A Real Heart for Mission and Making New Disciples

07-01-2021Pastor's LetterFr. John Bonavitacola

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the newly reconstituted Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Sun City West. In a way we are all new comers at this point. Since May, you spun off Prince of Peace Church and now Our Lady of Lourdes will be the launching pad for another new Parish off the 303 and Lake Pleasant Pkwy. Quite a history. You did it once and God is calling us to do it again! Apparently, Our Lady of Lourdes parishioners have a real heart for mission and making new disciples! After all, ask yourself, what is the Faith of the next generation worth? It’s up to us to make sure it gets passed on. And I am sure there is lots of wisdom, experience, strength and hope among you that will be critical to us fulfilling the Great Commission.

For whatever reason, the Bishop plucked me out of Tempe to come and be your Pastor. Even though I have been a priest for 33 years, I haven’t had many assignments, two really long-term ones. So be patient with me as I figure out where I just landed! Still, like Bilbo Baggins, The Hobbit, I am quite ready for another adventure!

I was thinking it would be nice to get out of noisy, congested Tempe. I lived one block from the freight train that came through four times a day and right over the landing path for Sky Harbor. However, my first drive up here I got stuck at the train crossing up here and my first night the F-35’s from Luke AFB scared the heck out me. So much for the quiet!! So, all that means is there will be no adjustment period needed! I am used to planes, trains and automobile noise!

As a Pastor, I like to write a weekly letter to my parishioners. I think it is important you know what I am thinking, how I am seeing the world, the larger Church and how what is going on in culture intersects with our Faith. At times you will agree with me, at other times you will disagree, but no matter, the point is to spur discussion and for all of us to think deeply about how we can be good stewards of our faith and our Parish. I promise I won’t write too much fluff, but every now and then I do get writers block!

In the meantime, I am excited to be here with you and to get to know you and see how I can best serve you. Myself and our Parish Staff are reorganizing things since the split off from Prince of Peace. There are lots of details and just when it seems we got it handled, another issue pops up. But we will work to make sure everything runs smoothly.

One of the basic characteristics of a shepherd must be to love the people entrusted to him, even as he loves Christ whom he serves. “Feed my sheep” says Christ to Peter, and now at this moment, he says it to me as well. Feeding means loving, and loving also means being ready to suffer. Loving means giving the sheep what is truly good, the nourishment of God’s truth, of God’s word, the nourishment of his presence, which he gives us in the Blessed Sacrament. My dear friends, at this moment I can only say: pray for me, that I may learn to love the Lord more and more—in other words, you the holy Church, each one of you and all of you together. Pray for me, that I may not flee for fear of the wolves. Let us pray for one another, that the Lord will carry us and that we will learn to carry one another.

Love, Fr. John B.