Pentecost Sunday
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
May the Peace of Christ be with you on this Pentecost Sunday. On this day, we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and the main gift of Pentecost: unity in diversity. At receiving the Holy Spirit, as our Lord Jesus Christ had promised them, the apostles stopped trying to change each other but instead understood each other in their own language. They learned the language of love to evangelize the world. They went from being afraid and in hiding, to courageously announcing the Good News to the ends of the world. “And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it illed the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of ire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all illed with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim” (Acts 2:2-4.) It is for this reason that Pentecost is often considered the birthday of the church.
We at Queen of Peace Catholic Parish are about to celebrate our own birthday. On June 12th, we will commemorate the 48th anniversary of its foundation. It’s amazing to see God’s faithfulness during these last 48 years. What began as a small chapel that could seat 40 people for weekday Mass has grown to a large church with several thousand diverse parishioners. On June 12, we celebrate the brothers and sisters who saw a need for a parish in Aurora and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, gave their gifts and talents to help make it possible. We commemorate countless Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, and Marriages celebrated here throughout the years. We give thanks to the Lord for giving us this parish, where many have found a home, where many have experienced God’s mercy and where many have had an encounter with Jesus Christ.
To give thanks for so much goodness from the Lord, we are having an Anniversary Celebration on Sunday June 12, after each of the six Sunday Masses in the Great Room. There will be many different kinds of food, music, entertainment, and an opportunity for fellowship. At the time, we will also show a video we are working on telling our parish history. It will be a time for us to come together as a parish family to reminisce over our rich history and to look ahead at where our missionary parish is headed.
This is the irst time we organize an anniversary celebration, and it’s important that we all get involved. We are all part of the parish family and part of the One Body of Jesus Christ. Much help is needed the day before the event to set up and on the day of the celebration to cook, serve food, and clean up after each Mass. If you can help, please contact Rosine Angbanzan at 720-394-5610 or at acsatqueenofpeace@gmail.com, or email Marc Small at marc.small@queenofpeace.net. Like those who came before us, let’s put our gifts and talents at the service of our Church.
I hope you all have a happy Pentecost day, when the apostles and all the Church throughout the centuries, together with them, were able to break with their fears and trust that God was with them as they carry Christ to the world!
In Christ
Father Felix P. Medina-Algaba, Pastor