Pastoral Message: I Will Praise Your Name Forever…!

In every Mass, we have the opportunity to sing or recite one of the Psalms as our response to the first reading. The Book of Psalms, which contains 150 chapters, is the longest book in the Bible. Many of these Psalms are expressions of praise and thanksgiving to God. Today's Responsorial Psalm, Psalm 145, is a beautiful hymn of praise that invites us to recognize God's goodness and faithfulness in our lives.

Our response, "I will praise your name forever, my King and my God," invites us to pause and reflect on the many ways the Lord has blessed us, both individually and as a community. It calls us to acknowledge God's presence among us and to offer him our gratitude and praise.

As a parish community, we have much to praise God for and to thank God for this past fiscal and pastoral year (July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026). We celebrated the many ways God has been present in the life of our parish. Through our spiritual, social, and community events, we joyfully celebrated the 70th anniversary of our parish's founding (1955–2025). This milestone celebration revealed the dedication, generosity, and commitment of our volunteers who continue to strengthen and sustain our many ministries and leadership. We are grateful for the service and support of Fr. David, Fr. Robert, Fr. Paul, and the entire SFC staff throughout this past year. Through their commitment and ministry, our parish continues to grow as a community of faith.

We also give thanks to God for the success of the Sowing the Seeds of Faith Campaign, which supports the implementation of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan. As one of the Wave 1 parishes participating in this campaign, our parish priests, parish staff, and campaign ambassadors began this important work in early February. The parish goal assigned by the Diocese was $1,051,000, and as of today, our parish has raised over $1,611,521—more than 153% of our goal. This tremendous achievement was made possible through the generosity of approximately 160 families who participated in the campaign. Indeed, the success of this effort is the Lord's doing, and we continue to praise and thank him.

As we look ahead to the coming year, our primary focus will be on implementing our pastoral plan. The ultimate goal of this plan is spiritual renewal—a renewal grounded in a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. In today's Gospel, Jesus gives us a solemn and comforting invitation: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." Jesus knows that our lives include both joys and struggles, expected and unexpected burdens, which touch every part of our lives—spiritual, emotional, and physical. He invites us to bring everything to him and to find our strength and peace in his presence.

As we continue this journey of renewal, I invite every one of us to become active participants in building a more welcoming and vibrant SFC community. Let us continue strengthening our ministries and grounding all that we do in our parish mission statement: Worship God. Love Others. Make Disciples. Educate the Young! May we continue to praise the Lord for his goodness and trust that he will guide us in the mission ahead.