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As members of the Body of Christ, the parish of St. James, Lake Placid, Florida proclaims our belief in the message and mission of Jesus Christ.
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." (Matt 28:19-20)With God's Grace, the example of Jesus, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we seek to live out that belief as a community of worship, of shared faith and of service where each member shares with others the gifts and talents received from God.
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Pastor, Fr. Vincent Clemente
Father Vincent came to the United States from Italy at the age of 15, where his family settled in the Cleveland, OH area. He has one sister. Father was ordained to the priesthood on May 8, 1976 and has previously served at St. Martha’s in Sarasota, FL and as pastor of St. Michael in Wauchula and St. Paul in Arcadia.
WELCOME, FATHER! We look forward to continued spiritual growth with you here at St. James!
Parochial vicar Fr. Felix Gonzalez
Fr. Felix Gonzalez, our newest parochial vicar, was born in Venezuela on September 18, 1953. He studied philosophy in Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies and theology at the Seminary “Santa Rosa de Lima,” Caracas, Venezuela. He was ordained on July 18th, 1981 at the .Archdiocese of Barquisimeto. He came to the United States 20 years ago and studied monastic spirituality in Worcester, MA and worked in different parishes in the Archdiocese of New York— Manhattan and the Bronx. During those years he studied in IONA College and graduated with a Masters in Science, majoring in pastoral counseling. After serving St. Leo for almost two and a half years, he is happy to embark on this new part of his spiritual journey.
Our commitment to a Safe Environment
As Christian adults, we have a moral and legal responsibility and are entrusted by God with the spiritual, emotional and physical well-being of minors and vulnerable adults. St. James adheres to the Diocese of Venice's Safe Environment program. To learn more, visit: https://dioceseofvenice.org/offices/programs/safeenvironment/
Pope Francis' Letter to the People of God, regarding sexual abuse in light of the outcome of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury.
My Dear People,
Sincere thanks to all who participated in the Eucharistic Procession and breakfast.
In the First Reading for this Sunday, we learn an important lesson on how to handle one of the most difficult kinds of “enemies” we may face. But, what if one’s enemy is an authority figure? Especially, if they are within the kingdom of God itself?
That was the dilemma young David had to face. Saul, the leader of God’s people, duly and properly anointed king by the prophet Samuel, had wrongfully turned against David. Motivated by jealousy and fear, he attempted to kill David. But David fled from Saul! And, Saul, with added troops, pursued David.
Revealed in this Reading, David sneaked into Saul’s camp at night and found himself with the opportunity to assassinate Saul. Surely this was tempting and may have looked like a providential opportunity to David? Hadn’t God put all the soldiers into a deep sleep just so David could dispatch his enemy? Wouldn’t it be better to end Saul’s reign now and let the righteous David begin his?
Yet, David refused to slay Saul, and reasoned: “I would not harm the one the Lord anointed!” Saul was not just a private person. In the community, he was a sacred office bearer. He was the “head” of the people of God. Despite his personal corruption, he held that office legitimately. David knew that to kill Saul was not just an act of personal revenge, it was a challenge to the authority structure of God’s people and an invitation to start civil war among the Israelites. The political instability and civil war that would ensue if David slew Saul was not worth the temporary relief that it would bring to David. But more than that, to kill Saul was an assault on the sacred office of the kingship, and, indirectly, an assault on God’s authority itself.
David’s restraint proved to be wise because it established among his men the principle that one does not “lay hands on the Lord’s anointed.” David, too, was an anointed one of the Lord, and in time, would replace Saul as king.
Had David set an example of assassination, he would likely have been assassinated himself at a later point in his career. But because he didn’t, he himself was never assassinated. We note that political assassinations were also very rare in his dynasty, causing the Davidic dynasty to last a little over four hundred years—the longest-lived dynasty in the ancient near east!
This principle still applies in the Church, which is both the kingdom of God and the kingdom of David since it is ruled by the Son of David. It applies to our anointed leaders, the hierarchy: Priests, Bishops, and the Pope.
David was faced with the awful situation that the sacred leader of God’s people had become somewhat deranged and was trying to kill him. Talk about a sign of contradiction! It would have been easy for David to lose his faith in God’s providence and just give in to the power grab trend of his followers. But David took steps to protect himself and fled from Saul. He also refused to start a civil war among God’s people that certainly would have led to their defeat at the hands of their enemies.
This is also a lesson of restraint for those of us in the Church today. In recent years, a large amount of “dirt” has been exposed from various members of the hierarchy, and it can be tempting to start a verbal or legal civil war within the Church against the perceived or real malefactors. But here is where faith needs to come in. God’s people need to trust that God will judge His leaders, as He promises to do (Exek 34:10). There are, of course, proper avenues to civil authorities and appeals to the Bishop and Pope. It is proper to call on the Church herself to exercise her own policies and disciplines, which, had they been observed in the first place, many tragic outcomes, including those in the church’s recent history, would have been dutifully corrected.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Vincent Clemente
FEBRUARY 17th— Monday. RCIA, 6PM, Social Hall.
FEBRUARY 18th— Tuesday. Child. of Our Lady, 10AM, Social Hall. Grupo de Juan 23, 7PM, Social Hall. Prayer Group, 7PM, Social Hall.
FEBRUARY 19th— Wednesday. Bible Study, 10AM, Social Hall. Divine Will, 4PM, Social Hall. Confirmation Prep, 7PM, Social Hall.
FEBRUARY 20th— Thursday. Prayer Group, 6:30PM, Social Hall.
FEBRUARY 21st— Friday. Kraft Korner, 10AM, Social Hall.
FEBRUARY 23rd— Sunday. Faith Formation, 11AM, Social Hall.
FEBRUARY 24th— Monday. RCIA, 6PM, Social Hall.
FEBRUARY 25th— Tuesday. Child. of Our Lady, 10AM, Social Hall. Grupo de Juan 23, 7PM, Social Hall. KOC, 7PM, Social Hall.
FEBRUARY 26th— Wednesday. Bible Study, 10AM, Social Hall. Divine Will, 4PM, Social Hall. Confirmation Prep, 7PM, Social Hall.
FEBRUARY 27th— Thursday. Prayer Group, 6:30PM, Social Hall.
MARCH 2nd— Sunday. Faith Formation, 11AM, Social Hall.
MARCH 3rd — Monday. SVdP, 2PM, Social Hall. RCIA, 6PM, Social Hall.
MARCH 4th— Tuesday. Child. of Our Lady, 10AM, Social Hall. Grupo de Juan 23, 7PM, Social Hall.
MARCH 5th— Wednesday. Bible Study, 10AM, Social Hall. Divine Will, 4PM, Social Hall. Confirmation Prep, 7PM, Social Hall.
