Bulletin Article: February 2

The Parish Pastoral Council has set the date of our next Parish Open Forum for April 27. This will begin we a pot luck dinner beginning at 5:30pm and the forum lasting from 6:30pm-7:30pm.

This past week our parish school was filled with joy as it came to celebrate Catholic Schools Week. During this celebration our students got to participate in a Faith Rally. During this time they were given an opportunity for prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and got to participate in a Eucharistic Procession through the halls of our school.

It is my hope that our community will also be drawn towards similar devotion to our Eucharistic Lord. I am given great hope of this for we have filled many of the open adoration spots on our schedule. It is my hope that we will have all slots filled soon and then can work on filling the slots which exist from 12am-6am, so that our parish can again acknowledge that we have perpetual adoration. If you would like to receive more information on how to take an hour of adoration please contact our parish office or our adoration coordinator. 

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

Bulletin Article: January 26

I thank those who attended our past Parish Open Forum. There were roughly 45 who were in attendance. I believe we had wonderful conversation which will give out Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Finance Council a lot to discuss. The date of our next Open Forum will be set at out next PPC meeting. Issues which were discussed are as follows:

-Concern for our youth ministry program and how we can better support it.

-Brochure of stewardship in the pew.

-How to better relay financial information to the parish.

-Better communication of our parish goals. Where is the money going? What projects would we like to do that can’t be done because of money?

-Parish has seemed to be divided for some time. How can we bring people together? How can we reach out to the lukewarm and to those who have fallen away?

Next weekend, will be the Solemnity of the Presentation. The blessing of candles will take place at the start of Mass, so please bring candles with you to be blessed if you so desire. This Sunday will also be the annual Bishop’s Appeal. I ask your prayerful consideration in supporting this appeal because it assists with various ministries which make up our diocese.

Also, please keep in mind that there is currently an opportunity for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land from October 5-14. This trip will be limited to 30. At our informational meeting we had roughly 15 in attendance. There are still brochures for this pilgrimage in the gathering area. If you are interested please see me and I will get you the registration form.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins

3rd Sunday After Epiphany Homily

Our Gospel presents us with the healing ministry of Christ. Our world seems to forgot about this healing reality and instead has been cast down into an attitude of doom and gloom. This leper was cast down into the depths of doom and gloom, but our Lord healed him and lifted him out of it. So too the Lord becomes our hope in the midst of every difficult moment of our life.

There are some who may see the Church as a doomed institution. This is an absurd statement because the Church was established by Christ and of it was told to Saint Peter: “Thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” With that the Church is alive and well no matter the scandal, social media post, or news article which may claim otherwise. With that may we realize the need to place our trust in the Hands of the Lord for through these merciful hands hope is always found. 

Two areas where I wish to highlight this hope is that of our parish school and that of our diocese. Our school is a shining light to this city of Johnson City. Our diocese is a shining light which continues to grow and bring Christ into the lives of many here in East Tennessee.

It is on this Sunday that we kick off the theme of the importance of Catholic education through Catholic Schools Week. As administrator of a parish which happens to have a Catholic school I would like each of you to consider its importance. I would also like each of you to pray for the students and teachers of our parish school. If you would ever like to enroll your children in our school please speak with me or our principal. Never think that this is something which is an impossibility for your children because I am committed to making this a possibility. Statistics show that children who are enrolled in a Catholic school or more likely to practice their Catholic faith into the future. From my limited time to be in this school I know it to be of good moral character and ready to form your children in the ways of the Lord. The more your children come to know the Lord the more they will become on fire with Christ.

This brings me to our diocese which remains on fire for Christ. With that there are so many programs which support so many people. With each of these programs there is the need of funding. It should be no secret that next week we will hold the annual bishop’s appeal. The bishop’s appeal hopefully reminds each of us that we are connected to a diocese. Therefore, the bishop has chosen various areas of ministry to which this money will flow in order that Christ may be brought into the lives of many. The bishop’s appeal will support the education of clergy (to this we should be thankful for we do have Deacon Zach who will soon be ordained a priest), the mobile clinic we receive funding in order that may continue to minister to the impoverished of East Tennessee, Catholic Charities will receive funding, education will receive funding. Please, give to the Bishop’s Appeal next weekend and continue to pray for its success for it assists in keeping the light of faith alive and well throughout East Tennessee.

