WE WELCOME YOU A gracious welcome to all parishioners, guests, and visitors! It is a pleasure to welcome you to our Parish to share a life of faith in Jesus Christ, Our Savior. This is the House of the Lord.

You're invited to join Catholics nationwide in celebrating Respect Life Month this October with the theme "St. Joseph, defender of life, pray for us!" Learn more here.

RESPECT LIFE MONTH
BABY SUPPLIES DRIVE
(Hosted by Religious Education) Donations may be dropped off in the Parish Hall from 8:30 to 11:15am on any Sunday in October. Items urgently needed are:
• Diapers and Wipes
• PJ's & Onesies (body suits)
• Towels & Washcloths
• Blankets & Pacifiers
• Baby Socks & Mittens
• Baby Wash, Shampoo, & Lotions
• Bathtubs
• and Monetary Donations

FIRST MONTHLY MEETING
Our first Men's Club meeting of the year is Tuesday, October 26, at 7:00pm in the Parish Hall. Please contact John Lindsey by email or call (954) 646-1262 for more information.

The Women's Guild is offering a new Holiday Fundraiser! Order fresh evergreen wreaths and centerpieces online and the Guild will receive 15% of the sale. Go to: Lynch Creek Farm to begin shopping. Please see the flyers at the exits or visit the Women's Guild for more details.

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Welcome to the Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church parish family. We continue to deepen in the strengths of the parish: prayer, worship, and education of our members in the ways of God. We welcome you. We hope and pray that you will grow with us as we journey on our life's road to the Lord.

SYNOD OF BISHOPS

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In April 2021, Pope Francis announced the next General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops: "For a synodal Church: communion, participation, and mission." Since its establishment during the Second Vatican Council, the Synod of Bishops has provided a forum for the forward progress of our Church. Recognizing that the Church today must exist "permanently in a state of mission," the Holy Father has stated that the Synod of Bishops "must increasingly become a privileged instrument for listening to the People of God." (Episcipalis Communio) With the convocation of this XVI Synod of Bishops, therefore, the voice of the People of God will be solicited and heard in a new way. 

Our Archdiocesan synodal process will commence in communion with the Universal Church this Sunday, October 17, 2021, and close on the feast of Pentecost, June 5, 2022. During this time, every parish and all the People of God are called upon to participate in the consultation process, so that we may "gather the wealth of the experiences" of our local church (Vademecum 31). Not only will we be exploring the themes, challenges, and gifts of the Universal Church as one family "journeying together," but we will also be exploring our own local initiatives in light of the Archdiocese of Miami's 2014-2016 Pastoral Plan, "Disciples in Faith, Missionaries of Hope," and seeking to establish renewed priorities for the upcoming five years.

Saint John Paul II said that "the secret of the success of the Synod, as of every other ecclesial event and initiative, is in fact prayer" and accordingly, I ask that you pray for the Synod here and around the world, "so that it might become an authentic event of grace." I will be taking an active role in this diocesan phase of the Synod and ask the same of each of you. I encourage you to fully participate possible in your own parish consultive session and to provide your voice to the synodal process.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Thomas Wenski
Archbishop of Miami

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Prayer for the Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Almighty ever-living God, grant that we may always conform our will to yours and serve your majesty in sincerity of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.