Parish Mission, Jan 22-26, 2024

01-14-2024Pastor's LetterVery Rev. Richard C. Wilson, VF, Pastor

Dear Friends in Christ,

By the time you read this, we will be two weeks into the New Year! That’s hard for me to believe. The flip of that calendar page from December to January causes many of us to reflect on the past year and look to the new one with hope and optimism, considering changes in your life.

This would be a good time to attend our parish mission! From January 22nd to January 26th, we will be blessed to have Mr. Kyle Clement, SMD here for a five day parish mission.

Mr. Kyle Clement is the case Facilitator/ Administrator for the Societas Matris Dolorosissimae (SMD), the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother. He has worked with Exorcists and support personnel for the last 20 years. Mr. Clement was on the founding committee that formed the Pope Leo XIII Institute for the training of exorcists in the US at the request of the USCCB. He subsequently taught and formed priests, as well as their support teams, with the Pope Leo XIII institute for several years.

The Society is an order of semi-contemplative exorcist priests and lay assistants that provide formation and consulting services to Cardinals, Bishops, Exorcists, Priests, Mental Health Professionals, and Law Enforcement Agencies in the areas of Exorcism and extraordinary diabolical activity. The SMD also provides Exorcist formation and training for parish priests, Mental Health Professionals and Deliverance Teams following a medical model known as the Liber Christo Methodology.

Our parish mission will be conducted Monday through Friday, January 22-26. A detailed schedule is on our website. Morning sessions will be in Mother Teresa Hall and evening sessions will be at Old St. Mary’s. His mission will focus living out an authentic Catholic faith. There will be nine unique presentations. Mr. Clement has presented on this topic both domestically and internationally at public conferences as well as Diocesan Convocations and Clergy only training retreats. A sampling of the topics to be presented includes: “Catholic Identity,” “Cleaning out your Knapsack,” and having a “Balanced Relationship with the Trinity.”

Nursery is available for the evening sessions, but parents must sign up. There will be no nursery in the morning. Sign up for evening nursery at 803-642-2676. This parish mission will be a good way to grow in your faith and get ready to have a fruitful and profitable Lent.

When the Lord was speaking to young Samuel in the temple, the priest Eli told him to say to the Lord, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” May we take advantage of this parish mission to hear the voice of our Lord. All the best…in Christ, Father Wilson