Sunday, June 30, 2019

June is upon us and our journey through the Family Fully Alive Program continues to unfold.  As our “Domestic Church”, the Family, continues to develop and strengthen as we move from last month’s theme, HOPE, to the theme for June, Self-Giving Love.  The Domestic Church is meant to be the primary place for education.  In this regard, the family is concerned with the development of the whole person to include moral, intellectual, spiritual, and physical development.  As the primary educators of their children, parents must teach Self-Giving Love or placing the needs of others over one’s own personal good.  Most fundamentally, teaching the “art of living” which involves lessons of faith and character development. Teaching right and wrong, responsibility, gratitude, and generosity, sharing, handling disappointments, respect and love are all part of the “curriculum”. Turn to page 30 of the Family Fully Alive Booklet, located in the church narthex, to learn more.  Have a blessed June!

In the Spring of 1988, Bishop William D. Keeler formed a new parish to accommodate the rapid growth in Silver Spring Township and named Reverend James R. O’Brien as the founding pastor. That same year, Mother Katharine Drexel was beatified by Pope John Paul, II. At Bishop Keeler’s request, the Holy Father gave his permission to name the Parish in Silver Spring Township as the first parish in the world to be named in her honor. Eighteen years later, on October 1, 2000, Blessed Katharine Drexel was canonized and the church’s name changed to Saint Katharine Drexel.

The Saint Katharine Drexel Parish Family, guided by the Holy Spirit, commits itself to reaching out and sharing with all people the love and service modeled by our patroness, with the Eucharist as our source of strength. Through prayer and action, we will serve God, our Lord and Savior, and our community, exhibiting a special concern for the poor, oppressed and marginalized of our society, especially those among the African-American & Native-American peoples.