The OLG DIFFERENCE

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

 

Grace and peace from God Our Father and of His Son our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you! As we begin the season of Lent, it is an important time for us to recommit ourselves to our Catholic faith. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catho-lic Church. Many of you remember our very humble beginnings in the year 2000 leaving our beloved sister parish, Our Lady of Mount Carmel. How can we forget the years of celebrating our Sunday Liturgies in the auditoriums of the Central Bucks School District and celebrating our first Mass on the campus site in 2009 in the field on the back property, and then coming to our “promised land”, celebrating Mass in our Church in 2011. Today, we have a beautiful parish campus where we continue to build a vibrant parish family dedicated to growing disciples and making Church matter. This year also marks a Jubilee Year in the Universal Catholic Church where we are encouraged to be “Pilgrims of Hope”. We will be celebrating both of these important milestones throughout the year and beyond, so stay tuned as the year unfolds. 

 

I am most grateful to all of you for your support. We have responded to many emotional, spiritual, physical, economic and scandalous challenges throughout the past 25 years. Interestingly, we have not only survived, but we have miraculously thrived, grown and prospered. How was this so? It is because of our impressive faith, hope and love. Faith has sustained us, hope has inspired us, and love has reassured us along the journey. 

 

By receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday, you are marked with the sign of the cross on your forehead letting everyone know you are Catholic, and might I also add, boldly proud of it. We do this even as we live in a world that on the one hand seems to deny religious belief and on the other so desperately yearns for something deeper than what the secular society has to offer. Might you be the one to be a beacon of hope? Throughout Lent, continue to leave your mark on your faith by attending Mass, Adoration and receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

 

You may strengthen your faith, hope and love this Lent, by practicing the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy. You may find information about charitable and spiritual events on the reverse of this letter, in the parish bulletin and website. 

 

May this time of renewal and conversion in this Jubilee Year help you encounter the power of God’s Spirit and help you enter into a deeper relationship with our Lord. Utilize the weeks of Lent to help you prepare to celebrate this Easter with renewed enthusiasm and commitment. May our Blessed Mother, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, continue to hold you and your loved ones under the mantel of her care. To that end, be assured of our continued support and prayers.