A Shepherd Called Home to God

My dear Sisters and Brothers,

As pastor of Saint John Baptist de LaSalle and our mission parish Saint Stephen, I received the news this morning, April 21st, that our Holy Father Pope Francis had died. I spent some time this morning in Church praying for the repose of his soul, even though our faith in the Risen Christ assures us Pope Francis is with God. I invite you to do the same. Pray at home with your family and friends or come over to Church and offer your prayers.

Our parish will be open and remain open for the next three days, from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm for those who wish to come. In addition, three Masses will be offered for the repose of Francis’ soul, Monday, April 21st at 6:30 pm, Tuesday, April 22nd at 6:30 pm, and Wednesday, April 23rd at 11:00 am.

In his own words Pope Francis wrote:

“There is an urgent need to see once again that faith is a light, for once the flame of faith dies out, all other lights begin to dim. The light of faith is unique, since it is capable of illuminating every aspect of human existence. A light this powerful cannot come from ourselves but from a more primordial source: in a word, it must come from God.

Faith is born of an encounter with the living God who calls us and reveals his love, a love which precedes us and upon which we lean for security and for building our lives. Transformed by this love, we gain fresh vision, new eyes to see; we realize that it contains a great promise of fulfillment, and that a vision of the future opens up before us.

Faith, received from God as a supernatural gift, becomes a light for our way, guiding our journey through time. On the one hand, it is a light coming from the past, the light of the foundational memory of the life of Jesus which revealed his perfectly trustworthy love, a love capable of triumphing over death. Yet since Christ has risen and draws us beyond death, faith is also a light coming from the future and opening before us vast horizons which guide us beyond our isolated selves towards the breath of communion. We come to see that our faith does not dwell in shadow and gloom; it is a light for our darkness.”

Continue to pray for our Holy Father and our Church,

Love & Prayers,

Fr. John David Hanic, pastor