Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

The Holy Spirit is the divine force (dunamis according to the Fathers of the Church) working in the life of the disciples of Jesus, in light of their mission. He manifested himself as the Spirit of courage, permitting the apostles to go forward; a Spirit of Wisdom who will empower them to speak boldly about the kingdom of God, in such a way to convince those who oppose it; a Spirit of discernment who will allow the to recognize and discern the way to go, the decision to make, and the time to act; a Spirit of Obedience, who will move them to submit to the Will of the Father, in all things and always, as Jesus, their master does, knowing that he will lead them to the Father. It all was true to them and is true to us, today's disciples.

The One Faith, One Family, One Parish Capital Campaign is underway. By now, everyone in our parish family should have received their pledge packet in the mail.

Thank you to our volunteers for working diligently to get us to this point. I also would like to thank our donors, in advance, for their generosity. While there is much to celebrate, much work remains to be done. In the coming weeks, volunteers will reach out individually to parishioners.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

The Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord marks the return of Jesus to the right hand of the Father and the beginning of His disciples' mission. "Go and make disciples!" is imperative for the apostles and disciples who are sent to continue the ministry of their Master.

As we move into the initial weeks of the One Faith, One Family, One Parish Capital Campaign, I want to say how truly blessed we are by those who continue to lead the campaign through their service and financial support. Saint Rose of Lima Catholic Church and School are grateful to receive such gifts given in the spirit of love and gratitude to a God who has richly blessed every one of us.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace!

The disciples of Jesus are never alone, especially when facing persecution.

Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. In Greek "paraclete' can mean "counselor" in the context of those persecuted or afflicted by disappointment and who want to give up their call and mission. The Holy Spirit is poured out as a companion and also a strength to move the disciples forward. I'm pretty sure that is the same Holy Spirit who is pushing us as disciples of Jesus, as a parish and school to move forward.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

After finalizing all of the intensive preparation, we officially kick off our One Faith, One Family, One Parish: Building our Future in Christ Capital Campaign this weekend!