Happy fall! This is my favorite season, as our community seems to come to life with the rhythm of students fresh from their summer vacations ready to begin a new academic year. I’m sure all of you remember the excitement in the air well, and many of you likely still may experience it through your children, who may be in school here in Danvers or perhaps away on a college campus.

But as we return to our ‘normal’ schedule, we also return to our parish, and to our parish family. St. Richard’s gives us a place to belong. The Bible says, "All the believers devoted themselves... to fellowship, and to sharing in meals...and all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had." Jesus gave these new believers a sense of community, belonging and togetherness at a level that you cannot find anywhere else in the world. All of us need a place to belong. All of us need to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. All of us need to experience family and fellowship. Our American culture produces people who more closely identify with characters on a weekly TV series than with their next-door neighbors. Everywhere you look, there are signs that people are hungering for fellowship, community, and a sense of family. People long to be connected.

At St. Richard Parish, we want you to know you can join us each weekend just as you are: you can be dressed up or dressed down, happy or hurting, we know you’ll feel at home and accepted.

Welcome back.