Dear Parishioners,

As you may be seeing, work on the church’s façade is progressing. We anticipate the scaffold coming down along the front of the church soon, and with that, we will redirect our attention to the doors and entryways that remain to be restored. Our concerns with the tile near the altar rail are being addressed as well, with repairs being planned for multiple locations around the church. At the North Campus, our Maintenance Committee and staff have been meeting with the architect and others over the kitchen in the auditorium. This too is progressing, and will speed up once the final plans are finished. I thank the Maintenance Committee members for all they have contributed to the parish with these many intricate and varied projects. We are currently looking to expand our committee and are in need of parishioners with expertise in engineering, project management, building, construction, mechanical, HVAC, plumbing, etc. The committee meets formally between six and eight times a year. If you are interested in assisting the parish in this way, send me an email.

At Mass this weekend we begin the season of Advent with the Blessing of the Wreath. I know many of you have your own Advent wreaths at home, and so I wish to share with you this weekend’s blessing for you to us with your own wreaths at home.

Blessing of Wreath and Lighting of First Candle:

Leader: May the sprinkling of this water remind all of us gathered here of our first sharing in the grace of baptism.

During this time of Advent may we prepare for the Lord’s coming with open hearts and minds.

May this wreath be a symbol to us of this time of prayerful watching and waiting for the coming of the Lord, and a symbol of faith in the power of the Holy Spirit as we anticipate the fruits of this Advent Season.

Have each family member bless the wreath.

Leader: Lord Jesus, your coming was proclaimed by the prophets of old. The Prophet Isaiah proclaimed that all nations shall come to climb the mountain of the Lord. Instruct us that we may walk in the light of the world.

Family: Come, Lord Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus

Leader: Lord Jesus, St Paul urges us that all those who believe in Christ may grow in love of God and neighbor.

Family: Come, Lord Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus

Family lights the first candle.

Leader: Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly kingdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Please take the time to celebrate the Advent season as we prepare for Christmas.

Peace and All Good,

– Fr. Mike

Dear Parishioners,

During the middle of the Civil War, in 1862, one of the Northern leaders asked president Abraham Lincoln for prayer that God would be on their side. Lincoln responded, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side.” How often do we try to make God be on our side, with our own agendas and desires? Instead, our efforts should be in service of trying to be on God’s side, following the Gospel in our own lives.

We’ve all heard and likely used the phrase, “What would Jesus do?” WWJD ask us to apply Jesus’s teaching to our everyday life. When faced with difficult situation how do we respond? Do we respond with our own agenda or do we try to respond to the way God is calling us to? How would Jesus respond to the homeless, the immigrant or other people who may be different because of their faith, race, sexual orientation, or gender? Jesus’ response would be one of compassion and healing. As we get closer to the election I would like to repeat a quote that echoes this sentiment of thinking:

“On these often complex matters, it is the laity’s responsibility to form their consciences and grow in the virtue of prudence to approach the many and varied issues of the day with the mind of Christ. Conscience is “a judgment of reason” by which one determines whether an action is right or wrong (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1778). It does not allow us to justify doing whatever we want, nor is it a mere “feeling.” Conscience—properly formed according to God’s revelation and the teaching of the Church—is a means by which one listens to God and discerns how to act in accordance with the truth. The truth is something we receive, not something we make. We can only judge using the conscience we have, but our judgments do not make things true.“

St Francis of Assisi would pray “Most high, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me, Lord, a correct faith, a certain hope, a perfect charity, insight and wisdom, so that I may carry out Your holy and true command.”

November, with the feast of All Souls, is a time to remember all of our loved ones. This year, remembrance cards will be available for parishioners, where you may write down the names of your loved ones and we will remember all of the people during the ordinary time Masses throughout the month. Once filled, we simply ask that you place the card in the basket in the back of the church. At weekend Masses, we will bring the basket of cards up with the collection. During the week, we will have the cards on the altar at each Mass. We will also have cards available at the Gift Store. There is no need to e-mail or call the parish office to add your names. We ask that you do it when you come to Mass. We will have the Remembrance Cards available the last week of October. This new, month-long remembrance will take the place of this year’s Candle Lighting Service.

