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50th
Anniversary My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: On this beautiful Sunday morning, we gather together to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of your wonderful parish of Saint Charles Borromeo. I therefore wish to congratulate you and your pastor, Father Paul Gallatin and his associates, Father Oby Zunmas and Father James Goin. All of you, the parish staff and volunteers and all members of this parish are rightly congratulated today because you continue the mission and direction of this church. At the same time we pause to remember those who went before us. In faith they established this parish and set it on its firm course. We are grateful to all who have gone before us with vision and courage to begin this great parish. How astonishing it is to realize that in this fifty-year period, thousands and thousands of people have been nurtured here with the Word of God and the sacramental life of the Church. Thousands of young people have attended school here and learned not only about themselves and about the world in which we live, they also learned about the God Who created us, sustains us and redeems us. There were hundreds and hundreds of people who received the anointing of the sick then completed their pilgrimage here and entered eternal life. While Saint Charles Borromeo Parish has traversed fifty years of human history, it has at the same time touched infinity. For the purpose and message and goal of this parish, like any other Catholic parish, is to bring its people to come to know and love and serve God here so that some day we can rejoice with Him forever in heaven. Thus there are countless works of mercy provided here. Many of you are actively involved in public and community efforts to promote justice. Your studies and programs challenge members to live honestly and forthrightly. All of these and many more are part and parcel of the daily parish life of Saint Charles’ people. Yes, here we strive for equality and for a renewed appreciation of the dignity of every person. Here we learn to respect every human being from conception to natural death as we strive to end violence and hatred. The many good works of this parish are exactly what the Bible says are our Christian obligations. But Saint Paul and Saint James also warn us that works, actions and studies are not enough in themselves. We are not simply a human organization. We are a church. Specifically a Catholic Church and therefore everything that we do goes back to that fundamental belief in Jesus. We believe that He is the eternal Son of God Who came to save us from sin and everlasting punishment. By His life, death and resurrection, Jesus has redeemed us. It is now possible for us to discover real meaning and beauty in a world of sin and violence. Now we know that we are no longer slaves to sin and evil. On the contrary, having been created in the Image and Likeness of God, and now redeemed by the Blood of Jesus, we can have life and have it more abundantly. Through this Easter season, the Scriptures and our liturgies have directed us to the Person of Jesus. Earlier this year, the secular society assisted us by presenting the movie “The Passion of the Christ.” Thus the focal point of our Lenten season – the suffering and death of Jesus – became everyday conversation. Consequently, for us, the Easter vigil and Easter Sunday were more dramatic and more meaningful. Truly, God so loved the world that He sent His Son Jesus to save us. Jesus loves us so much that He gave up His life for us. Greater love than this, no one has. The crucified Jesus rose from the dead because He is truly Lord and Savior. Dear members of Saint Charles Borromeo Parish, our faith and our hope is in this crucified Jesus Who rose from the dead. How fortunate we are to be able to gather around this altar and celebrate the Eucharist and to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus. In today’s Gospel, we were reminded that this Eucharistic Lord is like a Good Shepherd. He is constantly seeking us, calling us to a new and better life. He doesn’t force us. He simply calls. Jesus said: “My sheep hear My voice. I know them and they follow Me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish.” This call and this invitation from Jesus is very personal. He speaks to each of us. He forgives each of us. He assists everyone of us in our daily struggles and He desires all of us to be saved. This is why He established His Church. This is why Jesus instituted the seven sacraments. This is why Saint Charles Borromeo Parish was founded and continues here today. May each of us celebrating this fiftieth anniversary of Saint Charles Borromeo parish renew our faith in Jesus and commit ourselves to living the fullness of our Catholic faith. Most
Reverend Eusebius J. Beltran |