| PASTOR’S MESSAGE
April 2008
Welcome to the web site for Saint Joachim Parish.
Our physical address is 13392 Lockeford Ranch Drive , Lockeford.
Our mailing address is P.O. Box 232 , Lockeford , California
95237 . Our phone number is 209-727-3912.
It is getting closer and closer
to the 4th anniversary of my being appointed Pastor of this
wonderful parish. A great many things have happened in those
four years and I am grateful to God and to the many people
of the parish and the many friends of the parish who have
done so much in terms of prayers, sacrifice and faithfulness
to make our parish the outstanding place it is.
The physical happenings in these
four years are obvious: we have doubled the size of our parking
lot; put in a new fence on the front and new walls around
much of the rest of the property; put in a new sound system
in the church that includes speakers in all the back part
of the building including the "cry room"; added
two beautiful stained-glass windows to our church and a whole
lot of new pews and carpet to the back of the church; added
a piano to our music ministry; built a 13,300 sq. ft. building,
which includes a hall that can seat over 400 for dinner, eight
classrooms for our young people, which can be adjusted to
accomodate our high school youth group and adult study groups,
a brand-new kitchen and much-needed storage facilities. Around
our whole property, and especially around our new building,
we have added beautiful landscaping, thanks to the labor of
a lot of people.
As I said these are all physical
things. Even more important has been the continued growth
of the spirituality of the people of the parish. We have had
more people in our religious education programs for our young
people, for our high school-aged young people, for our adults,
than ever before. Each year we are honored by a goodly number
of adults choosing to join the Catholic faith. Many people
participate in bible studies, prayer groups and in our liturgical
parts of the Mass. The success of our newly-formed Knights
of Columbus and Daughters of Isabella are only one indication
of how our parish is thriving. It has been such a joy to see
this parish flourish under God's blessings.
On a personal note, I want to thank you for your support,
your love and your prayers. You will never know how much it
has meant, and means, to me. May God continue to bless you,
and yours, always. Let us always strive to do everything,
as the wonderful old saying goes: "For the greater glory
of God".
Father Michael Kelly, Pastor
Father Kelly and Bishop Blaire
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