From the Pastor's Desk, September 12, 2010

Dear Members of our Parish Family,
Peace and all good!

This weekend’s Gospel reading from Luke (15:1-10) reminds me of an old saying: “Tell me who you go with, and I’ll tell you what you are.” The critics of Jesus, not surprisingly, are as yet unable to attack Him directly. Instead, they complain about the people Jesus ‘went with’, those who were drawn to Him—the outsiders, nobody’s, the unwashed and the unclean. Unperturbed, Jesus launches into a series of short parables demonstrating and underscoring the absolutely unconditional love of God for all of His Children.

We can take a measure of pride in the great gift of diversity the Lord has given us here at our parish. We continue to strive to make sure there is a place at the table for everyone; that no one is left out. That hospitality and unity extends to the entire ‘family’ of the parish and the Mission as well. When Father David arrived this summer as Executive Director of the Old Mission, we met, prayed together, and discussed ways in which both the Mission and the Parish might continue to grow together. We are both agreed: there is just one ‘mission’ at the Mission: to proclaim, share, and try to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To that end, we’ve decided to take down the fence that separates the two properties as an important symbolic step toward creating more unity and hospitality. We believe that with generosity, open dialogue, and trust in the Spirit we will continue to to grow together as a united and unifying witness to our faith.

Let me give a bit of background information, if I may. The Parish and the Old Mission are two distinct legal entities. The Parish, occupying a 12.5 acre campus, is the property of
and is under the direct authority of the Diocese of San Diego. The Old Mission stands on a 50-acre site adjacent to the Parish. It includes the historic Church as well as the cemetery, retreat center, museum, and gift shop. It is owned by and administered separately through the Franciscan friars of the Province of St. Barbara. Things get complicated, of
course, when one realizes that the Old Mission Church is also the official church of the parish. Over time, both tensions and tempers have flared where simple hospitality and generosity ought to have prevailed. Frankly, we friars were sometimes the source of that tension ourselves, thanks to our various personalities and ‘characters.’ Now it is time to make amends.

In recent years, friars and others on both side of the fence have worked hard to restore and promote greater harmony between both entities. The restoration of a regular Sunday
Mass (7:00 AM) at the Old Mission Church is one of the fruits of that cooperation.
Let us all continue to pray and work for the continuing unity of our family of faith to become one Mission with one mission!

Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick: Next weekend

September 18 & 19, we will be celebrating this beautiful sacrament as part of the liturgy for the following Masses: Saturday, September 18: 5 PM & 7 PM. Sunday, September 19: 7 AM & 8 AM. This is a wonderful opportunity for those who are facing major health concerns
to receive the healing power of the Spirit and the support and prayers of our parish family.

Elsewhere in the parish, our parish Religious Education program will have nearly 900 students registered this term. Our thanks and gratitude to the Religious Education
department and entire parish staff for their tremendous work. Next Sunday, September 19, we will celebrate Catechetical Sunday to honor the more than 50 volunteer teachers and
catechists. We would have no program without these extraordinarily dedicated people. Please keep them and our students in prayer. We also welcome back all of our parish children and young people, as classes begin again both at our parish school, Old Mission Montessori, and in our Religious Education programs. Enrollment at OMMS has remained stable, and in
fact, we have even seen a modest increase with 212 students registered this term. We will be celebrating our first School Mass of the year on Sunday, October 10, at 10:00 AM. The
school choir and ministers will be on hand. Welcome!

God bless, Father Chuck Talley, ofm

PS: Father Philip Garcia, ofm, will be moving to St. Francis Retreat Center, PO Box 970, San Juan Bautista, CA 95045, effective September 15. You can also reach Fr. Philip at his
email address: pfgofm@yahoo.com. Vaya con Dios, Padre!