From the Parochial Vicar

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As many of you know, St. Jane Frances de Chantal Parish in Bethesda was broken into, vandalized, and set on fire last Sunday, July 10th.  De Chantal was one of three churches that were attacked in Bethesda that weekend, including North Bethesda United Methodist Church and Wildwood Baptist Church.  

While it can be, and is, scary to think that a Catholic Church was attacked, not just in the Archdiocese of Washington, but only 16 miles away from St. John Neumann and it may be tempting to run and sound the alarms, we are reminded of the words spoken so often by Jesus Christ and Pope St. John Paul II, “Be not afraid”.

There is so much that can be said about this situation, but the Lord calls us to be steadfast in times of persecution. The Lord in His Passion knows and experienced this persecution for proclaiming the truth, affirming the sanctity of life and the dignity of the human person, and calling sinners to repentance. We continue to pray, we continue to worship, we continue to protect and look after one another, because we are the Body and Christ, and it is the grace and peace of God that will convert our heart and the hearts of many.

St. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? As it is written: “For your sake we are being slain all the day; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We pray for the safety of all churches, clinics, and places that seek to protect and uphold and sanctity of life. We also pray for the conversion of those who have committed these crimes and those who seek to continue to do them. We pray for the grace to forgive them as well. St. Jane France de Chantal, St. John Neumann, St. Michael the Archangel, and Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.