A message from our Bishop...

The following excerpt is from a letter by Bishop Noonan.

When we began the Alive in Christ Campaign, we placed our trust in the Lord to embark upon our journey of stewardship together. It is because of God's faithfulness that so many of our parishes are moving forward with projects that will grow and strengthen our Catholic community for years to come. As Peter's faith in the Lord did provide the fish for nourishment of the body, so our trust has led to nourishment so that we might grow in our faith.

We have made a covenant with God through our baptismal call. As we live our lives, we continually discern the call from the Lord. Are we being faithful in our following? Honoring our commitment to the Alive in Christ Campaign is a discernment of faith.

Pope Benedict XVI writes in his book, The Apostles, "This is the great alternative that we must learn over and over again: to give priority to our own expectations, rejecting Jesus, or to accept Jesus in the trust of his mission and set aside all of our too human expectations." So it is for our own Diocese as we continue to realize God's vision for our Diocese, knowing He will bring it to fruition at the proper time, not our time.

Read Bishop Noonan's entire letter
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Plans for a new rectory bring joy to Marion County parish

Despite his rectory's mold damage and limited space, Fr. Felicito Baybay, pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary in Candler, repeatedly resisted the suggestion that he relocate to a more comfortable rental property off site. Instead, he preferred to remain close to the church he loves and spare the parish the added expense of rental fees.

During the Alive in Christ Campaign, grateful families took the opportunity to say "thank you," and now Immaculate Heart of Mary is one step closer to a long-awaited housewarming.

Bishop Noonan recently approved the parish community's plans to build a new 3 bedroom rectory on church property. The news comes as a welcome relief to parishioners, who had long expressed concerns about the inadequate living conditions provided by the existing rectory, a cramped and aging mobile home that was never intended to serve as a permanent residence.

Plans for the new rectory include two master bedrooms that will accommodate the pastor and visiting priests, with a third bedroom serving as an office.

Construction is expected to begin in late summer.

St. Stephen's helps the homeless through Alive in Christ

After Seminole County officials approached Father John Bluett, pastor of St. Stephen Catholic Community, with concerns about the growing number of homeless students in public schools, parishioners responded with a compassionate commitment to serving their neighbor.

The parish raised nearly $1.6 million in Alive in Christ pledges and plans to designate at least one-third toward Pathways to Home, a collaboration of 18 social service agencies in Seminole County that place homeless families on the path to self sufficiency. There are currently 70 families in the program, including 184 children.

"A majority of these families are living in motels, living in cars, living with extended families and living in the woods," said Fr. Bluett. "They are good people who have simply fallen onto hard times."

The remaining Alive in Christ pledges support parish renovations and an ongoing commitment to Pathways to Care, which is a program of Catholic Charities. The 40-bed respite center provides short-term recuperative care and support services for homeless adults.

To learn more about Pathways to Home, please visit www.pathwaystohome.org
To learn more about Pathways to Care, visit www.cflcc.org/transitional/pathways

Adapted from an article by Robyn Kurth, and used by permission of The Florida Catholic

To read more about what's happening at the Diocese of Orlando, the Catholic Foundation and The Florida Catholic, links are provided in the left column.