A New Hope

This coming Monday through Thursday Friar Luís and I will be on a working retreat to study and discern all the dimensions of our parish life. I ask for your prayers so that we may be led by the power of God’s Spirit. It is my prayer and hope that we will return to you with a deeper commitment to our pastoral responsibilities and a clear understanding as to how to guide and better support the people of our parish. We will probably return with new ideas and opportunities for our parish family. It is my hope that we will be able to better respond to your spiritual and social needs.
I decided to do embark on this working retreat as a means to create a new beginning that will stimulate our communal life of faith and help us all transform St. Julia into a more dynamic parish community. There are areas of our parish life that can better serve your spiritual and social needs. It is my hope that all of us will take advantage of this endeavor and look toward the immediate and far future with a spirit of adventure and joy.
One element that I, together with Friar Luis, look forward to creating at St. Julia is a Franciscan identity through the sharing of our Franciscan spirituality and traditions. Now that we are two Friars at St. Julia, I feel that sharing this blessing with all of you will be easier and will lead everyone to a deeper life of faith.
We will look and discuss all aspects of our parish life and ministry in the spirit of humility and with the desire to be instruments of God among you. Please keep us in your prayers so that we may return to you with the desire to dream new dreams together with you and see new visions of what God calls us to be.
You are in my prayers and in my heart.
Peace and Good.
Friar Julio