Mission Celebrates First Anniversary

One Year Anniversary of Founding
Monday, May 15th is the one year anniversary of my founding Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus by establishing the mission Yahoo group. The mission was founded because I found very little being done in the Boston diocese to encourage people who have felt alienated and rejected because of divorce, or being of the GLBT community or angered because of the horrific molestation scandal that rocked the church and the actions of the hierarchy.
I attempted to have one of the local parishes support the mission like it is being done in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles under Cardinal Roger Mahoney but was not only rejected but told that I was being a heretic because I was advocating something that was against church policy. Even the statements of the Bishops found in ALWAYS OUR CHILDREN and in the bishops documents A CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE FOR EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING page 55 and TO LIVE IN CHRIST JESUS page 19 and in HUMAN SEXUALITY, A CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE were rejected.
I cannot say that at the time I did not have doubts, but as events that happened so quickly after founding the Yahoo group proved, I became assured that this was indeed the will of God. Since 1980 I had been applying to join various religious orders. Within two weeks of establishing the group I was informed, by letter, that I had been received into the Franciscan order, not only that, but upon reviewing my credentials and references, it was decided that I qualified to be ordained a priest. That happened on The feast of The Assumption, August 15th.
Since the founding a year ago, the mission membership in the Yahoo group has grown to 81, since I began the Web site it has been visited over 1861 times just this year and 1500 times from last June through December. Since the establishment of the mission 360 Blog page it has been visited 2,294 times since January 2006 and averages 353 hit’s a week. In addition I visit with about 12 people in the New England area on a regular basis bring the Eucharist and praying and counseling them and respond to questions from people outside of the new England area via the phone and internet. The lack of reliable transportation prevents me from doing more visits and since the mission does not have the funding to obtain a permanent place for a chapel daily mass for a congregation is unavailable. I do have one or two people who live in the senior housing complex I live in, attend mass on Sundays and occasionally at other times but I am prevented legally from having outsiders participate in any functions of the mission.
Though the inconveniences of not having a permanent place of worship and reliable transportation do frustrate me occasionally because I feel I could be doing so much more, I am grateful to God for the affirmation that He has given me. I pray, that in my humble way I may somehow be an infinitesimal instrument of Almighty God’s in the rebuilding and reunification of The One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church and in renewing the faith and love of Almighty God in those who have left because of feeling unwanted, rejected, or disenchanted with the dictates of a church that is not living the teachings of Jesus Christ.
I ask you to pray that Almighty God will continue to give me; the strength through His Love, the endurance to continue to reach out to all His children with the message of His love and mercy, an ever increasing faith, The knowledge to know and understand His will and the means to carry on the growth and work of the Mission.
The power of prayer with frequent reception of the Eucharist can overcome all obstacles.
May Almighty God continue to bless the work of all who are dedicated to proclaiming His truth and may He put the events in action for a unification of all who proclaim Jesus Savior and Redeemer.
Rev. Robert Francis Johnnene OFAMission Sts. Sergius and Bacchuswww.missionstsergius.orghttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mission_Sts_Sergius_and_Bacchushttp://spaces.msn.com/members/Mission-St-Sergiushttp://groups.msn.com/MissionSaintsSergiusandBacchus