Dear St. Anthony of Padua parish community,

            Thank you for your dedication to Christ our Lord by following Him in your hearts and through attending St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church here in Southern Pines. It is a pleasure to have you with us. Whether you are just visiting, are a new registered parishioner, or are a long-time member of St. Anthony’s, your presence is an encouragement to all our Christian brothers and sisters that the mission we serve together will find its fulfillment as a communion of saints in Heaven in union with and under the eternal patronage of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
            I would like to introduce myself to you. My name is Reverend John Augustine Kane. I have been the pastor at St. Anthony’s since September, 2021, and will remain here for a minimum of five years after that date. During this time, I would like to learn about your daily walk of life. I would love to learn how to serve you better, and to share with you how Christ serves you daily through the sacraments, the scriptures and the teachings and life of Christ present in the Tradition of the Catholic Church. Let us walk together towards Heavenly happiness through, with and in Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment of human life.
            If you wish to acquaint yourself more fully with Christian life here at St. Anthony’s, I cannot stress enough that you should start this process by attending mass on a regular basis so that you may listen to the Word of God in the scriptures and seek to receive regularly the Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, called “the Holy bread of eternal life,” “the Holy Eucharist” and “Holy Communion.” The strength of our Lord is the surest foundation of our faith and is the wellspring from which our worship, ministry and community service flows. We cannot have a Christian community without Christ at the center.
            From the power of Christ through the Holy Spirit working in you, Christ will send you where he needs you the most! We have many ministries and activities here at St. Anthony’s, and perhaps Christ is calling you to share your gifts -known or unknown- in one of them. Some important and thriving ministries are: communion to the sick and infirm in many homes and nursing facilities; faith formation of children and adults; a thriving food pantry that gives food to the poor every Tuesday and Thursday; church specific ministries like lector ministry, sacristan ministry and extraordinary ministry of Holy Communion at mass; and a regional youth ministry (called STAY Catholic) using the LifeTeen platform.
            If you feel called to any of these ministries, or just plan to come to mass every Sunday as a rejuvenation for a busy work week, please know that you are most welcome here at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. Jesus Christ is waiting for every one of us to say yes to His call to holiness, and it is a blessing that you have said yes to Christ here in Southern Pines.