Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

Fall Festival is here! Rides, entertainment, food, games, raffle… How much fun can you fit into a single weekend? We intend to find out! I hope you enjoy it.

We are so grateful to everyone who takes part in this annual extravaganza. And we are especially grateful to ALL of the generous, hard-working, dedicated volunteers who make this event happen. It couldn’t and wouldn’t take place without you! THANK YOU for all your hours of hard work.

When people talk about our Fall Festival here at Saints Simon and Jude, two things are almost always mentioned in addition to all of the fun; those two things are teamwork and community. There is no doubt that a lot of teamwork is necessary to make the Fall Festival successful. And there is no doubt that our Festival is a lively expression of our sense of community.

These two aspects of the Fall Festival are, hopefully, hallmarks of our lives throughout the year. Saints Simon and Jude is a large parish with lots of ministries. We’ve got people of all ages and various backgrounds. We’re like a machine with lots of moving parts; and the only way for it to function effectively is for all the parts to work in sync with one another. Teamwork is essential.

Regarding community, I consulted Merriam Webster’s website and found a bunch of definitions of this word. Virtually all of the definitions included the word “common.” A community is a group of individuals with something in common. What is the common element that makes us a community? It’s got to be the Person of Jesus Christ, whom we follow in faith, and in whom we find salvation. Obviously, our union with him (and with each other) extends much farther than the Fall Festival.

I hope and pray that everyone who takes part in the Festival will come away with a sense of our communion in Christ. How this can happen on the practical level, in the midst of the hustle and bustle of all our merrymaking, I’m not sure. I imagine it will take a spirit of universal charity, wholehearted service, and a focus outward rather than inward when we speak about community.

Is this too idealistic for an event that is basically a three-day party? Hmm….I don’t think so. I prefer to think it is a privileged way for us to live as full-time, 100% Christians. The Lord deserves nothing less than this, and through us he can attract even more people to our community. “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

Blessings,

Fr. Philip