Dear Friend,

Welcome to our parish community of Saint Mary of the Lake, Lake Winola, Our Lady of the Abingtons, Dalton and Saint Patrick, Nicholson. I not only hope that you'll find some of the answers to your questions by visiting this website, but also hope that you'll find the joy that only Jesus can give. It's through an encounter with Christ that we are changed. There's no doubt about that! This encounter is real, concrete and objective, not simply personal, vague nor emotional.

We encounter Christ in the Sacred Scriptures. It is through reading God's Word in the Bible that we can hear Him speaking directly to us. Studying and reflecting upon His Word is also very beneficial. Secondly, we encounter Him in the Church, especially in the Sacred Liturgy. We come to know Him through those around us who gather to pray and worship. The third way we have direct encounter with Jesus is by reaching out to the poor, needy, sick and imprisoned. Another way we meet Christ is in the person of our priests. As we get to know and love them, our eyes are opened to God's will in our lives. Finally, through the sacraments of the Catholic Church, most especially the Eucharist, we're shown the love of the Father, through the sacrifice of the Son.

My hope is that you'll encounter Christ today in one or more of these ways. Please come back to visit us again.

May God richly bless you and your family,
Pastor, Reverend Arbogaste Satoun