With all of this may we not get caught up in the doom and gloom of everyday life, but leper in our Gospel may we lifted out of it and given hope as we come to place our trust in the merciful Hands of our Lord.

3rd Sunday of OT Year A Homily

The 2020 Bishop’s Appeal has been entitled: “A Joyful Witness.” Our readings remind us of this joyful witness that we are called to give. It is easy to get cast down into a mentality of doom and gloom. Nevertheless, an encounter with Christ Jesus lifts us out of this doom and gloom and sets us upon a straight path which leads towards the hope that manifests itself to us as a great light. As was stated in our Gospel: “The people who sit in darkness have seen a a great light.”

Christ is this great light which is being spoken of. Nevertheless, so many allow themself to continuously be thrust down into doom and gloom to the point that the ability to see this great light becomes dimmed. With that the virtue of hope begins to slip away from us. Thankfully, we are called to be a joyful witness to the Gospel. As a joyful witness we stay close to Christ and allow the joy that we receive from Him to be brought forth into the world.

With that we come to celebrate Catholic Schools Week which should fill out Church which a spirit of joy and hope for the future as well as the present age. Through a Catholic education your children are given a firm foundation of faith in order that they can come to know this great light which is Christ. Statistics attest that children provided a Catholic education are more likely to practice their faith as adults then those who did not receive one. As we come to celebrate Catholic schools this week I invite each of you to pray for our students and teachers they they may always remain a joyful witness to the Gospel message. I also invite your family to consider sending your children to our parish school. I, as well as our principal, are committed to working this reality out with your family. 

This brings me to next week where we hold the annual bishop’s appeal. Some may question why we in Johnson City ought to support something which exists outside of our parish. Saint Paul answers here from our Epistle and urges us “that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.” Thus this collection serves as a reminder that we are a parish connected to a diocese which is connected to the Church universal.

At a time where it may be difficult to be filled with hope concerning the future of the Church and her ministry thanks to scandal and the closing of parishes in some dioceses we are called to be joyful witnesses to the Gospel. With that I can say that this diocese continues to grow and open new parishes. With that I can say that we have a decent amount of men who are studying for the priesthood. Hopefully, this parish will continue to foster vocations to the priesthood into the future as it has done with Deacon Zach who will be ordained a priest this summer.

With the continued growth of this diocese and its vibrancy there is a great need for us to support the bishop’s appeal. To do so is to support the many ministries which make up this diocese. Through it we support the formation of our future priests, through it we provide for the needy through the support of Catholic Charities as well as the mobile medical clinic, through it we provide for our youth and their education in the faith, and through it we support many other ministries which make up our diocese. 

Let us be filled with hope as we encounter this great light which is Christ and may we be willing to assist others and coming to behold this great light for themself.

Bulletin Article: January 19

I thank Stephanie Mann for her continued dedication to our parish youth. She recently took 15 of our youth to Jenkins, Kentucky to assist with the ministry of the Missionaries and Charity. While there they worked with impoverished community by providing clothing, blankets, the serving of food, work in the food pantry, led song, conversation, and most of all brining the love of Christ. As a parish community I hope that we find ways to support her important ministry to the parish. She is always in need of volunteers and hopes to lead a trip in the near future to bring out youth to visit the seminary in St. Louis in which Deacon Zach currently attends.

Secondly, I want to draw attention to the Fall Fellowship Committee meeting which will be held Monday, January 20, at 6:30pm. This will be the first meeting of this committee and will hopefully get the ball rolling for our 2020 Fall Festival. We are still in need of someone who is willing to chair this committee. This past Fall Festival was a great coming together of our parish community to build up fraternity and making outreach to our local community. I hope that we will continue to build upon the success of what we were able to accomplish in 2019.

In Christ,

Fr. Dustin Collins