St. Rita Parish Pastor: Fr. Stephan Brown, SVD Mass Schedule: The priests and Brothers of the Society of the Divine Word have served St. Rita Parish since 1973. St. Rita mirrors The Kingdom of God in the ordinary and mundane tasks of parish life and through the unique qualities of this vibrant parish. St. Rita is the Kingdom of God through its active committee life. Several committees perform the many tasks that make up the workings of the parish. Some of the many committees include: Eucharistic Ministers, RCIA, CCD, Sacramental Preparation, and St. Vincent de Paul Society. These committees promote the Kingdom of God in many ways: first, they all help to bring the parish family closer together. And they serve God's people by feeding and clothing the hungry, praying together as one people, and building the spiritual foundation of the parish. St. Rita Parish also manifests the Kingdom of God is through its talented choir. This Gospel choir helps people feel the Spirit by rhythmically awakening emotions that lie deep in their hearts. Such music promotes the Kingdom of God by allowing people to praise God in ways that words cannot communicate. God’s Kingdom is gradually attained when we can praise our Creator not only through words, but also in song. St. Rita's take-charge spirit is yet another way that it can be called the Kingdom of God. A take-charge attitude in a parish indeed shows that people are willing to take responsibility for their faith and actions. God’s Kingdom is attained when we are willing to take full responsibility for our faith in Christ. Just as Christ expected such responsibility from his disciples, He expects it from His followers too. A further manifestation of God’s Kingdom is St. Rita’s fine sense of truly cordial hospitality. Such hospitality promotes God’s Kingdom by inviting others to share the Word of God and partake in the Body of Christ as a united family. When a visitor feels invited to be part of a parish family, that visitor feels God’s love reaching out to him even in unfamiliar surroundings. This is indeed how God’s Kingdom is attained. St. Rita's relationships with the SVD community and the wider World Church also manifests the Kingdom of God. St. Rita is aware of “Mission,” as is shown through the many faces of internationality the SVDs bring to the community. The Kingdom of God is represented by a World Church, not a church of one or two ethnic groups, but by a wide array of nationalities and people. Many people are accepted in this parish, from the Vietnamese community to the many nationalities of the Divine Word Missionaries who serve there. The World Church is alive at St. Rita's. The Kingdom of God is all around us, in the mundane tasks of everyday life and in the complicated structures of human society. St. Rita Parish is a good, living example of a small piece of God's Kingdom.
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