Dear Friends of our Pastorate,
I would like to thank everyone who submitted a suggestion for a name for our Pastorate. We received over 50 suggestions! After much consultation and prayer with parishioners, staff, and our Pastorate Mission Team, we are planning to move forward with the title of “Pastorate of the Visitation.” Additionally, the Mission Team requested that “Catholic Churches of Pasadena” also be incorporated into the title. We will begin this process over the next several months with adding the name to our Pastorate’s communications, including: the bulletin, Flocknote, Facebook, and our websites. It was felt that the title “Visitation” was best able to embrace and unite both parishes for several reasons. First, St. Jane Frances founded the Order of the Visitation in 1610, so there is a connection to St. Jane Parish. Second, Our Lady of the Chesapeake is named after our Blessed Mother, who in Luke’s account of the Visitation (Luke 1:39-45)journeyed to “visit” her cousin Elizabeth. Third, the Visitation is a feast day of the Church, celebrated on May 31st which offers our Pastorate a way to celebrate something new together. And fourth, as with Mary and Elizabeth, our two beautiful parishes are “related” to each other, with OLC being a “daughter” parish of our mother parish, St. Jane Frances. Just like Elizabeth and Mary, we are coming together to support and assist each other and work together to proclaim Jesus Christ to the greater Pasadena community. (And to reiterate once again, nothing is closing! BOTH St. Jane Frances and Our Lady of the Chesapeake as individual parishes will continue to exist.)
This weekend, we celebrate the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. This weekend’s Gospel is the Parable of the Talents (Mt 25:14-30). Three servants receive talents from their master before he leaves for a journey. Two of the servants are able to multiply their talents, while the third one was afraid; so he buried his in the ground. On his return, the master rewards the first two servants and chastises the third for doing nothing with what was entrusted to him. The Lord has entrusted to us many talents (or gifts) that we are challenged to put to use throughout our lives. This week, pray and reflect upon what gifts God has given you and how you can put them to use to build up God’s kingdom on earth.
On behalf of all of us at the Pastorate, I would like to wish everyone a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you will be able to enjoy quality time with your family and friends. Don’t forget to join us at our Pastorate’s Thanksgiving Mass this Thursday, Nov. 23rd at 8:30am at St. Jane Frances. Please consider bringing a bag of nonperishable food items to support the food pantry at NCEON and Our Lady of the Chesapeake. Next weekend (Nov. 25-26), we will continue to collect non-perishable food items at both parishes, so if you cannot make it to our Thanksgiving Mass, then please bring your donations to any Mass over the weekend.
Thank you for keeping our “Pastorate of the Visitation” in your daily prayers!
God Bless,
Father Steve
