Are you are among those who have moved to the Farmington River Valley this summer?

Welcome!

Our parish has been in the heart of Simsbury for more than a century and it's our people that have made it so special. We would love to have you join us! Our weekend Masses are at 5 pm (Sat Vigil), 8 am, 9:30 am and 11 am. Daily Mass is celebrated at 8 am (Mon-Thurs).

Mass is the central celebration of our faith, but we have many offerings which can be seen as you explore our website. To contact us -- to register or if you have questions -- click here or call 860-658-7627. Or stop by our Parish Office in the Magowan Center.

And, of course, make sure to introduce yourself!

~ Fr. Matera

Do Not Be Afraid

Place yourself in the presence of Jesus’s disciples. You have been travelling with him for several months as he makes his way to Jerusalem. It has been a long journey during which Jesus has been teaching you the cost of discipleship. But as you make this journey, you are filled with fear and apprehension about what might to happen to you. You have left your family and friends, and you are not sure what will happen next. You are wondering, “Has it all been a mistake? Is it time to go back and live an ordinary life once more? Why am I following this man?”

But Jesus is aware of your fears, and he says to you, Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

Do not be afraid any longer! You have been afraid for a long time. You are afraid about your future, your livelihood, your life. You are afraid about tomorrow and the next day. But Jesus is telling you there is nothing to be afraid of because God has chosen to give you everything. There is nothing to be afraid of because God has given you the kingdom—a share in the new creation that Jesus is bringing about. But first, you must trust in the Lord and let your fears go.

Sell your belongings and give alms. You have already given up so much to follow Jesus, and now he is asking you to surrender everything, not something but everything, and follow him. He is asking you to follow him with the faith of Abraham who wandered in a foreign land, looking and waiting for the city of God. Jesus is reminding you that the only future that matters is God’s future, and this is your future if you trust in God. 

Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. If you are determined to pile up more and more of what you already have, that is where your heart is. If you are seeking power, achievement, and success at any price, no matter how unjust and violent, that is where your heart is. If your concern is your own needs alone, that is where your heart is.

Jesus is putting a different kind of vision before you, a vision that doesn’t make sense to the world about you: a vision of trust and faith and hope. It is the vision of a new creation, God’s creation, a world renewed and transformed by God’s Spirit. It is the vision that sustained Abraham and the saints of old. It is the vision of God’s promise, the vision of a new world whose maker and architect is God, it is the vision of what can be when we live in communion with Christ and in community with each other.

This vision that makes us followers of Jesus; it is a vision of what can be, not of what is. It is a vision of people living in community with each other in Christ. It is a vision of a world renewed and transformed by Christ. It is a vision of a world without violence and injustice, a world created anew in Christ. It is the vision we proclaim whenever we celebrate this Eucharist.

So fear not, little flock, Christ has something greater in store for you, something you cannot imagine now. Leave behind what it old and dying and destined to pass away. Hold on to the vision of what is coming: a vision of peace, joy, and love, a vision of the kingdom of God, a vision of God’s new creation.

~ Fr. Matera