Welcome everyone to a new school year! At the same time, we begin a new year of Religious Education for the whole family. Our Children's Faith Formation Coordinator shared with us her letter on the key role that parents have in the religious education of our children. Now I want to share about an exciting new adventure in our preparation to celebrate First Communion in May 2014.

Traditionally we have worked with two programs of preparation for First Reconciliation and First Communion , with different catechists , different books, and on different days. We have always been fully aware that the only thing that separates us is language. We know and believe that sharing the Body and Blood of Christ unites us above any barrier.

But this year we want to be even more united! We have started bilingual classes in English and Spanish . Our children are together in schools and at sporting events. How more important is that they are together in church, where "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3: 28) . We invite you to participate in this exciting adventure of faith and solidarity!

From now until January we are in the phase I, preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The first story we share in this preparation process, which I now want to share with you all is a story of Father Damien, the missionary priest to Molokai Island, Hawaii. Father Damien served among the lepers. He was the only priest on the island, so he could not confess himself! One day , another priest came on a ship carrying food and other things to the island. What a great opportunity for Father Damien! After a long time, he could finally confess. But the risk of getting leprosy was great. So the other priest was not allowed to get off the boat. Father Damien rowed in a small boat to the ship, but he was not allowed to climb! So Father Damien , rowing as close to the boat as he could, shouted his confession to the other priest!

How wonderful that this great saint, who some might think could confess his sins directly to God, kept in his heart a deep desire to celebrate as Catholic the Sacrament of Reconciliation! Pray that God puts in our children that deep desire to prepare for the first time to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.