Dear Friends,
This is the weekend to acclaim a very Happy Fortieth Anniversary to the Church of the Transfiguration! What a blessed journey this faith community has made up to this moment and it continues by the love and grace of our brother Jesus Christ!
The past few weeks our bulletin has shared pieces of the history of Transfiguration. Today, I would like to share with you its Parish Mission Statement and the Staff Vision Statement.
Parish Mission Statement:
We, the Church of the Transfiguration, are a vibrant Roman Catholic faith community committed to welcoming all. Rooted in the teachings of Jesus and guided by the Holy Spirit, we care for each other and provide faith and spiritual formation and development for all ages. We live this out by advocating for peace, nonviolence, social justice, and providing opportunities for social ministry outreach. (September 10, 2018)
Staff Mission Statement:
We, the pastoral staff of the Church of the Transfiguration, in communion with our brothers, Francis, Salvatore and Robert…
Centered in the Eucharist we believe in a Gospel model of hospitality and seek prayerfully and faithfully to welcome all persons with the dignity given them by our Creator, fostered by the Gospel of Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit. With a deep commitment to justice and peace, we welcome all our brothers and sisters in accord with Catholic Social Teaching, marked by God’s unconditional love for all of us.
In this sacred covenant with the Diocesan Church and our Parish, we strive together to evangelize by promoting, supporting and modeling a Gospel way of life.
We ask our Faith Community to journey with us by:
*Trusting in our ability to make wise and faith-filled decisions for the greater good of all.
*Committing to personal and communal Spiritual Growth through Life Long Faith Formation.
*Reverencing God and one another.
*Witnessing to the Gospel and our Catholic Faith daily with humility, simplicity and temperance.
*Participating in our parish ministries.
We envision a parish community that is prophetic in our ministries of worship, social justice and education.
These Vision Statements have been in prayerful and vibrant practice for 40 years now! Original founders and the present day community of the faithful have witnessed these visions for the good of all our sisters and brothers. It continues today with the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we grow in discipleship and stewardship with our sisters and brothers at Saint Catherine of Siena. There is so much to be grateful for on this 40th Anniversary. This gratitude leads us into our tomorrows continuing to live the Gospel entrusted to each and every one of us.
I have a 40th Anniversary prayer that I would like to share with you.
We praise You, heavenly Father, for the greatest privilege which is ours this day to humbly come before You, and lovingly praise and thank You as we reflect on the history of our parish which was established 40 years ago on August 6th, 1983.
By your grace, Lord, this parish has been established and has been a place of community, fellowship, worship, and preaching. Many people have come and gone from us for over 40 years, and we are thankful for what each one has contributed to our faith community. We are thankful for the support we have received from the Diocese of Rochester as well as the local community that has allowed us to do the work of furthering God’s Kingdom. We continue to pray for Your gracious Spirit to work through us as we support ministries in our local area as well as those beyond our boundaries.
May we be faithful in following the Holy Spirit in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus and being a gift to our world.
AMEN.
Happy Feast of the Transfiguration!
To the next 40 years,
God Bless us all,
Father Rob