Building on the success of last year’s 2-for-1 match the Foundation’s Board has once again committed taking our work to the next level! The 2-for-1 match is back! Like 2022 (in review), the board wants another year of large strides in response to Our Lady’s call.
2023 will be a pivotal year. Our focus has been on providing the essentials; water, heat, electricity and offering of Holy Mass in a somewhat appropriate space. In 2023 we will start to bring outreach and programming into focus, while we continue to prioritize liturgy and liturgical space improvements.
Our Lady continues to lead us. She calls Bishop Kevin Rhoades to set the path and her priest sons to guide us along. As an example, when Bishop Rhoades renamed the chapel to the Oratory of the Holy Family, it caused us to dig into what this devotion reveals about the Holy Family, where humanity and Divinity co-existed in peace for 30 years. The Holy Family is where God’s nature and infinite love were made manifest in humanity. The example of the Holy Family is very rich. Through it are revealed ways of Grace that are available to us. Ways that bring us closer to the promises of Christ.
And the priests! Perhaps the greatest gift Our Lady has sent are the local priests who have made this work of Our Lady theirs too. For the Sacraments that have come through them, the dozen who participated in the Bishop’s Mass and the Pilgrim Walk, envisioned and organized by Fr. J Steele, CSC, we are most grateful! And our new Pastor, Fr. Louis Fowoyo is collaborating closely to build the richness of our programs and offerings.
Bishop Kevin Rhoades at the Oratory of the Holy Family, August 6, 2022
When Bishop Rhoades offered Mass on August 6th, 2022, he gave us many gifts. First, his presence as witness to his support and encouragement. Second, he established the chapel as an Oratory. And Third, he established that we would be graced with the True Eucharistic Presence of Our Lord in the Oratory. This is the goal.
But we are not ready to receive this gift of Divinity. Because of the public nature of the Oratory, with pilgrims, programs, tours, and conferences it is not appropriate that Our Lord be reserved in the Oratory Sanctuary. For this we will be outfitting a Eucharistic Chapel just off the sanctuary for prayer in the presence of Our Lord. This is the same way it is done in the great Churches of the world like the Pope’s Cathedral, St. John Lateran in Rome.
At the conclusion of Mass in August, Bishop Rhoades called attention the Sanctuary of the Oratory pointing to the great need of renewal. We are ready to start. View below short video of his closing comments at Mass. He clearly painted the picture that it takes a community of the faithful to respond and act on this call of Our Lady. He calls out that so much has been accomplished, but there is so much more to do. He gives his thanks to this community for returning the Catholic presence to the Oratory.
We have already hired a liturgical architect and the next step is engaging a liturgical artist. Together, they will prepare a plan of renewal for discussion, refinement and ultimately completion.
This will be a multi-year program with timing dependent on funding. This year our hope is to prepare the sanctuary area for the next step. This first step will be building walls in the sanctuary in front of the existing walls to accommodate insulation and electrical. This wall will be the canvas for the liturgical art.
Bishop Rhoades has given this community a charge – to renew the Oratory as an inspiring and appropriate space for worship, prayer, sacraments, and learning. Now is the time to respond to Our Lady’s call and her hope for America. Please join with our Board so that together we can advance Our Lady’s plan. Please Give Today!
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