Peace and All Good,
– Fr. Mike

Portions of this text were approved by the body of U.S. bishops in November, 2023, as noted at www.faithfulcitizenship.org. © 2023, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington DC. All rights reserved.

Dear Parishioners,

Back in May, 1984 my father was running for the local school board. He was initially elected in 1969 and had served on the board ever since. He had instructed the family to vote, of course, and to tell our friends to vote as well.

Election day came and I was running late for work didn’t have the time to go vote. After work, I met up with some friends and one of them asked me if I’d had the chance to vote, and I admitted I hadn’t. She looked at me and said “you haven’t heard? Your dad’s race ended in a tie.”

They had to have a special election in June. I didn’t miss heading to this polls on this day, however, my father lost that election. The next year, he regained his seat on the board, and would serve for another 17 years, until 2001/2002, a total of 32 years.

While we are well into election season, I would make the following recommendations. Mind you, these are not my thoughts for any specific race or issue, but ways to consciously and deliberately discern your own choices:

1. Bring your discernment to prayer. | St. Paul says: Put on “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16). Take time away from social media and spend time with Holy Scripture and the Blessed Sacrament. Turn off the TV or the podcast, and listen in silence. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, a homeless shelter, a crisis pregnancy center. Serve the poor, the needy, the outcast. Pray often, letting faith inform your political participation. Participation in political life also requires judgments about concrete circumstances. While the bishops help form the laity in accordance with basic principles, they do not tell the laity to vote for particular candidates.

2. Follow your conscience. | On complex matters, it is the laity’s responsibility to form their consciences and grow in the virtue of prudence to approach the many and varied issues of the day with the mind of Christ. Conscience is “a judgment of reason” by which one determines whether an action is right or wrong (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1778). It does not allow us to justify doing whatever we want, nor is it a mere “feeling.” Conscience—properly formed according to God’s revelation and the teaching of the Church—is a means by which one listens to God and discerns how to act in accordance with the truth. The truth is something we receive, not something we make. We can only judge using the conscience we have, but our judgments do not make things true.

3. Be respectful of others. | We do not all share the same opinions. Let us be respectful of other people’s opinions in our words and actions. Never let evil talk pass your lips; say only the good things men need to hear, things that will really help them. Do nothing that will sadden the Holy Spirit with whom you were sealed against the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, all passion and anger, harsh words, slander, and malice of every kind. In place of these, be kind to one another, compassionate, and mutually forgiving, just as God has forgiven you in Christ (Eph. 4:29-32).

4. Vote.

Portions of this text were approved by the body of U.S. bishops in November, 2023, as noted at www.faithfulcitizenship.org. © 2023, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington DC. All rights reserved.

Dear Parishioners,

Pope Francis said “Holiness doesn’t mean doing extraordinary things, but doing ordinary things with love and faith.” This sentiment certainly guides our parish and its ministries. This summer, our Knights of Columbus (Council #12110), Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and Parish Outreach Committee have all seen transitions in leadership that ensure their continued embodiment of that attitude toward ministry and service within our community. Larry Bevis, formerly the chair of the Outreach Committee, has transferred his title to become Grand Knight of our K.O.C. council. Fran Provenzano, a leading organizer of our Giving from the Heart drives, will now act as chair of the Outreach Committee. SVdP recently held elections for its leadership positions, with longtime parishioner and Vincentian Ralph Stoddard set to become president of our conference. Former SH staff member Angela Erb will serve as vice-president, and Suzanne Collins as secretary and treasurer. Again, it is wonderful to see new people stepping up to help lead our parish in living out the Gospel.

We have also been very fortunate to welcome three new part-time members to our parish staff. Longtime parishioner Judy Staley joined this spring to assist with bookkeeping, an invaluable help to our business manager Larry Cabrera, who has been busy overseeing the building restorations both on the church and at the North Campus. A pair of regular volunteers from the Gift & Book Store, Aprile Black and Esther Holder, have made their way from the store to the the parish office, and will share responsibility over reception and sacramental record keeping. If you need a Mass card they will be there to help you!

