I Am Happy to Greet You As Pastor of Saint John the Baptist Parish. While I Readily Admit

Dear Friends,

I am happy to greet you as pastor of Saint John the Baptist Parish. While I readily admit my bias, I think that this is a wonderful community of Catholic Christians striving to live the Gospel as true brothers and sisters in the Lord.

As pastor of Saint Johns, I have been inspired and amazed at the generosity of time and so many diverse talents offered to the parish, be they gifts of brawn and brain to build up and renew our parish building and grounds; gifts of administration, service, and leadership on committees, commissions, or groups that strive to meet the long and short term goals; gifts of the heart shown through hospitality, care of the sick and needy, and outreach to those not of the parish, be they local or in distant parts of the world; gifts from the soul which strengthen us through teaching and witness, prayer and sacraments. All these gifts – large and small – I believe are rooted in a sense of faith in God, love of God, and gratitude to God for what He has given us and called us to be. They are rooted as well in a sense of love of neighbor and the desire of people to be one with each other in our life of faith.

This packet is meant to invite you to many different ways of being involved in our parish life. My hope is that you will find ways to be nourished in the faith and in friendship, and also to nurture and support others as we live for the Kingdom of God.

Sometimes, in a parish of this size, a person can at first feel lost or alone. If that is the situation for you, do not hesitate to call a member of the welcoming committee listed in this packet. You are also welcome to contact me about any issue or concern you may have in your personal life, your life of faith, or anything about the parish.

Your participation in the life of St. John will serve to enrich us in faith as I hope we will do for you.

Sincerely,

Fr. Jeff Kemper

Pastor