Next stop on Faith on the Road takes us to the Atlantic coast at Jacksonville Beach. We came this weekend for Mass to celebrate with our dear friends. Deacon Mike is more a brother than a friend for sure. He preached all the Masses through the weekend as it was Deacon Jubilee Sunday in the Pilgrim Jubilee year of Hope. This is the first time we’ve witnessed Deacon Mike do his deacon thing since his ordination in Pittsburgh.
He is only about the fourth Deacon homilist we’ve heard in the past 4 1/2 years of RV journeys. All the others were remarkable and my brother, Deacon Mike ranks up there at the top. His homily was outstanding, tying together the reading, responsorial and Gospel with personal events. I’m proud to call Deacon Mike my friend and brother. Very well done, go to St. Paul’s for the Deacon homily and celebrate the Eucharist. The priest’s celebration of the Eucharist was awesome too.
St. Paul’s has a large new, 3 year old church adjacent to a new life center and k-8 school. Built next to the old church, St. Paul’s is home to 3,500 families. Literally right off the Jax Beaches. A huge, prospering church in the Diocese of St. Augustine, two spectacular churches in consecutive Sundays – both prospering in spirit.
Our Lady and the Saints and Apostles.
The Uber Deacon – on the right – THE Deacon Mike Gatto.