This past Friday, August 2, we celebrated an important Franciscan Feast, Our Lady of the Angels of the Portiuncula. The word “Portiuncula” simple refers to a small piece of land that the church was built on. This was the third church in which St. Francis of Assisi rebuilt. It was here that St. Francis said that God sent forth him brothers, and therefore became the birthplace of the Franciscan Order. This is also the place where St. Francis died. He instructed his brothers to bring him here so that he may welcome sister death.

In The Life of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Bonaventure writes:

“The Portiuncula was an old church dedicated to the Virgin Mother of God which was abandoned. Francis had great devotion to the Queen of the world and when he saw that the church was deserted, he began to live there constantly in order to repair it. He heard that the angels often visited it, so that it used to be called St. Mary of the Angels, and he decided to stay there permanently out of reverence for the angels and love for the Mother of Christ. He loved this spot more than any other in the world. It was here that he began his religious life in a very small way; it was here that he came to a happy end. When he was dying, he commended this spot above all others to the friars, because it was most dear to the Blessed Virgin.

This was the place where St Francis founded the Order of Friars Minor by divine inspiration and it was divine providence which led him to repair three churches before he founded the Order and began to preach the Gospel. This meant that he progressed from material things to more spiritual achievements, from lesser to greater, in due order, and it gave a prophetic indication of what he would accomplish later.

As he was living there by the church of our Lady, Francis prayed to her who had conceived the Word, full of grace and truth, begging her insistently and with tears to become his advocate. Then he was granted the true spirit of the Gospel by the intercession of the Mother of Mercy and he brought it to fruition.

He embraced the Mother of our Lord Jesus with indescribable love because, as he said, it was she who made the Lord of majesty our brother, and through her we found mercy. After Christ, he put all his trust in her and took her as his patroness for himself and his friars.”

Peace and All Good,

– Fr. Mike

Dear Parishioners,

Many of you might have seen on the diocesan website that the National Eucharistic Congress will be held July 17-21, 2024, in Indianapolis. Reflecting on this event, two quotes sprang to mind. The first is from Cardinal Joseph Bernardin’s address at the Eucharistic Congress in Nairobi, Kenya in August of 1985. Entitled “Satisfying the Hungers of the World’s Children: Eucharist: Call to Unity and Peace,” he stated,

“The Eucharist, rightly understood and received, demands that we respond. Having received forgiveness and reconciliation, we are prompted to forgive others, to be reconciled with them. Having experienced the peace and fellowship of the Lord’s Table, we are compelled to work for justice and harmony in the world. Having experienced the unity of the One Table, we are enabled and mobilized to work for peace, harmony, and unity among all God’s children. In fact, in the Beatitudes the title ‘God’s children’ is especially reserved for peacemakers.”

The second quote came from Pope Francis in his book “The Joy of the Gospel” in which he writes, “The Eucharist, although it is the fullness of sacramental life, is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.”

Cardinal Bernardin reminds us the Eucharist demands that we respond to the Gospel. Pope Francis reminds us that the Eucharist gives us the nourishment we need to respond to the Gospel.

There are many ways we can respond to our faith here at Sacred Heart. Participation in ministries like Hands of Hope, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, or Bikes from the Heart are just a few ways people in our parish live out our faith. There so many opportunities for people to put their faith into action within our parish. The important thing is for us all to live and share our faith to the best of our abilities.

The Friars and I are looking forward to seeing you and your families at our new event coming up on July 12. The Summer Social will be feature a fantastic barbecue dinner provided by Big John’s Alabama BBQ. Believe me, if you like barbecue you will really enjoy the ribs and chicken and great sides from this Tampa staple. There will also be great games like inflatable axe throwing (this is safe!) and inflatable basketball hoops where the high scores will receive fun prizes. Whether or not you think you can dance, be sure to take in one of the several line-dancing classes that will take place several times over the evening. And to cool you down from all the activities, sno-cones will be on offer. Our Knights of Columbus Council #12110 will also be on hand to serve refreshing drinks including adult beverages.

