It is good to be home! Two weeks away including two Sundays is a long time to be away! I am happy to be home after a wonderful experience at the Alleluia School of Spiritual Direction!
SCHOOL OF SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
Thank you for all the prayers for myself and two of our parishioners who attended the January Session on Growth at the Alleluia School of Spiritual Direction in Augusta! The days were long, but the Holy Spirit showed up in power and strength! Sr. Emily Vincent, who was missioned here at St. James for a few years, graduated and I completed my 3 sessions and will complete my last requirement over the next few weeks. Along with the two parishioners who attended this session, one more parishioner is attending the July sessions and will complete his second session this year. Please keep all of them in your prayers.
2024 CATHOLIC MEN’S CONFERENCE
Although I was unable to attend the Men’s Conference last Saturday, January 27th, I have heard that it was an excellent experience and that the Holy Spirit moved with power in the lives of the men attending! Thank you, Jesus! 178 men spent the day engaging their faith and through prayer, presentations, and brotherhood left with a desire to be better Catholic men, better husbands, better fathers.
Thank you to Deacon Lou, Brian Kennedy, Paul Lambert, and the whole team that put the Conference together! Gentlemen, the Lord blessed the work of your hands! Thank you for placing your gifts and talents at the disposal of the Holy Spirit so that He could lead those men deeper into their faith and their relationship with God.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
Last week we celebrated our St. James Catholic School! We had many activities and ended the week with a beautiful mass! What a celebration! Thank you to all the teachers and parents that made this week so wonderful! Our school is the main ministry of the parish. Through it, we seek to form the students, the parents, the faculty, and the staff into disciples of Jesus Christ. Through our relationships at the school, we assist each other in living our faith. We evangelize each other! May the Lord Jesus continue the good work He is doing in the school!
ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL
This Sunday we kick off our 2024 Annual Catholic Appeal! Last year, our parish exceeded our goal and a portion of that was returned to the parish! Thank you to all who gave to last year’s Appeal!
Your generosity through the Annual Catholic Appeal funds, among other apostolates, clergy subsidies in mission parishes (some parishes in the diocese can’t pay for a priest on their own), seminarian education, evangelization efforts, The Southern Cross, and works of charity through outreach centers across the Diocese of Savannah. This appeal gives us a chance to assist our brothers and sisters throughout our diocese. Our Catholic Faith is strengthened and spread through our generosity as a parish.
The total goal of the Appeal is $2,700,000. Of that total, we, the parishioners of St. James are asked to contribute $133,753. Each year, you amaze me with how quickly we meet our goal. I brag about you and your generosity often!
We are a couple of weeks behind in launching the 2024 ACA because I was away for two weekends in a row! So, we will begin now. You should have already received a mailing from the Diocese for the ACA. I invite each of you to prayerfully consider participation in this year’s Annual Appeal. Thank you, again, to all who gave to last year’s Appeal and I look forward to seeing our parish participation increase this year!
May the Lord Jesus bless you and your families abundantly this week!
~ Fr. Daniel Firmin