Monday, May 18, 2025
Dear Parishioners of Pope St. John XXIII Parish Faith Community,
White smoke rises from Sistine Chapel chimney: We have a pope! We give thanks to God for the 267th successor of St. Peter -[name]. Let us continue to support him with our prayers and sacrifices as he shepherds the Church.
We are entering the Fifth Sunday of the Easter Season. The liturgy of the Word invites us to reflect on the witness of the disciples, especially St. Paul working so hard to spread the good news of Gods Mercy. Not just the Jews, but also people from all over the world, receive the good news with open hearts. They gladly face persecution and suffering and yet continue to show the love and mercy of God by loving and caring for each other. In the second reading, St. John has a vision of new heaven and new earth with the faithful who together form heaven on earth and shining glory of God. We are called to be witness to Christs suffering and Gods mercies in our lives.
I invite all of you to continue to pray for all our children who received sacraments recently. Please join the celebration next Saturday evening at 4:30 pm at the PSJ XXIII main campus to witness and pray for our children receiving their First Communion. I encourage other families who come to the liturgical celebrations to register in our parish, so that we can also assist you effectively in your needs. As faithful parishioners, please invite and be instrumental in bringing new members to our parish to introduce them to their God and Savior.
We also have many other events celebrated in our parish. I encourage you to join us in the Feast Day celebrations at St. Ritas church coming Saturday May 24th at 11am. We begin the celebration with the Eucharistic celebration and reception with a minimum donation of $10. Please see the registration information in the bulletin. Registration is important so that the core team at St. Rita would be able to prepare lunch for everyone.
We also have many different parish ministries, and you are welcome to join us! We thank the parish volunteers for mowing the lawn and cleaning the Churchs ground; and helping us work on different projects such as painting the exterior of the church in view of the preparation for the centennial celebration.
As a parish family, we must support the Archdiocese for the Annual Catholic Appeal, and each year there is a goal. This year, with the help of the staff and the leadership team from different locations, we have a breakdown of the ACA goals for each of our locations and have also planned for the different projects at each of our locations according to the immediate needs so that we can take care of the structures where we celebrate the life of the faith community. So, please be generous and contribute to the ACA in every way possible. We thank you for your generosity to share your time and talent, to pray for young men and women to respond to Gods call to these vocations.
Thank you for completing the survey about our Catholic school, Pope St. John XXIII STEM Academy. Your input is invaluable to our school leadership and to Meitler as we work together to develop a strategic plan for the next five years. Your voice truly helps shape the future of our academy.
On Monday, May 19th, our pilgrim group will travel to St. James Cathedral and the Vietnamese Martyrs Church to receive the Jubilee Indulgence during this Holy Year. You and your family are also encouraged to visit these designated Jubilee churches as often as you are able throughout the year. During the Jubilee Year, the faithfulpilgrims of hopemay obtain the Jubilee Indulgence granted by the Holy Father by undertaking a pious pilgrimage to any designated sacred Jubilee site. While there, they must devoutly participate in one of the following: Holy Mass, a ritual Mass for sacraments such as a celebration of the Word of God, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Way of the Cross, the Rosary, or a penitential celebration ending with individual confessions.
There is more information about our parish that you are cordially invited to read the parish bulletin, parish website and participate in the Mass to hear various announcements. We thank you for your generosity, charity, and financial support of our parish. May you have a blessed day and week!
Sincerely, Yours in Christ
Fr. Tuan Nguyen, D. Min. Pastor