Dear Parish Friends,

The liturgical season of Advent is an endangered species. It has been for a long time. We get Lent, but Advent, not so much. The four weeks before Christmas are not meant to be a Christmas celebration, but a time to delve a bit more deeply into why we have Christmas at all!

Advent is a time to hold our horses, hold back. Secular-commercial Christmas is already with us, but we wait in anticipation for Christian Christmas which will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The Jews waited some 4000 years; we can quietly welcome Jesus into our world for four weeks!

Christ has come – Christ will come again!

It is an honor to be able to share with you a little bit of my life and how the Lord Jesus Christ brought me to this city of Phoenix. I was born in the city of Tijuana, MX. in one of the poorest neighborhoods where the houses were made of cardboard. I lived poverty as if I had not been poor, only my parents knew how difficult it was to live there.

I am the youngest of four in my family, all from the state of Michoacán. We lived in California and Mexico and finally, we settled in San José, CA. I like to play guitar and mandolin ... not professionally. Thank God I worked in two of the largest multicultural parishes in San José, with the Jesuits in Most Holy Trinity and in St. Maria Goretti.

Dear Beloved in Christ,

As people of faith, through prayer and devotion, we express our gratitude for the blessings we receive.

During this season of Thanksgiving I'd like to suggest that we take time to notice our blessings more mindfully. By that I mean, to listen with greater intention to the sound of your children laughing, telling you a story from their day, or as they pray with you each night. To take a moment from your busy day-to-day rhythm to sit with a co-worker or friend and enjoy that special time -- without your phone nearby. And, start your day with a moment of quiet reflection, hands open, ready to receive what God has planned.

What a special place we are fortunate to call home. St. Francis Xavier Parish and School have been my home away from home for my entire life. As a baby I was baptized here, and my parents chose St. Francis School for my siblings and me. My childhood memories are filled with visions of Christmas Eve Mass packed with friends, joyful and very challenging school days, spending almost every summer day swimming at Brophy pool and every evening playing softball on the SFXAA fields. Much has changed since the 70’s and 80’s, but thankfully, much has stayed the same. Our school day still begins with Pledge and Prayer in the morning and the students are filled with joy while they learn challenging lessons. Jesuit principles are integrated seamlessly into their superior education, and I am so grateful to be a part of the amazing staff at St. Francis. For most of my fifteen years professionally at SFX, I have taught Junior High English or Social Studies, but most recently I have moved into the role of Director of Development. I am tasked with raising funds for the school to offset tuition costs for students with financial needs and to assist our principal in enacting our mission to cultivate excellence in mind, body and spirit and to send forth “kids for others.” It is a job I love. You can usually find me at the 11:00 Mass sitting on the Mary side with my boys. Please introduce yourself and share with me what makes St. Francis special for you.

I was born and raised in Phoenix, attended Saints Simon & Jude and Brophy, then ended up at Baylor Law School where I met Sue. We moved back to Phoenix in 1986 and joined St. Francis Xavier . At the time, my brother, Fr. Dave Klein, was assigned to Brophy. We were active parishioners, sent our daughters (Laura and Michelle) to the SFX grade school, then Xavier College Prep, then Jesuit universities (LMU and Georgetown).

On Nov. 6, 2010, I was ordained a permanent deacon, and in the ten years since, Sue and I have helped over 500 couples in marriage preparation, baptized hundreds of children, assisted with annulments, taught baptism and family and adult religious education, and facilitated webinars and online and in-person discussion and prayer groups. We have worked with a number of terrific staff and volunteers, parish organizations (St. Vincent de Paul and the Knights of Columbus to name just two), as well as more than 20 Jesuit fathers who have been assigned to the parish over the years.

My name is Lisa Appelbe, and I am the Admissions Director at St. Francis Xavier Elementary School. My journey at St. Francis began because my two daughters, now 28 and 26, both attended St. Francis and then moved on to Xavier College Preparatory for High School. During the time my daughters were enrolled here I enjoyed being involved as a parent and have wonderful memories from those experiences.

Many years later in March of 2017 I began working at St. Francis. I feel lucky to work with an outstanding staff and be a part of our incredible community. It is an honor for me to walk the Admissions path with the families who have interest in being a part of our St. Francis community and to share with them all of the hard work, dedication, creativity, and pure love of education that goes into every day here on campus.

COUNT EVERY VOTE!

Voting is now underway at a torrid pace, and soon we will know the much-anticipated results of our pending election. Still, we hear misguided threats and attempts to cast doubt on the election process and how well ballots will be counted.

As faith leaders of the Arizona Interfaith Network who lead congregations that claim active members of all political persuasions, we want to remind all citizens that it is important to vote, regardless of your party affiliation, and to vote with confidence.

Arizona runs elections well. We employ highly professional election officials, and the state has become a model for mail in ballots. We have personally met in the past month with county and state officials overseeing the voting process. The work of these officials will be essential for an orderly election.