Dear Parishioners,

When I first chose this date for my installation, I did not give much thought to why September 13th. But as I reflected on the readings for that day, I realized that they speak beautifully to where God is calling us to go together.

As I reflected on our journey over these past two months, a book came to mind: Dead Man Walking, by Sister Helen Prejean. In the book, Sister Helen accompanies Elmo Patrick Sonnier, a condemned prisoner, on his final journey toward execution. Along the way, however, she comes to recognize another profound suffering—the suffering of the families of the victims.

Their grief is deep. Their anger is real. Their desire for justice and even retaliation is understandable. Yet, after the execution, the one they had lost was still gone. Nothing could bring their loved one back. They were left with another journey, a spiritual journey: learning to live with grief, anger, memories, and eventually the possibility of forgiveness.

Does this story speak to each of us? Absolutely. We, too, are beginning a new journey. We cannot erase individual or communal hurt, disagreement, disappointment, or misunderstanding. We can carry them forward, allowing them to divide us, or we can place them into God's hands and allow His grace to lead us toward healing.

Our readings remind us that the way to life is the way of forgiveness, mercy, and reconciliation. Jesus teaches us to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Forgiveness does not mean that your wounds were not real. It means that your wounds will not have the final word. You may remember the past, but you do not have to remain prisoners of it. With God's grace, you can release resentment, pray for those who have hurt you, and ask God to heal what you cannot heal by yourself.

So, as I begin my ministry among you as your pastor, I make a simple invitation: let September 13th be more than an installation. Let it be a new beginning. Let us open our hearts to one another and to the future God is preparing for us. Otherwise, we risk becoming dead men and women walking— present among one another, but unable to experience the fullness of life because we remain bound to yesterday. Christ calls us to something greater: to walk together as one parish family, alive in faith, renewed by forgiveness, and united in hope. May September 13th be the day we choose to walk together into new life.

With prayer and gratitude, Your Pastor