Next weekend, Fr. Donald O'Connor will be visiting our parish to do a missionary appeal. All parishes in the United States, including the Fresno Diocese are asked to host annually a missionary priest, sister, or lay person who allow us to share in the work of foreign missions. Your generosity to Father O'Connor's appeal will be appreciated.
Happy Father's Day!
The parish offers best wishes to all the fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, godfathers, and spiritual fathers on this Father's Day 2011. So many of our fathers give witness to their faith and their vocation as fathers in the leadership they show their children. In a very special way, we remember our deceased father (as I do my own father, Anastasio).
St. Joseph was the model of a father (foster-father actually), a caring and protective husband, a hard worker and wage-earner, and many other things that make him a suitable model for all men. His love for Mary and his care for the son entrusted to his care is something we need to learn in our day and age. With so many children that grow up without a father in the home, and the many men who are simply absent from the lives of their children, we need to encourage strong and supportive marriages and relationships that give witness to God's unconditional love.
Thus I find the need to focus this positive imagery of St. Joseph on the men of our parish. Men need to be encouraged today to be good husbands, fathers, workers, and basically good men through prayer and positive Christian living. I am today officially announcing the beginning of the formation of a parish men's group, modeled on the life of St. Joseph, and placing it under his protection. The St. Joseph Men's Group. Their focus would be on their spiritual life, their support for one another to live good Catholic lives, and to support and be supported by their parish community of Our Lady of the Sierra. This group would be under the auspices of the parish, the pastor, and each other. The men in the group would gather regularly to pray, to work, and to support the continue ministries of this parish.
I would like to gather men together to discuss this new venture in the Parish Hall at Our Lady of the Sierra Church on Wednesday, June 22nd at 7:00pm. If needed, we will hold another gathering at a later date to begin the commencement of our men's group.
If you are a Catholic man, of any age, wishing to gather with other men to pray, work, and serve with an open heart, please consider this endeavor by attending the meeting on Wednesday evening. If you cannot attend, but are interested, look for the next meeting, or send me an email, frmike@dioceseoffresno.org, and let me know you wish to join and participate. Once we have a good strong number and interest, we will move forward in creating and building this new asset to our wonderful parish community. Fr. Mike
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