Dear Friends of our Pastorate of the Visitation,
This weekend we celebrate the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Our first reading this weekend is from 1st Kings. The Lord appears to Solomon in a dream and asks him to make a request for something, and the Lord will give it to him. Solomon doesn’t ask for wealth or power or prestige. Instead he asks for an understanding heart—he asks for wisdom in order to judge the people fairly and justly. To this day, the wisdom of Solomon is known and recognized as a great gift given to him by the Lord.
Wisdom is active in Jesus’ parables this weekend as well. When we discover something of great value or worth, we desire to possess it. But the “great value or worth” is not monetary, it is eternal, for it is the Lord, Jesus Christ. We have received a priceless gift from the Passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – forgiveness of our sins and new life in the kingdom of God. As beautiful as this world is, it cannot compare to the eternal beauty that awaits us in the heavenly realm. Therefore, keep your focus on the Lord God. Continue to seek and to search for God’s presence in your lives and in the world around us, and always be ready “to sell what you own” one you find this precious gift from God.
Our Pastorate has now completed our VBS programs at both parishes. “Rainforest Falls: Exploring the Nature of God” has been a rousing success! Over 300 youth and adult volunteers have participated in learning that God is our creator, God knows everything, God is our safe place, God is forever, and God is love. I would like our Pastorate’s awesome pastoral staff – Marie Griffiths and Michaela Stanton – and our youth ministry team – Tim Janiszewski and Carrie Hilmer – for leading and supporting our VBS efforts this year. I would also like to thank all of our adult volunteers and teen peer leaders who donated so much time to preparing and leading our VBS programs. We cannot do this without you all, so THANK YOU!!!!
With the impending retirement of Gina Bujanowski at St. Jane Frances, I am pleased to announce that we have hired a new administrative assistant for the office. Please join me in welcoming Carolina Saah to our Pastorate. We had many good applicants, so it was a difficult decision, but I am grateful that Carolina accepted our offer of employment. She will be working Monday to Thursday, 9:00am to 1:30pm in the office at St. Jane Frances. Tracey Laber will be assuming the role of Office Manager and will still be working Monday to Thursday, from 7:30am to 4:30pm. Gina’s final day in the office will be Thursday, August 27th. I would personally like to thank Gina for her many years of faithful service to the Church and to St. Jane Frances. She will be missed!
Finally, we are continuing to accept inquiries for our O.C.I.A. (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program. Deacon Phil will be leading our program this year so if you would like to become Catholic (never been baptized or baptized in another Christian faith or never Confirmed) please reach out to Deacon Phil at phil.snyder@archbalt.org. Classes will formally begin in September and will be held on Mondays from 7:00pm to 8:30pm in the school. Stay tuned for more details.
Thank you for keeping our Pastorate of the Visitation—St. Jane Frances de Chantal and Our Lady of the Chesapeake—in your daily prayers!
God Bless,
Father Steve
