Pastor

Easter Message

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 04:00:00 +0000

MAY CHRIST'S RESURRECTION FILL YOU WITH HOPE AND PEACE!

What a joy it is for every true Christian to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. It is not just the end of our period of penance and sacrifice, but the beginning of a new life in Christ the risen Lord.

This year everything seems to be unreal. The coronavirus pandemic is dramatically impacting the way we do things and the way we see our human nature. Even though we are suffering the pains of isolation and separation, because we are not able to come together as a community to pray, and receive the sacraments in our beautiful church, we can still experience the joy of being united in the love of Jesus Christ.

On behalf of the staff of St. Joseph's Church, I extend to you our Easter blessings. May the Risen Lord continue to protect all of you and may the Easter Joy continue to fill your hearts and homes throughout this season. We continue to pray for all those affected by Covid-19 and all health workers.

I am sure you find it difficult to not be present in the church during the Tridiuum. However, all Masses and services are live streamed on the Parish Facebook page and website.

FACEBOOK = St. Joseph Church Bristol CT

~Fr. Ivan

QUE LA RESURRECION DE CRISTO LOS LLENE DE PAZ Y ESPERANZA!

Que alegría es para el verdadero Cristiano el celebrar la resurrección de Jesús. No es solamente el final de un periodo de penitencia y sacrificio, si no el comienzo de una vida nueva en Cristo, el Señor Resucitado.

Este año todo parece irreal. La pandemia del coronavirus está impactando dramáticamente la manera de hacer las cosas y la forma de ver la naturaleza humana. A pesar de que estamos sufriendo las penas del aislamiento y la separación, porque no podemos reunirnos como comunidad para orar, y recibir los sacramentos de nuestra hermosa iglesia, todavía podemos experimentar la alegría de estar unidos en el amor de Jesucristo.

De parte del equipo de la Iglesia San José, extiendo a ustedes nuestras bendiciones de Pascua. Que el Señor Resucitado continúe protegiéndolos y que la alegría Pascual continúe llenando sus corazones y hogares a través de esta temporada. Seguimos orando por todos los afectados por el Covid-19 y todos los trabajadores de la salud.

Estoy seguro que encuentran difícil no estar presentes en la iglesia durante el Triduo. Sin embargo, todas las Misas y servicios son transmitidas en vivo en la página de Facebook y la página de la iglesia.

FACEBOOK = St. Joseph Church Bristol, CT

~Padre Ivan

Our Pastor is Thankful

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 04:00:00 +0000

This past Monday, April 15, our Pastor, Fr. Ivan Ramirez, gave thanks to the community for their gift of his new vestments, and blessed them during the morning Mass. This was made possible by the generous donations of St. Joseph Parish Family in honor of his 15th year anniversary of ordination. This gift will be used during the Liturgies for years to come. Fr. Ivan is sincerely grateful for your kindness.

15th Anniversary of Ordination

Thu, 13 Dec 2018 05:00:00 +0000

UPON MY 15^th ANNIVERSARY OF ORDINATION

It was the morning of December 13, 2003, when the Lord Jesus Christ bestowed upon me, His unworthy servant, the wonderful gift of the priesthood. That day Bishop Carlos Prada Sanmiguel laid his hands on me, and with the prayer of consecration I became part of the priesthood of Christ to serve in His Church.

It is precisely the spirit of service that led me to fall in love with our Lord Jesus Christ. That is the root of my priestly vocation. As a kid in my hometown, as in most of Colombia in the 80s and 90s, an atmosphere of violence and cruelty permeated. I remember that my town was abandoned by the government for many years, and during that time the guerrillas committed many injustices to people. Murders, kidnappings, extortion were everyday events. I had to suffer and witness the death of some friends at the hands of the violent. As a result of this tragedy, many chose revenge and hate. Yet I chose to follow Jesus because He is the only one who offers true peace and justice. I felt the need to serve the Lord by sharing that truth, so I responded to Him and entered the Major Seminary to start my formation as a priest.

The desire of following Jesus came, however, not only because of the context of injustice and violence that existed at the time, but also because of Jesus’ promise of hope, love, and joy, especially during Christmas season. Parish and family Christmas celebrations, Christmas carols, novenas and Masses opened up to me the longing to celebrate the miracle of Christmas from the altar. Thus, this is my fifteenth Christmas as priest and I thank God for such a great miracle.

I have seen the abundant blessings of God every day during these fifteen years of priesthood, so I praise the Lord with a deep sense of gratitude. I praise the Lord for my first years of priesthood in Colombia, for my time of formation, for the opportunity to come to the Archdiocese of Hartford…

Today I praise the Lord especially for bringing me here to the beautiful parish of St. Joseph in Bristol. I'm sure there is no better place to celebrate my fifteenth anniversary of ordination. You are all a great miracle in my life and a great light to my priesthood.

From the depth of my heart, I wish to convey my sincere gratitude to all of you for your expressions of love and friendship, and for being patient with my Colombian accent. I thank my brothers and sisters of the Hispanic community for sharing with me the richness of their faith and Latin American culture. I also thank all St. Joseph’s staff and volunteers for their invaluable help to me. I thank Deacon Neil for his example of service and dedication.

Finally, I lay in the hands of the Lord my shortcomings and my limitations. I know I carry all these treasures in an earthen vessel. I do not take glory for the good things I have in me because these belong only to the Lord. Rather I ask God and all of you for forgiveness for my mistakes, failures and sins.

Please pray that God will give me strength to live a life of example wherever I go. Blessed and praised be the Lord Jesus Christ.

May God bless you all!

Fr Iván