Last weekend we hosted the Fr. Murray Basketball Tournament, the first since 2020 and my first time to attend. Wow! What an awesome event! It was so much fun to see the students compete and have fun. Our 8th grade girls travel team won the championship and played outstanding basketball. Indeed all our teams played with determination and poise. They never gave up. Congratulations to Josh Miller, Athletic Director, and the tournament Chair, John Bucks, and all the many volunteers for their hard work. It was absolutely a great weekend. If you have not attended the event then you need to put it on your calendar for next year. It is good old-fashioned community fun.
I also attended the assembly of our diocesan synod at Santa Clara University, and it was a wonderful experience. There were over 250 parishioners, religious and priests from all over the diocese who gathered in prayer to discern the future of our local church. I pray that the Holy Spirit inspires the commission who will now tabulate the results and recommend goals for a new pastoral plan to the Bishop. May the Spirit animate our future and keep us ever faithful to Jesus and his gospel message of welcome, healing, and love to all. Our local parish delegates will meet with our Pastoral Council and debrief their experience and discern if there are any immediate takeaways for us as a parish to start working on right now. We will keep you informed.
I realize that while that synod process unfolds and brings forth recommendations to be implemented across the diocesan in the years to come, the diocese still needs our support in the Annual Diocesan Appeal (ADA) which provides day-to-day support to each parish, school and other Catholic charities. It is a unique opportunity for us to renew our stewardship commitment to the Church and unite with the faithful from all the other parishes in our diocese to fulfill Christ’s mission together. The ADA 2023 Appeal begins this weekend at all Parishes throughout the Diocese..
Your generosity toward the ADA provides essential support to St. Simon Parish and the other parishes for programs crucial to us: Faith Formation, Communications, Life, Justice, & Peace, Youth and Young Adult Ministry, and the formation and ongoing education of our future priests and deacons, the Institute for Leadership in Ministry (ILM) for our parish leaders.
As I mentioned in my direct mailings to you, this year we have partnered with Christ the King Parish in San Jose to help them fund the growth of their parish programs. They have only 2 priests with 11 Sunday Masses and hundreds of children in their catechetical programs in three languages. But we must make our goal first, then all funds collected above our parish goal of $245,423 will go directly to Christ the King Parish to strengthen and build their community and ministries. Partnering across economically diverse parishes is critical to our mission.
We ask you to prayerfully consider making a gift. You can donate here. Your gift allows us to support the diocesan central offices and another parish across town. I am confident that this year’s ADA will be another success, and a testimony of your commitment to St. Simon and the Church’s Mission. With your gift, we are “Supporting Our Mission Together” and building up the Kingdom of God.
It’s another full weekend of community activity at St. SImon as we will have a viewing of the silent auction items. When you received your confirmation for your seat you also received a link to the app where you can bid on the silent auction items. Stop by Spooncer Hall to view them in person, learn more about our Fund a Need Project. Even if you are not bidding, please stop by for fellowship and to enjoy a donut and coffee. The Auction Committee has been working tirelessly to ensure this year’s Auction is a success financially and also allows our community to come together socially.
Finally, we will celebrate the sacrament of the anointing of the sick at next weekend’s Masses on February 11th and 12th. If you or a loved one would like to get anointed, we ask you to come forward around the altar after the homily and during the recitation of the creed. Please invite a neighbor and offer to bring them if they need help. Let’s reach out to those in need and pray for them in this beautiful sacrament. It is a great way to express our love for those who are sick in our community.
God bless,
Fr. Brendan