Sometimes it even rains on Long Beach Island!

Jul 21

Letter from the Pastor

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 23, 2023

Last weekend’s Gospel was about the planting of seeds on fertile ground. This weekend Jesus returns to the garden once again and talks about the good seed that is planted yet the weeds grow as well. As a gardener I know about the weeds. I also know that many planned to be on vacation this week and had to contend with the summer rains, vital to gardens by the way, but not necessarily a welcomed guest when vacationing on the shore. As Jesus is inviting us to figure out how to live in the garden along with “the weeds” of our world, I do hope that our vacationers are also able to still enjoy your time away despite the rainy days. I suppose, like riding a bike, once we find that balance, we can ride on peacefully through it all.

We continue to welcome all of our summer visitors and guest to St. Francis of Assisi Parish. For those of you who don’t know, we are one parish but celebrate in four churches: St. Thomas Aquinas, Beach Haven, St. Francis of Assisi, Brant Beach, St. Thomas of Villanova, Surf City, and St. Clare, Loveladies.

Our parish bulletin is filled with a variety of events that engage our Sacramental life, where we are fed spiritually, as well as those events that fill some of our basic needs, like our Food Pantry, where the parish community helps to feed those who are hungry. The St. Francis Center, located behind St. Francis Church in Brant Beach, also has a variety of offerings for our community. I would encourage you to visit the St. Francis Center online to learn more about how we serve the entire LBI community. www.stfranciscenterlbi.org

You will also see in the bulletin that our parish is celebrating our stewardship program, “The Joy of Sharing the Gospel.” We believe that through careful stewardship we can continue to build a strong Catholic presence in the island and beyond.

I have asked our year round parishioners to become a steward of St. Francis Parish. In doing so, I have asked everyone to consider increasing their donation to the parish by 13%. This will help us tremendously to balance our budget and meet the challenges of the continual rising costs we all face.

I now ask our summer residents, our summer guests, and our online participants to also consider becoming a steward of St. Francis Parish. There are stewardship envelopes with commitment cards in the pews, at the doors of the churches, or you can find the information on our webpage, www.stfrancisparishlbi.org. Please prayerfully consider becoming a steward of the parish through your weekly, monthly, or one-time contribution to support your church away from home.

Some people have asked if it’s OK to make a one-time donation. Absolutely! At the doors of the church you can also find a brochure about a tax-efficient way of making a donation to our parish. Look for the brochure labeled, “The Qualified Charitable Distribution.” This will allow you to make a donation without paying taxes!

On behalf of all the friars, sisters, and Parish Staff, I do thank you for coming to worship with us and for your continued support of St. Francis of Assisi Parish.

May God bless you and your families, and may this summer, even those rainy days, continue to be a blessing to all of us.

Peace and All Good!