Fr. Don’s Weekly Letter ~ 27 September 2026

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

Week before last I got to spend a few days in Jackson, Wyoming, where my friends Mary Kay and John live. They have the oldest dude ranch in the valley, Triangle X, actually predating Grand Teton National Park which surrounds them. If you want a good dose of the Beauty of God, I recommend it.

Mary Kay and I, and another friend Feras, started the Holy Land Christians Society 25 years ago to support and enable the well-being of Christians who then were simply trying to survive, particularly in Bethlehem and the West Bank and Gaza. Over the past 25 years things have only gotten worse and worse for Palestinian Christians, so much suffering and anxiety. The Christian population at the time of the creation of the state of Israel from their lands and homes has dropped from 30% to 0.4%. In the land where Christianity began.

Well, Mary Kay is 85 and slowing down a little, and a good number of our donors are her friends in Wyoming. It was time for several of our board members to go and meet them, and thank them, and introduce ourselves. What we found was a wonderful group of caring, concerned friends who are all focused on our common mission.

My purpose is not to promote HLCS (but if any of you have questions I’d love to talk about it with you) nor to ask for your finan-cial support (though I certainly wouldn’t refuse), but to tell you my impression of the 50 or so generous-hearted people I met those days in Jackson. My reflection became much deeper the Friday that week when I was back, and the Gospel was about how Jesus went about with the Twelve preaching and healing, accompanied by the many who provided for them out of their resources, including three women mentioned by name: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna. For a woman to be mentioned in those days was rare, a seminary professor once taught us, because they did not matter. It was the ones who were considered powerless who were there in the middle of Jesus’ ministry, making it happen. Amazing.

The mission in Palestine is desperate, certainly, and the work is a struggle, and the results are humble. Our board of directors can accomplish only as much as our friends of HLCS make possible. We had our 50 friends for brisket dinner in Mary Kay and John’s backyard with the Tetons rising above the trees and as I watched them I was thankful, and keenly aware that here were the Marys, Joannas, Susannas, Barbaras, Mary Kays, Johns, Catherines... who enable the Lord to work.

It is the same in Palestine, in Wyoming, and in Springfield. There is work to be done and we are the ones who must go to work. If we don’t, nothing will get done. We are responsible as priests, prophets, and kings inserted into this culture to steer it back to God, to heal wounds and care for each other. To sanctify, to proclaim, to lead, all three from each of us. Not because it is a good thing to do – because it is who we are.

It is who you are.

Commitment Sunday was last Sunday and this is your chance, you can still respond by making an offering of yourself using your gifts and talents. Please don’t disregard it. Think of the good you can do for others; the best is what it will do for you.

OCIA has started again and, again, I see how it is a kind of microcosm of our wider community. Seekers meet seekers, they get to know each other. Learning together makes everyone learn faster, just as sharing faith makes faith grow so much faster. Jesus becomes clearer as we see the spark of his life in each other. Something new is happening as we walk together on the journey of rebirth and renewal. Imagine this vision for our parish family. So much possibility.

All we need is more Joannas, and Marys, and Michaels, and Patricias.

The Lord be with you,