Dear Fellow Parishioners, Members of The Catholic Community of Sacred Heart gathered on Monday September 25th in advance of the worldwide gathering in Rome. Those who attended got a taste of what it is like to discuss faith, parish life, community life, and the future of church with a small “c” and the Church Universal with a capital “C.” I am not sure if it is because I am a priest, or that my love of our Catholic Faith and pride in what we do as a Universal Church has my eyes focused on the gathering in Rome; but I want to keep those who are gathering in prayer with the hope that we will enlarge the mercy of God that we read about in scripture to encompass those who some of our Church leaders want to keep on the fringe. As Jesus says to the Chief Priests and leaders of the people so many times in the Gospels, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.” (Matthew 21:31) There are many ways to keep up with what is happening in Rome from October 4th (The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi) to the closing of the Synod on October 29th. I will be following on these sites: https://www.americamagazine.org/, https://www.ncronline.org/ and https://www.ncregister.com/ . As a young person living during the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), we as Catholics were watching with anticipation the happenings in Rome. Bishop Flanigan communicated frequently his impressions of the meetings he was attending. How proud we were to be Catholic; the council was going on in Rome, John Kennedy was the First Catholic to be elected President of the United States, all was well. As over 450 people gather in Rome, I am excited that this is the first meeting that allows not just bishops - but lay men and women who are going to be listening to each other. I affectionately hope that we will someday eliminate the terms clergy and laity and become one people of God called “Claity!” I know that there are many dark areas of our Church history, most recently the revelation of clergy sexual abuse. But I also know the great efforts over centuries, we have been the bastion of education, health care, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting prisoners, and proclaiming the Gospel in good times and in bad. I cannot wait to see where the Holy Spirit is leading us in the years ahead! Fr. Bill