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Fr. Simon's Koinonia  |  My Church Fellowship

“They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers” (Acts 2:42).

Welcome to Fr. Simon’s Koinonia at My Church Fellowship, the online ministry of the St. John of the Cross Catholic Cluster and the Christian Life Center (CLC) in the Diocese of Portland. This space exists to share in the life of the Church and to help every visitor encounter Christ through the Word, the Sacraments, prayer, and authentic Christian fellowship.

Here, you are invited to listen again to the voice of the Lord, for “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). Through our Catholic homilies and Gospel reflections, we reflect on Sacred Scripture as proclaimed in the liturgy, so that the Word of God may shape our hearts, guide our choices, and renew our daily lives.

Through this ministry, you can discover how our parish family lives the Gospel:

• Programs and retreats at the Christian Life Center (CLC), where we “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

• Parish news, announcements, and upcoming events that gather us as one body in Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:12).

• Stewardship opportunities, remembering that “each must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

• Cluster policies and pastoral guidance that help us walk “in a manner worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1).

• The weekly School of Faith at CLC, where we grow as disciples, for Jesus said, “Remain in my word, and you will truly be my disciples” (John 8:31).

• Marriage Preparation Retreats, forming couples in love, prayer, and fidelity, for “what God has joined together, no human being must separate” (Mark 10:9).

• Peaceful prayer through Taizé Devotion, learning to listen in silence, because “the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him” (Habakkuk 2:20).

• Celebrations in community with French Mass and Children’s Mass, welcoming young and old alike, for Jesus says, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them” (Matthew 19:14).

Each page is more than information—it is an invitation. As the Lord says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Whether you are a longtime parishioner, a visitor, a family seeking formation, or someone returning to the faith, you are welcome to walk with us.

At the heart of Fr. Simon’s Koinonia is communion—koinonia—the life of the Church, where we become “living stones… built into a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5). Together we pray, learn, serve, and grow so that Christ may be known and loved in our homes and in our world.

May this online ministry be a place where faith is strengthened, hope is renewed, and love is lived, so that in all things “Christ may be all and in all” (Colossians 3:11).

Welcome to My Church Fellowship — where the Word is proclaimed, the community is formed, and Christ walks with His people.

Fr. Simon, SMA
Pastor, St. John of the Cross Cluster
Director, Christian Life Center (CLC)

A Pastoral Invitation to the Stewards of God’s Flock and Gifts

Christian stewardship begins with the call to shepherd God’s people with humility, love, and responsibility—rooted in Jesus’ own self-revelation: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). In this shepherding spirit, the risen Lord entrusted Peter with pastoral care—“Feed my lambs… Tend my sheep… Feed my sheep” (John 21:15–17)—a commission Peter echoes to other leaders: “tend the flock of God that is in your charge… not under compulsion but willingly” (1 Peter 5:2–3). Stewardship, then, is not merely administration of resources; it is a Christ-shaped care for souls and a faithful cultivation of the Church’s spiritual and material life for the sake of the Gospel.

At the same time, Christian giving reflects the joyful generosity celebrated by St. Paul, who teaches that “whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully… for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:6–7; cf. 9:8). Our offerings—time, talent, and treasure—become instruments of grace that strengthen worship, service, and evangelization, just as the early believers shared so that the needs of all were met (Acts 4:32–35). In this way, stewardship participates in God’s abundance: what we place in His hands is multiplied for the flourishing of His people and the building up of the Body of Christ.

Jesus Himself models a “table‑fellowship” style of mission that shapes our stewardship: He reclines at table with tax collectors and sinners to bring mercy (Luke 5:29–32), dines with Zacchaeus to restore a generous heart (Luke 19:1–10), feeds the multitudes from a few loaves and fish to reveal divine abundance (Mark 6:34–44; John 6:1–13), and gives Himself at the Last Supper as food for the life of the world (Luke 22:14–20). Around the table, Jesus turns hospitality into holiness, shared resources into sacrament, and ordinary meals into moments of conversion and communion. Following His example, our stewardship embraces welcome, presence, and shared life—where gifts are offered, hearts are opened, and Christ is recognized in the breaking of the bread (Luke 24:30–35).

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