So come and enjoy a nice summer evening and dinner with your fellow parishioners. Tickets to the dinner are $15 for adults and $8 for kids under 12. Information on how to purchase tickets can be found by clicking here.

Peace and All Good,
– Fr. Mike

Dear Parishioners,

It is hard to believe that we are already into the summer months. As we move into this new season, I wish to provide you with an update on our current preservation efforts along the front façade.

Where to begin…? Many of you have asked how long with the scaffolding be up? We originally reported between 12 and 14 weeks, but unfortunately, our contractor, All Trades Historical Restoration, has found additional damage which will now extend that time by about three to four weeks. The timetable now to finish phase one would be the end of August, provided there are no additional repairs needed. The additional work will add about $65,000 to the original estimate of $200,000. A reminder that phase one of this preservation project covers the top two-thirds of the front façade, along with a few other items. Here is a summary of what is being done:

Cross | An engineer is making a plan for a new base for the cross which usually adorns the top of the façade. The cross itself wasn’t damaged but the base had corroded due to the age of the building. The original cross will be repositioned on the new base.

Flashing | When examining the cross, our contractor noticed the roof’s flashing was loose, likely a cause of some of the water damage to the inside of the church. They will be resealing flashing to fix the leaks.

Rose Window | This is where most of the new damage was found. After inspecting the window, our contractor discovered more than 67 fractures of various sizes on the rose window. Each of these will need to be sealed and painted to match. The fractures are simply due to age and the sun beating down on the building.

Sacred Heart of Jesus | I am not sure many of you will have noticed this, but the fingers on the one hand of Jesus are missing. They fell off years ago, though we were able to recover them. Our contractor will be reattaching them to the statue.

Doors | The three remaining sets of doors yet to be restored will be part of this initial phase. It is plain to see the damage due to the sun hitting on them day after day. Our contractor will remove the doors to work on them.

Similarly to the northernmost entryway, the other entryways will be sealed up with plywood during that time. Work will alternate to ensure two entryways will remain available for parishioners and visitors to use. With the handicap doorway along Twiggs Street, a temporary door will be placed to ensure the continued use of the handicap ramp.

Keep in mind that this work does not include what will need to be done to address the water damage on the inside of the church, but it does help stop causes of that damage.

Staff and volunteers are applying for grants from the county and state to provide some additional money for the next phases of work on the outside of the building. The next phase would cost between $200,000 and $300,000 depending on how much we can afford to do at that time.

Regarding the North Campus… staff and committee members have been meeting with the diocese, architects and a kitchen designer to best determine what will need to be done for the kitchen at the North Campus. As we continue assessments, the building’s plumbing is becoming a major issue. The drain pipes in the kitchen have collapsed due to age. All new plumbing will have to be installed, and would include the bathrooms in the auditorium as well. Our team is looking at what we actually would need and will use for the parish regarding the kitchen design. Once we settle on a final design, we will be able to get more of an idea on what the cost would be to renovate the kitchen.

A development committee is being assembled to aid the parish in fundraising, seeking applicable grants, and creating a new parochial legacy program. All money raised through these vehicles will aid the church and the North Campus. Our church turns 120 years old next January. The majority of the North Campus is more than 50 years old. If we ignore any problems we find today, it will cost the parish much more in the future. Luckily, we have many dedicated parishioners who want to help. If you have experience in raising money and would like to help, please reach out.

Peace and All Good,

– Fr. Mike

Sisters and brothers,

So far we have had a very busy Easter Season. We held our latest Giving from the Heart drive, which collected more than $7,000 worth of items for Foundations of Life pregnancy center, as well as needed items for Hands of Hope. We welcomed Abbot Isaac Camacho, O.S.B., from St Leo’s, who confirmed 30 of our parish youth. Our annual parish gala was a success, with the event raising more than $78,000 for the renovation of the kitchen at the North Campus. Let’s not forget we celebrated Fr Zack’s birthday as well!

