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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,
Jesus reclines at the dining table with His Apostles. He begins a farewell address with the announcement of His upcoming suffering and death and the institution of the Eucharist. All is part of an unfolding plan that “has been determined” and “must be fulfilled.” Jesus is not passively resigned to His destiny but actively takes the initiative to accomplish His purpose.
His comment: “I have eagerly desired to eat (literally, “with desire I have desired to eat,” reflecting an underlying Hebrew expression)—is another indication that He acts with intention. The significance of what He says and does here can be examined by focusing on three interrelated key words.
In the new Passover, it will be Jesus’ body, not that of the lamb, that will be given up in sacrifice. Like the sacrifice of the lamb, this will be done “for you” He tells the Apostles. In other words, it is done on their behalf and for their benefit. Moreover, this body is eaten, as was the lamb. Bread that has become the Eucharist through these words is not merely a symbol. Just as the lamb is real, so the Eucharist is really His body! Indeed Christians have understood this from the beginning.
Likewise, Jesus’ words provide the interpretation of the “cup” taken after supper, the third of the four cups of wine in the Passover meal, the “cup of blessing.” The wine in the cup becomes my blood. By drinking from the cup, His apostles thus have communion in His blood. Jesus is referring to His imminent, violent death: “His blood will be shed like the blood of all prophets since the foundation of the world.”. However, “He transforms His violent death into a free act of giving for others and to others.” In other words, as He already indicated in speaking of His body, His death becomes a sacrifice offered for you (the Apostles) on their behalf, for the purpose of atonement. Hence, a better translation is that His blood is not just shed but “poured out.” Indeed, the blood of the Passover lamb and sacrifices in general were poured out at the base of the altar.
Moreover, under the Mosaic covenant, the bread of the presence was offered and not just set out each Sabbath (Lev. 24:7) by the Levitical priests as a kind of grain offering. It was an un-bloody sacrifice. Their unleavened loaves were a “memorial” of the covenant made at Sinai. Here, Jesus’ command to His Apostles to do this in “memory” of Him, means that the eucharistic bread that the apostles will offer will serve as a memorial representing the New Covenant established by Jesus through His bloody sacrifice. Thus, the role of the apostles in the New Covenant was in a sense prefigured by that of the Levitical priests in the Mosaic covenant.
Because of Jesus’ command, the Church understands the Last Supper as the Institution of the Eucharist and the Institution of the New Covenant priesthood.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Vincent Clemente
APRIL 4th— Friday. Kraft Korner, 10AM, Social Hall.
APRIL 6th— Sunday. Faith Formation, 11AM, Social Hall. Parish Mission, 6PM, Church.
APRIL 7th — Monday. SVdP, 2PM, Social Hall. RCIA, 6PM, Social Hall. Parish Mission, 6PM, Church.
APRIL 8th— Tuesday. Child. of Our Lady, 10AM, Social Hall. Parish Mission, 6PM, Church. Grupo de Juan 23, 7PM, Social Hall. Knights of Columbus, 7PM, Social Hall.
APRIL 9th—Wednesday. Bible Study, 10AM, Social Hall. Divine Will, 4PM, Social Hall. Confirmation Prep, 7PM, Social Hall.
APRIL 10th— Thursday. Divine Mercy, 10:30AM, Social Hall. Grief Support, 2PM, Social Hall. Prayer Group, 6:30PM, Social Hall.
APRIL 13th— Palm Sunday. Procession before 10AM Mass. Faith Formation, 11AM, Social Hall. Women’s Emmaus, 2PM, Social Hall.
APRIL 14th — Monday. RCIA, 6PM, Social Hall.
APRIL 15th— Tuesday. Child. of Our Lady, 10AM, Social Hall. Grupo de Juan 23, 7PM, Social Hall. Knights of Columbus, 7PM, Social Hall.
APRIL 16th—Wednesday. Bible Study, 10AM, Social Hall. Divine Will, 4PM, Social Hall. Confirmation Prep, 7PM, Social Hall.
APRIL 17th— Holy Thursday. NO DAILY MASS. Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7PM followed by Adoration until midnight.
APRIL 18th— Good Friday. Passion of the Lord, 3PM, Church. Stations of the Cross, 6PM, Church.
APRIL 19th— Holy Saturday. Confessions, 10AM-12PM, Church. Blessing of the Food, 12PM, Church. Easter Vigil Mass, 8PM, Church.
APRIL 20th— Easter Sunday. Masses at 6:30AM (outside), 8AM and 10AM.
