoral Plan and make fruitful the good works we undertake in service to our mission.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob