PASTOR'S ARTICLE from the Parish Bulletin July 5, 2020 - Changes in Faith Formation Probram - Congrats Br. Arnaldo and promotion of Marivel Alvarado

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[Parish Bulletin -- July 5, 2020]

July 5, 2020

Dear Parishioners,

The First Reading this Sunday tells us to Rejoice for the Lord is among us! And we do have much to rejoice about. In the midst of a multilayer crisis that no one had expected we’ve stepped-up / done well. Our elderly and vulnerable have been protected, we’ve worked really hard to respond and speak for those economically effected and even come up with some creative means to getting those who’ve been preparing to receive their sacraments of initiation  to receive them: All through July, we’re going to be devoting Saturday mornings and our calendar permits afternoons, celebrating First Communion Masses, 15 recipients at a time, to make sure that our kids get their sacraments. Completing the RCIA process with our candidates is next on our plate. Adult Sacraments, due to numbers  are a little more challenging and, finally, Confirmation with some 50 candidates is simply going to have to wait until we move into a phase in which more than 100 people will be allowed to be present in the Church at a time. But we’re moving forward, and responding quite creatively to the needs and challenges present!

In this regard, with both some sadness but also with IMHO justified optimism, I wish to inform the Parish of our Director of Faith Formation,  Br. Arnaldo Sanchez, OSM’s “bumping up” to a higher position in our Servite Order, and hence needing to leave St. Philip Benizi to take up new challenges. For reasons that are _somewhat_ COVID-19 related (the virus has slowed down almost everything) and reasons much more humane, I STILL CAN’T EVEN TELL YOU WHAT NEW POSITION(S) he’s going to be taking in Chica- go, except that it all makes sense and all will understand afterwards.

Br. Arnaldo’s departure to better / higher things, left however a significant hole here in our staffing. So I hired Marivel Alvarado, Br. Arnaldo’s administrative assistant to take the role of Coordina- tor of Faith Formation. She’s been in the role of administrative assistant to the Director of Faith Formation for eleven years, knows the program inside and out, is well liked and has long held all the certifications for the job. Further, Br Arnaldo left us one of the best run, fully integrated, bi-lingual Faith Formation programs that I’ve ever seen and I really would not to “go in another direction” now (how would one even do that under COVID-19?) or really in the future. We can happily build on what already exists rather than chopping things down.

As in any hire of this sort, one needs to expect that there’d be some initial sadness as others look on and ask themselves, “why not me?” I’ve been there, a lot of us have been there. But we really have a spectacularly good and talented FF staff / volunteers – Diana Trout has done wonderfully since taking the joint position of Confirma- tion Coordinator and Youth Minister last year. Our youth from pre-teens,  teens through to young adults will continue benefit from her presence / wisdom in this capacity. And I’ve also had the joy of seeing both of them – Marivel and Diana -- in action over these years in also reaching out to the various more vulnerable groups in our parish from the outright homeless, to our poor, to our immigrants  in the shadows. Between them at the Faith Formation office and the witness of the SVdP-run Food pantry directly across the way, we promise to have a focus on Christian service to those in need truly at the heart of the parish for years to come!

So there is much to be thankful for, and we stand to learn and to grow, from the various activities of our parish. Let us never lose heart. We are all deeply loved by God and are invited to put our joy and our faith in action. We promise to have some remarkable years here ahead of us, thanks be to God!

-- Fr. Dennis