The Heart of the Matter

Vaya con Dios

Today our parochial vicar left our parish to return to Peru where he comes from.  (A parochial vicar is the correct term for an assistant pastor.)  He served our people very well.  We have a very large Spanish-speaking population here in Boulder.  As much as Gringo priests serve the Spanish-speaking with just as much dedication, there are cultural aspects of the Latinos that are very different from North Americans.  In the Latino culture the sense of family is very strong; and having many children is seen as their greatest treasure.  They also cling to a multi-generational way of being family.  They have a very strong sense of reverence for the things of God.  This aspect was most obvious to me in the way our parishioners said farewell to Father Daniel last Sunday.  The English-speaking were very loving and wishing him well.  The Spanish flocked to him for his blessing.  Vaya con Dios, Padre Daniel.

All these things are going on, and who knew?

We had an organizational meeting the other night for people concerned about social justice.  Or, to say that differently: people concerned about others, especially those in need.  As the evening progressed, we heard one story after another of what kind of care is going on in our parish, but who knew?  Even though these various services are mentioned in our parish bulletin and sometimes mentioned in the announcements at the end of Mass, it seemed like it was news to all of us.  There were people there who manage our food box program (gathering and preparing boxes of food for hundreds of needy families); our sandwich makers (who prepare sandwiches for the street people); care of the senior citizens (particularly with a monthly gathering with lunch); jail ministry; our Jesse Tree program (getting hundreds of Christmas gifts gathered and then distributed to truly needy families); helping build homes in Mexico; and so on.

Who knew?  It's time to toot our own horn and gather in more such compassionate people who can get this Social Justice Team rolling into high gear.  Thank you, Tommy Lorden, our organizer.

Our Parish and School Purpose Statement

As part of my continuing education in a program called “Good Leaders/Good Shepherds” we are asked to write a purpose statement so as to answer these kinds of questions: Why am I a pastor (leadership of self)?  Why do a volunteer or an employee and I have a common concern (leadership in the one-on-one context)?  Why does a council or a staff or any parish or school group exist (leadership in a team context)?  And now, part of my homework is to define why we exist as a parish with a school (leadership in the organization context) and to share this purpose statement with my parishioners.  Here it is:

Our SHJ Parish and School Purpose Statement:

    

Our parish and school purpose is to call upon the grace of God and to use our highly educated skills to lead and teach each other, and those we know, how to become true disciples of Christ and thus become a vibrant parish and school community, made up of devout disciples who deeply care about:

• the salvation of all, and
• the spreading of God’s love symbolized by the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Lost Girls and Boys in Boulder

As I walk or drive around beautiful Boulder I occasionally see signs showing care for the people of Darfur.  That's where some of my parishioners come from.  Frequently they have been called the Lost Boys of Sudan and the Lost Girls of Sudan.  The horrors these young people have faced are beyond imagining.  Yet there is a beauty in them that pierces the soul of the one whose eyes notice them.  Perhaps it's the look in their eyes, a wise look, a way of seeing that has seen so much terror, a way of seeing that seems to know what is important to see.  There is a way people look who have suffered greatly.  It is not the look of boredom, nor of needing to be entertained.  It is not the look of someone searching out some superficial diversion.  They know what it means to run for one's life.  They know what it means to see loved ones die from hunger or violence.  They know what it means to be separated from family and wonder if they are still alive.  All that suffering makes for a profound beauty in every Lost Girl or Lost Boy of Sudan. And Boulder is more beautiful because they are here.

Adoration

Imagine if we really knew that it is Jesus Himself who is present in the Blessed Sacrament of the consecrated Host, present in the Tabernacle of every Catholic Church.  And imagine if people of all stripes knew they were welcome any day, but especially on Tuesdays when the Host is displayed in a reverential atmosphere for all to come and learn the meaning of the verse in Psalm 46, "Be still and know that I am God."

Our new priest is from Peru

Our new priest, Father Daniel Principe, is from Peru, a land with ancient lore and a proud history.  Here is a photo of him at Cuzco.

Father Daniel is the 4th of 6 brothers. 

Sacred Heart of Jesus parish welcomes him to Boulder.  May the Lord bless and magnify His grace at work in Father Daniel

In the Heart of Downtown Boulder

10/12/07

My parish is beautiful and it's in a beautful town, alongside of the beautiful mountains of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Boulder Colorado.  We have nearly 2000 people attending Mass here every weekend.  We have an Early Learning Center and elementary school and middle school, totalling over 400 youngsters.  Our parish website is www.shjboulder.org  Stop by and take a look-see.