Giving Thanks at Lourdes!

 “Joy springs from a grateful heart! Truly, we have received much, so many graces, so many blessings and we rejoice in this. It will do us good to think back on our lives with the grace of remembrance. Gratitude and hard work: these are two pillars of the spiritual life. Perhaps we need to ask ourselves: are we good at counting our blessings?” Pope Francis, NYC, 2015

This weekend we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, the final Sunday of the Church year. Next weekend is the First Sunday in Advent, the beginning of a new Liturgical Year. Well timed to pause and give thanks for what was an extraordinary year at Our Lady of Lourdes!

Hard to believe it was this time last year that we began to plan the 140th anniversary celebration. Our Tradition – Our Legacy, became the theme for a year of projects and events aimed at highlighting 140 years for this warm and welcoming parish in the heart of the city. When Father Griffith described Lourdes in 2017—one of the fastest growing parishes in the Archdiocese; an increasing parish family; a focal point for young adults; having an expanded role in a growing neighborhood—he shared both a vision and an opportunity. The Lourdes family and friends stepped up. The Jubilee Fund Appeal was made and the goal was met. We are now closing in on the stretch goal that will allow us to complete key restoration projects. Your generosity was amazing and greatly appreciated!

By spring, the Jubilee Fund projects were in full swing and the church interior, landscaping, relocated grotto and new courtyard all began to emerge. We were surrounded by construction and renovation in and around the parish campus. We give thanks for answered prayers and the intercession of our Patron; people and structures were kept safe during the process.

And what would an anniversary be without celebrations?! Our Jubilee Year Events: Feast Day celebration, Lourdes Jubilee Gala, Mass for the City of Minneapolis, Blessing of the Courtyard, as well as our Fourth Annual Block Party, and National Night Out, gave us the chance to enjoy old friends and make new ones, as we marked the history of the church where the riverfront has come to pray since 1877.

Thanks to all the volunteers who made these projects and events a memorable success (stay tuned for more about our upcoming volunteer appreciation event, set for January 14th, 2018!)

Quite a list, but what I am most grateful for, is how we have set the stage. This year has built a foundation to deepen our faith and better understand what it means to encounter. The Jubilee Fund also supports key ministries and programs that will flourish in the years to come. Father Griffith envisioned the completed project to be, “a place of beauty where everyone can experience God.” As we explore what it means to build a Culture of Encounter in 2018, the renewal of these spaces and our relationships will allow us to do just that.