Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church
Pastor: Fr. Sean Flynn
It was late spring and the buds still refused to open.
Tightly wrapped up in themselves, they were as hard as stones.
The wind shook them. The hail beat them.
The frost squeezed them in a fist of iron.
All three shouted, “Open up! Open up!”
Instead of opening up,
the buds reinforced their shells,
and retreated even more deeply into themselves.
Then along came the sun.
It issued no threats and made no demands.
It just created a more friendly climate.
And what happened?
Almost overnight the buds began to soften and expand.
Then their shells cracked, and they burst our.
If you love, you are gentle.
And there are certain tasks
Which only gentleness can accomplish.
My first contribution to this site is going to be about what I have in mind in regards to Sacred Heart parish. That should be easy for it is constantly on my mind.
Once we conclude the confirmation and first communion services my focus will turn towards finding people to work with me to ignite stewardship and a renewed spiritual vitality in our parish.
(Hopefully, they will take on this role as a member of the parish council).
I put out the call sometime ago for people to come forward and form a RCIA team. Some people did volunteer. I have yet to meet with them and discuss our plans together. I hope to set a date for us to get together in May. It is very uplifting for the whole parish to have people entering the Catholic faith through one's own parish.
We have some very gracious people who have been practising pastoral care earnestly for quite some time. This group and I have accepted the diocese's offer to come together with our brothers and sisters from other parishes who are like-minded for a day of prayerful activities, lecture and discussion. I plan to make this an open invitation in our parish and overwhelm the organizers with our presence. Those who wish to investigate becoming an important person for someone who is unable to attend mass or is in the hospital, please join us! Call me at
479-1611 or meet me at St. Joseph The Worker May 24 at 8:30 for coffee. Mass will be included in the day. The gathering officially ends at 3pm.
There is much happening in our diocese when you talk youth. The National Evangelist Team, a group of young people dedicated to establishing youth organizations in parishes across the country, are coming to Victoria. The concept has been presented to our parish councill and it is a very exciting venture. They will be doing fund raising with the youth and have them become involve in practical ways with the gospel. They will be very involved with St. Andrew High School and hopefully with our parish. A team of eight young people will be in our diocese for one full year. They will need billeting so perhaps we can help in that way.
We still need youth facilitators. This year's youth group did receive great support form the parents but facilitators are critical for the youth group to continue throughout 2008/2009. Our official events end June 7 with a camping trip and an outdoor mass. Please consider working with me in bring comprehensive youth ministry to our youth. If youth from other parishes wish to be part of this final event, call
479-1611 to get the details.
Meetings are in the process of being set for those taking an active role in the liturgy. If you wish to proclaim the word of God, usher, be an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, or perhaps a server, don't be shy. Please do not be afraid to serve your parish. We need to have people who can help schedule those who wish to serve in any one of these ministries.
There is also a new ministry I know will be very rewarding. I hope I can find someone to work with me for our seminarians and those who wish to enter the consecrated life. We have five seminarians to work with in keeping the momentum for priesthood going in our diocese. I understand Sacred Heart has had more priests come from its congregation than any other parish in our diocese. John Moss is from Sacred Heart and is officially discerning the priesthood as a diocesan priest. He will be staying with me this summer and helping out at the summer camp.
There will be much more to share with you in this website, things about the parish, about our faith and about our diocese.