Pastor's Points: "Witness"

Pastor's Points: "Witness"

I have been thinking frequently about the word “witness” as of late.

On July 26, our diocese witnessed the dedication of Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, which is now the largest Mother Church of any see in the United States which is not an Archdiocese.   

On August 21, people gathered along the “path of totality” from Oregon to South Carolina to witness the eclipse. People drove or flew long distances to witness what for many would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  

On August 26, we witnessed the installation of Bishop Zarama as the Sixth Bishop of Raleigh. This was an historic moment, as a Latino Bishop became the chief shepherd of a burgeoning diocese.

We witness many things in our life.  Yet we are also called to be witnesses to our faith in our community and in our home.  This is what disciples do. We are witnesses to Jesus Christ—to His life, His teaching, His compassion, His Gospel.

Here, at this unique moment in the life and history of our parish, we have an opportunity to witness to the Gospel in a greater way through our planned expansion to the new South Campus. We will accomplish this through the Furthering our Mission initiative. 
Our parish mission statement is:

 As disciples of Jesus Christ we are a diverse and hospitable Catholic Community.  We pray, serve and spread the Gospel with joy.

Through our expansion to the South Campus we will further our mission as we:

• Create a chapel for daily Mass, small weddings and funerals;
• Offer a new home to  Chapel Hill-Carrboro Meals on Wheels;
• Support the IFC Food First initiative https://www.ifcfoodfirst.org/;
• Increase our meeting space for parish and community activities and meetings;
• Establish the St. Thomas More Early Childhood Development Center.

Through all of these, we will give witness even more to our Catholic faith. Imagine what people will say when they see a sign installed on the corner of the property  “St. Thomas More South Campus.”   They will see that the Catholic Church in Chapel Hill is growing and our influence on this local community is as strong as ever before.

I do hope and pray that you will participate in this important initiative.  It is important that all of our parish families participate!   We will have a series of receptions in October where you will be able to learn more about Furthering our Mission. The dates for those are:

• Thursday, 10/5  at 7:15 pm
• Sunday, 10/8 at 8:45 am during the Pancake Breakfast
• Sunday, 10/8 at 3:00 pm in Spanish 
• Wednesday, 10/11 at 7: 00 pm
• Sunday, 10/15 at 10:30 am
• Saturday, 10/21 at 6:30 pm
• Wednesday, 10/25 at 1:00 pm
• Sunday, 10/29 at 12:30 pm

 
We will have regular updates about the South Campus project on the Furthering our Mission website: http://www.stmchapelhill.org/furthering-our-mission

As of now, we plan to close on the property on December 20.  The Aldersgate community will continue to use the church through Dec. 31 ^st.  In January, we will begin the necessary renovations and upgrades to the property.  While an exact date has not been determined as to when the campus will be fully operational, we do intend to open the St. Thomas More Early Childhood Development Center for the 2018-2019 school year.

This is an exciting time for us as a parish as we witness to the many ways that God is speaking to us now and inviting us to further our mission.