Sunday, April 26th 2026 

Dear Parishioners of Pope St. John XXIII parish faith community,

Welcome you all to the Fourth Sunday of Easter. The liturgy of the Word today invites us to reflect on the life of the early church after the resurrection of Christ. The encounter with the Risen Lord and the reception of the promised Holy Spirit gives them strong faith and wisdom to come out of their hiding and speak openly about the salvific mission accomplished by Jesus. This revelation bring about conversion in the heart of the listeners, and they become disciples of Jesus. In the Gospel, Jesus assures He is the Gate and those who enter through Him are protected by His care. If we trust Him and do His will, we will be successful in saving our souls to eternal life.

We have just completed the scheduled confessions for our confirmation candidates with a view to preparing them to receive the sacrament next month. The candidates for the First Communion are also ready and eagerly waiting for the great day. Please keep them in your prayers. We also completed the marriage preparation classes for the couple who are planning for their wedding. We will also be busy with other locations in preparation for various sacraments. It is wonderful to witness how the young families are eager to learn and grow in faith helped by their own community members.

 Today we will hear during the mass the information the PFAC (Parish Family Advisory Council) has been working on and the action plan to proceed further into the Partners in the Gospel process that pertains to our parish family. These are our short-term goals to be completed as early as possible, so that we would be able to focus on the long-term goals. I sincerely thank all the PFAC members who have worked so hard to gather all this information and present to you in the bulletin insert as well as on the website. Please go through all the details for a complete picture of where we are heading towards.

As we have kick started the ACA for this year. Your help and support in shaping our vision and priorities are crucial. Thus, with their help we have prioritized Several projects across our parish locations that I'd like to bring to your attention. You've received the Archbishop's letter and email about the Annual Catholic Appeal, which supports various ministries beyond our parish's capabilities. Next week, you will hear presentations about Annual Catholic Appeal from two speakers sent by the Archdiocese. Nick Schoen, Executive Director, Office of the Vicar for Clergy; and Chung Tran, Seminarian from our Archdiocese. The presentations will take place on May 9–10. Nick Schoen will present at most of the English Masses at the Main Campus, SJOW, and Visitation. Chung Tran will be responsible for the two Vietnamese Masses and the 9:45 AM English Mass at the Main Campus.

At St. Rita’s campus we are celebrating the dedication Day today with the Eucharist celebration and a small reception to follow. The celebrations begin at 1pm, I thank all the volunteers who have prepared for this celebration as well as all the faith community that’s part of this celebration.

Thank you, all volunteers, for your time, talents, and resources to help build up our parish. Registering with our parish will ensure you receive important updates and information directly to your home. Your support is vital! Your assistance in keeping our facilities clean, like picking up trash and tidying up after use, is greatly appreciated. Please scan the Volunteer QR code to know more details.

May you have a blessed day and week ahead!

Sincerely, Yours in Christ,

Fr. Tuan Nguyen, D. Min

Pastor