The Solemnity of All Saints

Dear Epiphany Family, 

Just before Jesus ascended into heaven he gave the apostles this mission, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). This is the mission of the universal Church and also the mission of our parish (Disciples journeying toward Christ, manifesting God’s love through Sacraments, Worship, and Service). We are called to make disciples and be on mission as disciples sharing Jesus with others. 

Around mid-October I met jointly with our finance and pastoral councils to address our mission in relation to our campuses/facilities. We have a beautiful heritage from the three parishes that were formed into one as our Epiphany of the Lord parish in 2013 as well as the heritage of the other East Side parishes. The faith of the people of these parishes has been a blessing to many and the faith now of our Epiphany of the Lord family remains and continues to be called to be a blessing to the East Side and beyond. Our strength is in people, the members of the Body of Christ, the living stones (cf. 1 Peter 2:5) that we are. Yet the many “physical stones” we have across our campuses and their maintenance and operation is a great challenge and very easily can hamper us from focusing on and carrying out our mission of making disciples. There are difficult decisions ahead of us, but God calls us to help build His Kingdom, be on mission, and not merely focus on preserving our own little “kingdoms”. Please pray for our parish daily as we seek to be good stewards with all God has entrusted to us and be faithful to our mission. “Be not afraid”, Jesus says often throughout the gospels and “behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). 

In Christ, 
Father Eric