Letter from Fr. Dan 9/13/20

Dear St. Francis Xavier family,

This past Saturday I had the great honor and joy of celebrating with my friend, Rabbi Dan Fellman and his family, the Bar Mitzvah of their son. Bar Mitzvah means ‘son of the commandment’; a celebration at which the young man is proclaimed to be an adult member of the Jewish community with all of the duties and responsibilities associated with being an adult in the faith. This is similar to our own Confirmation at which the young man or woman proclaims the faith to be their own, is sealed with the Holy Spirit, and begins to take an active, adult role in our Catholic Faith family. I couldn’t help but to pray at the Bar Mitzvah, how important a faith family is and how necessary to provide all of our young people with a firm foundation of faith, moral values and a sense of belonging to something much greater than themselves. A faith community connects us with our past, helps us to live responsibility in the present and gives hope and meaning to our future. I was also moved to pray for a true understanding between people of all faiths and a celebration of all of our common humanity. To Rabbi Dan’s son, our own young men and women, and all who will come after us and them in our journey of faith, ‘mazel tov’ (good fortune), and it is my prayer that you always stay connected to your faith, God and the community.
God bless,
Fr. Dan