Pastor's Message
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 7=8, 2026
The month of January was named for the Roman god “Janus,” who was depicted as having two faces, one looking backward to the year past, and the other looking forward toward the year ahead. We are now firmly in February, and there’s no going back! Behind the scenes, we are already well into planning for Lent, Holy Week, and Easter. But before we get there, we have another event on our annual parish calendar, namely our annual Together in Mission appeal.
The theme this year is “This is the Hour for Love,” and I have to admit that when I saw that for the first time it was against the backdrop of news stories, national and international, that underscored the importance of this very idea. If there was a time in our world when expressing Christian love, when putting flesh and blood on our commitment to making the world a little bit better for someone other than ourselves, this is that time.
Since its inception, Together in Mission has been an extraordinary success in the support that it offers to churches and schools across the Archdiocese, often making possible our capacity to be present and to provide services in some of the most economically disadvantaged communities. The irony is that back in the days before there was even a thought about Our Lady of Refuge here in Long Beach, it was those same parishes in the heart of Los Angeles whose communities contributed funds making possible the growth and development of parishes such as ours. The Archdiocese purchased the land on which we now worship and have our school with funds collected from the people who went to church in those very parishes that today we are called upon to support. We were never asked to repay the monies used to purchase our parish property, and today we have an opportunity – through our participation in Together in Mission – to acknowledge the gift from which we benefited so many decades ago.
Last year’s (2025) appeal, we saw nearly 100% of those who made pledges make good on their commitments. That was outstanding. However, we had fewer participants last year, meaning that we actually fell short of our goal by more than 20%. So those who participated did great, but I would like to see our parish do better in terms of participation.
For myself, I am happy to participate in this appeal myself because I know from experience that 100% of my contribution goes directly to the Together in Mission program, and I like knowing that my dollars are going to serve the most needy churches and schools in our Archdiocese. I very much appreciate the communal nature of this appeal, in that every single parish participates in Together in Mission, even those who benefit from the program. We all do our part, and together we achieve far more than any one of us might accomplish on our own. Together in Mission truly lives up to its name.
Our parish goal this year is $55,029. I believe that this is an achievable number, and I invite your prayerful consideration and participation in Together in Mission 2026.
Those who have participated in this program in the past may have received information in the mail already, as I have done. I encourage you to complete the provided form and return it as soon as possible in the envelope provided.
Those who may be new to the program can either sign-up in church with the provided envelopes, or by going online to the giving page for Together in Mission. Scroll through the parishes until you find Our Lady of Refuge Long Beach (P625), and follow the prompts from there.
Every gift helps us reach our goal of $55,029. I ask you to consider making a pledged gift over time rather than a one-time gift. I would remind everyone that 100% of every dollar over our goal is returned to OLR.
When we achieve our goal, the extra dollars will be earmarked for the AC unit we need to install in the Church (North/Diagonal Side). This will balance the AC in the church going forward, and in those summer months when we need it, we will appreciate our efforts now.
As our community has been growing, building on the foundations laid so many decades ago at the founding of our parish, we are happy to help and sustain our brothers and sisters in faith in other growing communities who are in need of our help and support.
May God bless you in your goodness and generosity as we put flesh and blood on our commitment to love as Christ taught us.
Blessings,
Fr. David