That high level of activity continues this weekend across many of our Masses, with 28 of our parish’s children receiving their First Communion. Over this past year, it has been a pleasure working with the children and their families as they prepared for their sacraments. We should be proud of all of our children. All of this activity certainly shows the parish is thriving and growing.

Conversely, this last month has also seen a decision made by our  Sacred Heart Catholic Conference of Women for their group to disband. Their membership, comprised of several selfless and active parishioners, has seen a decline in recent years that has been mirrored on the state and national level. I will be meeting with their current council to develop a Mass/prayer service and social to celebrate the past and current women of the SHCCW, and recognize their years of service to Sacred Heart. The mission of the Sacred Heart Council of Catholic Women has been to assist the pastor and the parish community in charitable, educational, social and spiritual undertakings. Throughout the 55 years of their ministry, the SHCCW certainly have been a key part of our parish life. The majority of their works have gone undetected as these women volunteered and worked for the betterment of the parish and not their own glory, always helping when and where there were needs, for events large and small. They have served in many additional roles in our parish, including leadership.

Our thanks and gratitude go out to all of the past and current members of the SHCCW. In Mark and Matthew’s Gospels, we hear, “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve.” For me, the SHCCW did not exist to be served, but to serve our parish. Truly, these women are a wonderful example of how we can live out our faith. Over the next month I would ask that each of us say this prayer for the transition of their group:

Peace and All Good,
Fr. Mike

Sisters and brothers,

On Easter Sunday we heard a passage from the Gospel of Mark (16:2-4), stating “Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb. They were saying to one another, “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back; it was very large.”

Pope Francis in his Easter Vigil address this year talked about the stone. He stated:

• “There are times when we may feel that a great stone blocks the door of our hearts, stifling life, extinguishing hope, imprisoning us in the tomb of our fears and regrets, and standing in the way of joy and hope. We encounter such “tombstones” on our journey through life in all the experiences and situations that rob us of enthusiasm and of the strength to persevere. We encounter them at times of sorrow: in the emptiness left by the death of our loved ones, in the failures and fears that hold us back from accomplishing the good we mean to do. We encounter them in all the forms of self-absorption that stifle our impulses to generosity and sincere love, in the rubber walls of selfishness and indifference that hold us back in the effort to build more just and humane cities and societies, in all our aspirations for peace that are shattered by cruel hatred and the brutality of war. When we experience these disappointments, do we also have the sensation that all these dreams are doomed to failure, and that we too should ask ourselves in anguish: “Who will roll away the stone from the tomb?”
  
  Yet the same women who bore this darkness in their hearts tell us something quite extraordinary. When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. This is the Pasch of Christ, the revelation of God’s power: the victory of life over death, the triumph of light over darkness, the rebirth of hope amid the ruins of failure. It is the Lord, the God of the impossible, who rolled away the stone forever. Even now, he opens our tombs, so that hope may be born ever anew. We too, then, should “look up” to him.”

Last weekend we saw the evidence of that stone rolled back for us in our celebration of the Triduum and Easter Sunday. Many ministries came together to help with the planning and organization of these celebrations alongside those who volunteered and served at all the services. A lot of that heavy lifting was accomplished by our Liturgical Advisory Committee, our Faith Formation staff and catechists, the Environment Committee, our altar servers, ushers, readers, Eucharistic Ministers, cantors, and choir. It’s also important to recognize the ministries we don’t always see in action, that play a pivotal roll in the background, including those who clean the altar linens, the money counters, and the parish staff who go above and beyond to ensure the success of these liturgies. Our parish’s outreach and social ministries also played a role in the Triduum. At the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, members from the Open Doors ministry prepared the altar. The basket of food presented during the Preparation of the Gifts was collected by our St. Vincent de Paul Society volunteers in March.

We often focus on being “trapped in the tomb.” That wasn’t the case this Easter. A group of twelve came into the Church at the Vigil. Over the past year they each shared their story of how the stone was rolled away for them as they came into their faith in Christ. On Easter Sunday, nearly 4,000 came to our parish to celebrate their faith in the Risen Lord. It is the witness of all these people who encourage all of us to continue on in our own faith.

