A message from our pastor - Fr. Tim Johnson
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August 25, 2025Bishop Keehner received a letter from the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops requesting all parishes within our country to consider supporting Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Near East Welfare Association in their outreach to the Catholic community in Gaza, and the people—especially the children —who are facing conditions of starvation and absence of any medical care. All support will go directly to these agencies in their specific outreach and ministry within Gaza. At this time his request is for individual parishioners to offer assistance, alongside churches within our diocese. Donations may be addressed to: Catholic Relief Services/Holy Land Response/P.O. Box 5278/Tipton, IA 52772- 0517 1‑877‑HELP‑CRS for further information. Bishop Keehner concludes his request with the following: “Thank you for your generosity to help provide vital emergency humanitarian relief and medical and psychological care for the sick, malnourished and wounded.” May I provide a brief background of the only Catholic presence in Gaza. Holy Family Catholic Church was built in the 1960s and is the only Catholic parish in Gaza. There are approximately 150 Catholics in Gaza out of 1000 total Christians. Greek Orthodox would be the largest Christian denomination in an area which is predominately Muslim. Yet, the Christians freely participate in their faith without any outside interference. Children under 15 make up fifty percent of the population. In the last year and half since the fighting broke out the Catholic parish has sheltered five hundred individuals who lost their homes Holy Family Parish also maintains a successful Catholic School with an enrollment of 600 students, primarily Christian, (and is considered the best school in Gaza).Gabriel Romanelli, the pastor of Holy Family Parish, is a native of Argentina who first came to the Middle East as part of his missionary vocation as a seminarian. After his ordination in 2017 he spent two years in Egypt learning Arabic and began his mission work as the pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in 2019. Though he left briefly during part of the war, he returned to shelter and support his people. Three orders of Sisters help out at the parish and school including the Missionaries of Charity who began their ministry in Gaza in 1973 under the direction of Mother Teresa. Servants of the Lord and the Holy Rosary Sisters have also maintained a presence even through the conflict. In the last year and half of his life Pope Francis would make a daily call to the church and its pastor, checking in to see about the wellbeing of the parishioners, using the app: What's app. His last phone call was the day before he died. Under the auspices of Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pier Battista Pizzaballa, has made it a priority to “never leave them alone.” Typically the month of July is a break from parish meetings including that of our Finance Board. Next Thursday morning, 7:00am, we will have our first finance meeting of the 25/26 Fiscal Year. Three members completed their term at end of June, grateful for the direction and faith provided by Pete Thomsen, Keith Kudej, and Rita Phillips.
Our present board consists of Emily Schieltz and Eric Seeman, parish directors; Jess Christensen and Tracy Kieffer (new board member) representing St. John; Vince Ewald and Dean Tranel (new board member) representing St. Malachy; and David Eastlund and James Flattery (new board member) representing Sacred Heart. Sue Eldridge, Sacred Heart Principal, and a school board rep are part of the board; and our parish bookkeeper, Alayna Longhorn, is present to provide the financials. As a parish we are grateful for their guidance for our continued fiscal responsibility. But most importantly, your support as parishioners, allowing our Ascension Parish of St. John, St. Malachy and Sacred Heart to continue our mission as a Catholic Christian presence in Boone County, bringing the Good News through the Word, the Sacraments, and our Outreach to those in need.
God Bless, Fr. Tim
FYI: “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." (Benjamin Franklin)