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

2nd Sunday After Epiphany Homily

Today we are given the account of the miracle that was worked at the Wedding Feast in Cana. It was here that Jesus came to work His first miracle when water was changed into wine.

What takes place inside of our Gospel is a very serious matter. The serious matter is the very fact that a wedding celebration was taking place and that wine ran short. I am not saying this as a joke, but for the very fact that from the perspective of the family this was an embrarassment. This is a lack of hospitality towards one’s guests who gathered to celebrate this marriage. In Jewish culture hospitality is something that was highly valued and the wine comes to represents one’s ability to celebrate for the prophets indicate it as being an important element of the messianic banquet.

From the pleading of the people our Blessed Mother heard their pleas. She took them upon herself and brought them to the attention of her Son. It was here that He worked His first miracle by changing the water into wine. What we are instructed on here is very important because it was pointed out that this wine was better then the wine which was had before. This is important because typically one would offer the best wine first and as the celebration would run on wine of less value would be offered maybe even to the point of it being watered down. Instead here we are told that this wine was greater then what was had before.

This Gospel shows us the need to be a people who are filled with joy. Joy was had at this celebration as is displayed by the wine. Greater joy was discovered by the wine which was created through our Lord’s first miracle. Here we are being shown the reality that with the Lord there is always reason for us to be filled with joy.

So many lessons are being given to us through this Gospel and through each of them we come to encounter this same unending joy. We encounter our Blessed Mother and are shown how proper devotion to her will bring us to know her Son. We encounter Baptism which was encountered through the water which has claimed us for Christ. We encounter the wine which points the way towards the Eucharist where we will come to behold Christ; Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. I can think of no greater joy then all of this.

Therefore, at those moments when we feel as if all has been stripped away from us may we come to place our trust in the Merciful Hands of the Lord. From our encounter with these merciful hands may we be filled with joy and the virtue of hope. Through the wedding feast of Cana joy is being brought into our life which overcomes every moment of our life which is filled with grief and despair.