I want to thank everyone who assisted us over these past weeks in creating these prayerful and faith-filled celebrations. Pope Francis at the Easter Vigil this year concluded by saying, “In the darkness, let an unexpected shout of joy resound: He is alive; he is risen! And you, my brothers and sisters, small and great … you who are weary of life, who feel unworthy to sing… let a new flame be kindled in your heart, let new vitality be heard in your voice. It is the Pasch of the Lord; it is the feast of the living.” Our parish is alive with the faith of the Risen Lord.

Peace and All Good,
Fr. Mike

O, Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Your infinite wisdom and love,
You remind us that we are the Body of Christ;
many parts, one body, united in our faith in Jesus Christ.

We humbly come before You, seeking unity within our parish
and ask You to strengthen and sustain all those who volunteer in our parish.

Empower us, O God, to set aside our differences and to come together,
we focus on the mission and vision You have set before us.

As we walk hand in hand, let our unity serve as a beacon of hope to the world,
a testimony of Your love and a reflection of Your divine grace.

Oh God, we trust in Your guidance and ask that You unite us in our mission,
as we continue to spread Your word and serve Your people.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Dear Parishioners,

On Ash Wednesday we handed out a prayer card with our Parish Ministry Prayer (above) on it for people to pray a prayer of mission and unity throughout the season of Lent. As we pray, it is a reminder that we are not alone, we have God and one another and it is that oneness that we celebrate at the Eucharist every week. 

This weekend, we had an outreach ministry retreat where everyone was invited to attend. The theme of the retreat was “We are the Body of Christ; Many Parts, One Body.”  The theme was a reminder to us of all the many ministries here at Sacred Heart, yet we are one parish. 

Our parish advisory board last year introduced new mission, vision, and value statements.  These statements aid parish leadership in the development of priorities for the parish and specifically the North Campus property. These statements can also help ministries define themselves and how they can contribute to the greater parish vision.

Parish Mission Statement: To cultivate a vibrant community of faith by creating meaningful connections with both God and each other.

Parish Vision Statement: To be the faith-filled heartbeat of Tampa, welcoming one another, supporting each other, and modeling Christ’s love to all those we meet.

Parish Value Statements:

1. We are a joyful, loving, and vibrant Body of Christ, finding inspiration in our diversity and delight in our parish friends and family. (Franciscan Value: appreciation for beauty, reverence for all creation)

2. We are welcoming, approachable, kind, and inclusive – not only to those within our walls, but also to those who live along the margins. (Franciscan Value: affirmation of the unique worth of each person)

3. We are passionately compassionate and generous with our means – intentional in our service, driven in our actions, and devoted to our social responsibilities. (Franciscan Value: service to the poor and marginalized)

4. We are proudly Franciscan in spirit, embracing our unique heritage and the traditions passed down through generations before us, yet always striving to change and evolve. We’re never done with our work or ready to give up. (Franciscan Value: faith in a personal and provident God)

Long-time parishioner and the executive director of the nearby Franciscan Center, Brian Lemoi, led our ministry retreat this weekend. During the session, he discussed an excerpt from the non-profit organization, Renew International, known for creating programs like Theology on Tap, which connect faith and life:

“Act with intentionality. Intentionality means doing things with a purpose and a plan. We as Church can be intentional about ‘our ministries’ by doing the following:

• building a spirit of hospitality into our plans (for our parish volunteers and recipients of our ministry services)
• ensuring that all parishioners understand the plan and their roles in it.

In looking at that statement, the parish advisory board has and will continue to purposely plan for the future of Sacred Heart and we will find ways to share that plan with the various ministries and parishioners. Lemoi ended that excerpt with “taking the time to plan assures that our good intentions are carried out.”

The parish advisory board members are: Larry Bevis, Cindy Burnette, Sarah Daniels, Fr. Zack Elliott, OFM, Sam Ferlita, Fr. Mike Jones, OFM, Stephen Krist, Helen Lukavec, Lynda Marsh, Tony Miranda, Laura Prather (chair), and Felix Vega (meets quarterly).

Peace and All Good,
Fr. Mike Jones, OFM