Our two parishes have diverse and varied histories. Beginning in 2013, the two parishes of Assumption and Resurrection were blended together, with the same parish priest assigned to each. Honouring the distinct character of each parish as well as the people that built and sustained them, we strive to share our deeper commitment to Jesus Christ and to fulfill the mission entrusted to all of the baptized to make him known and loved in our world.
Archbishop Richard Smith, in his Pastoral Letter of 2017, Living in the Word of God, reminds us of Pope Francis’s exhortation: “baptism makes us missionary disciples, endowed with many gifts and talents for the service of others in the name of the Lord. Pope Francis wants us to be fully aware of what it means to be baptized, to rejoice in the gift, and to embrace completely the Christian way of living.”
In addition to the continued efforts to unify our two parishes after the twinning, we are now also faced with the pandemic which has provided unique and challenging circumstances, stretching all of our resources, not to mention our patience!
The new circumstances have meant that, going forward, we must rely even more on our dedicated volunteers for reaching out to all our parishioners and exercising pastoral ministry in union with the parish priest, even once the pandemic restrictions are eased. We will require vigilance and shared responsibility as we seek to make decisions that ensure the continued sustainability of our parishes in ever-changing conditions.
Change is not easy, but change can bring about opportunities for great gifts and deeper growth.
Let us pray for our twinned parishes, that they may work towards a cohesive and solid life of faith, hope and charity, the virtues which ground our missionary call as baptized members of the Body of Christ.