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NEW PARISH LIFE STORIES
Church is so much more than Mass on the weekend. It’s about being a good steward of the world around us, connecting with other people, and growing our faith as a Catholic community. The rich tapestry of families coming together in the presence of God presents many opportunities for developing meaningful and lasting relationships. It is this diversity coupled with the common thread of Faith that is our strength as a Parish.
St. Damien of Molokai parishioners come from every walk of life. We are students, homemakers, realtors, doctors, parents, and grandparents. We are multi-generational and we celebrate and draw on the broad depth of our different life experiences and unique God-given talents through our many parish ministries. But we are so much more than our generous individual contributors. With one shared Faith, we are a beacon of hope in an unyielding world. And we are a force for good as we strive to achieve good works for humanity and represent the living Christ in all that we do.
The word homily was adapted from the ancient Greek, homilia, meaning ``conversation`` or ``address.`` The purpose of the homily is to provide insight into the meaning of the Scriptures within a relatable and relevant context. Parishioners should take away a new perspective or understanding of the Scriptures, which should inspire them to ruminate on the teachings of Christ. Each homily is uniquely specific to the Liturgical season, place, and audience.
Our mission is to serve Jesus Christ by loving God and each other, to spread the Good News and to make new disciples in our community.
OUR VISION
The vision for our parish is to unify, awaken and energize the faithful and make our celebration of the Eucharist an irresistible expression of welcome, faith and love.
I was a parishioner of St Gabe's from 1972. In 2008 I moved to St. Joseph's, so I have a unique perspective experiencing both parishes. The merger has invigorated the life of our parish. The environment all those years ago in St. Gabe's is now very much alive and well at St. Damien Parish.
Agnes Pier Parishioner
To see how far St. Damien Parish has come in the past year is proof that our faith is why we are all here.
Lori Possum Parishioner / Employee
The hard work of the priests at St. Damien's with the help of God shows they have listened to the needs of their parishioners. We are a family helping family - I am proud to be one of their parishioners.
Pat Pugliese Parishioner
I wanted to find a parish that would not only reignite my Catholic faith, but also provide fellowship in a welcoming environment. I knew I had found what I was looking for at St. Damien Parish. We travel 13 miles to be part of this parish, and it is worth it!
I am pleased to report that our first weekend back to Mass went very well. Everyone came prepared with their masks. Seating was predetermined to ensure social distancing and, most of all; everyone was patient with the process. The church is sanitized between Masses. I thank our cleaning crew for taking on this very thorough task. I thank our ushers and greeters for keeping everything in good order.
I know not that all of you are not ready to come back to our weekend Masses but I have to say that it felt very good to have people back inside the church. We all have our personal prayer life with God, as we should, but there is also the communal dimension of praying together.
I remind everyone that, for the time being, you must sign up weekly to attend Mass. You can do this here on our parish website from Monday to Wednesday or you may call the parish office on Tuesday to secure your reservation.
We continue to pray for an end to the pandemic and for the safety and well-being of all our parishioners.
I am writing to extend my prayerful support during these precarious times.
Saint Joseph Church is open daily for private prayer from 9am to 6pm until the bans are lifted.
Outside of our parish, daily Mass is broadcast on WCCT-TV (Comcast CH. 11) and WCTX-TV (Comcast CH. 9) daily at 10am. Daily Mass can also be heard on WJMJ 88.9FM at 8pm. Mass from ORTV is also available streaming on the ORTV website (www.ortv.org) and on the Archdiocese of Hartford Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ArchdioceseofHartford). EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) also provides daily Mass, rosary, chaplet of divine mercy and other inspirational programs throughout the day.
I wish to thank all of you who have faithfully sent in your contributions via the postal service or online. Just like you, the parish has its day-to-day expenses that do not go away. We pray that our economy may rebound quickly after this pandemic has passed. In the meantime, we strive to keep our second home in good running order.
Saint Gabriel School has done a tremendous job transitioning to online learning. It is a credit to our talented teachers, our eager-to-learn students and our supportive parents. I am very proud of their continued accomplishments as they continually turn a negative into a positive.
It is of utmost importance that we continue to foster our prayer life during these times of isolation and despair. It is God who carries us through these difficult periods of life. We will certainly appreciate the Mass and our parish community all the more when we are finally able to gather again.
I continue to celebrate daily Mass not only remembering the scheduled intention of the day, but also for each and every parishioner’s safety and health. We continue to fervently pray for an end to this devastating scourge. May God give us the grace and perseverance to forge ahead.
One example:
“My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Blessed Sacrament.
I love You above all things and I desire You in my soul.
Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
As though You were already there,
I embrace You and unite myself to You;
permit not that I should ever be separated from You. Amen.”
This should be made with the intent to return to the sacrament of Holy Communion as soon as possible.
