Dear Parishioners and Friends,

In the upcoming weeks, some of the children from the parish’s Faith Formation Program will be receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time.  What a moving tribute for the parish community here at St. Joseph’s to support prayerfully the celebration of this grace-filled occasion as the children experience God’s unconditional love.  They have learned through their lessons that in mercy He is always ready to forgive, no matter what the wrong.  It assures them that God already knows the secrets of their hearts, but that sometimes we all need to name these aloud as a way of preparing our hearts to receive Him sacramentally and more fully.

Please pray for the children, for their parents, and for their teachers.  The Sacrament of Reconciliation shows us that just as God is One, He dreams that we might all be one as well.  God’s will is that all people will be reconciled with one another and with God.  What extraordinary graces flow from the act of forgiveness and reconciliation!

In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, each child together with the whole faith community meets the Risen Christ who reveals the Father’s mercy and renews our life in the Spirit, by inviting us to recall our Baptism and leading us to complete communion with Christ and the Church in the Eucharist.

Blessed Mother, watch over all your children, and lead them to a closer union with you and the Most Holy Trinity!  Amen.

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney