Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
Today we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord when Jesus returns to His Father in Heaven. We can imagine the disappointment of the disciples. They have only recently learned that Jesus has risen from the dead, and now he is leaving them again. Jesus seeks to reassure them that he will be with them always, even until the end of the world. Indeed, when Jesus ascends to Heaven, the Risen Lord also escapes the bonds of time and space. No longer is He only with His eleven disciples in Galilee, He is now able to be with all His disciples, at all times and in all places. We are the heirs of this promise.
As you know, the history of our Mission church is a rich one; deeply connected to the history of our state of California. Our founder and first pastor, St. Junipero Serra was also an heir of Jesus’ promise, and His commission to His disciples, “Go and teach all nations.” (Matthew 28:19.).
St. Junipero braved a dangerous sea voyage from Spain, and countless obstacles upon his arrival in the New World to live out that call to evangelization. Next year we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our Carmel Mission. That we are here today, 250 years later, continuing to proclaim the Good News of the great love of our God, is proof that Jesus is indeed with us always.
Your generous support has made it possible for us to continue the work of St. Junipero even in these unprecedented times. I thank you for your sense of stewardship and ask you to continue to visit our website and click the DONATE button, so that we can continue to serve you and our community.
I wish you and your loved ones a renewed sense of discipleship and comfort in the Risen Lord,
Fr. Paul
Please take a moment to read our Carmel Mission Weekly Bulletin.