There are places where the presence of the Church acquires a particular significance simply because of where they are and whom they serve. St. Edward Parish is certainly one of those places. As the only Catholic church on the island of Palm Beach, St. Edward stands as a visible and enduring presence of our Catholic faith in the midst of one of the most distinctive communities within the Diocese of Palm Beach.
On Aug. 18, 20 and 21, I had the joy of conducting my pastoral visit to St. Edward Parish. Those three days gave me an opportunity not simply to visit the parish facilities or review its programs but, more importantly, to pray with its people, meet those responsible for its pastoral life, listen to their experiences and aspirations, and spend time with the clergy who serve this remarkable community.
My visit began on Tuesday, Aug. 18, with the most appropriate beginning possible: prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. We gathered for a Holy Hour, placing the parish, its people, its ministries and its future before the Lord.
For me, that moment captured something essential about St. Edward. A parish may have excellent programs, beautiful liturgies, active ministries and generous benefactors, but its true center must always be Jesus Christ. Everything else flows from that encounter with the Lord. The Eucharist is not simply one activity among many in the life of a Catholic parish; it is the source from which the entire life of the community receives its strength.
Following the Holy Hour, I had the opportunity to meet many parishioners during a social gathering at the parish hall across the street from the church. These informal encounters are among the most valuable parts of a pastoral visit. They allow a bishop to hear directly from the faithful, to learn about their families and their involvement in parish life, and simply to enjoy the fraternity that should always characterize a Christian community.
Two days later, on Thursday, Aug. 20, I returned for an extensive meeting with the parish leadership. I was impressed by the commitment of those who dedicate their time, talents and resources to ensure that St. Edward continues to be a vibrant Catholic presence on Palm Beach Island. Our conversation provided an opportunity to look not only at what the parish is already accomplishing but also at its future and at the ways in which it can continue contributing to the broader mission of our Diocese.
One of the areas that especially impressed me was the parish’s commitment to catechetical formation. St. Edward has developed a well-structured program for transmitting the faith, including dedicated spaces for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
This approach to religious formation, inspired in part by the educational principles associated with the Montessori method, creates an environment in which children are invited to encounter the mysteries of our faith in a contemplative and age-appropriate way. The specially prepared spaces reflect a conviction that children are not merely passive recipients of religious information. They are capable of a profound relationship with God and deserve the opportunity to discover the beauty of Scripture, the liturgy and the sacramental life of the Church.
That investment in catechesis is particularly important today. We cannot presume that faith will simply be transmitted from one generation to the next without intentional effort. Parents remain the first educators of their children in the faith, but our parishes must accompany them in that sacred responsibility. When a parish dedicates significant energy, space and resources to forming its children, it is making an investment not merely in a program but in the future of the Church.
Another outstanding dimension of St. Edward is its music ministry. Sacred music possesses a unique ability to elevate the human heart toward God, and a highly skilled music ministry can make an important contribution to the reverence and beauty of our liturgical celebrations. At its best, sacred music never becomes a performance that distracts from worship. Instead, it helps the entire congregation enter more deeply into the mystery being celebrated.
St. Edward also demonstrates an admirable commitment to Catholic education beyond the boundaries of the parish itself. The parish provides financial support for scholarships benefiting students attending different Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Palm Beach.
I find this particularly significant. Catholic education is not solely the responsibility of parents who currently have children enrolled in our schools, nor is it merely the responsibility of the parishes to which schools happen to be attached. Catholic education belongs to the mission of the entire Church. When one parish helps young people receive a Catholic education elsewhere in the Diocese, it gives concrete expression to the communion that exists among our parishes.
Scholarship assistance can make the difference between a family being able or unable to choose a Catholic education for a child. Behind every scholarship there is a young person
whose intellectual, human and spiritual formation can be deeply influenced by an educational environment in which faith and learning are not separated. The generosity of St. Edward in this area, therefore, bears fruit far beyond Palm Beach Island.
My pastoral visit concluded on Friday, Aug. 21, with a fraternal gathering with the parish clergy, joined by my vicar general, Father Charles Notabartolo, and chancellor, Father Antony Pulikal. Time spent in fraternity with our priests is an essential dimension of episcopal ministry. Priests carry tremendous responsibilities every day, often quietly and without recognition, as they celebrate the sacraments, preach the Gospel, accompany families through moments of joy and sorrow, administer parish communities and make themselves available to people in countless circumstances.
St. Edward is currently under the pastoral leadership of Archimandrite Glen Pothier, who is providing dedicated and effective service to this community. I am grateful for his ministry and for the work of all those who collaborate with him in sustaining the spiritual and pastoral vitality of the parish.
During my days at St. Edward, I was reminded again that the strength of a parish cannot ultimately be measured simply by buildings, financial resources or the number of activities on its calendar. The true measure of a parish is whether it helps people encounter Jesus Christ, grow in holiness and become missionary disciples who bring the Gospel into the world.
In that sense, St. Edward carries a special responsibility. Being the only Catholic parish on Palm Beach Island means that its presence has a particular visibility. Its church, its liturgies, its educational efforts, its charitable generosity and, above all, the witness of its parishioners become a living expression of Catholicism within the wider community.
The Church must always be present wherever people live, work, rejoice, suffer and search for meaning. She must be there to celebrate the Eucharist and the sacraments, to proclaim the Gospel, to educate the young, to serve those in need and to remind every human person of his or her dignity before God. St. Edward fulfills that mission in a unique setting.
I left Palm Beach Island grateful for what I had witnessed: a parish rooted in prayer, committed to formation, enriched by sacred music, supportive of Catholic education and sustained by generous parishioners and dedicated clergy.
My hope is that St. Edward will continue to deepen that mission in the years ahead, remaining a place where the doors are open, the faith is proclaimed without hesitation, the Eucharist remains at the center and every person who enters can discover something of the joy of belonging to Christ and His Church.
For more than simply being the only Catholic church on Palm Beach Island, St. Edward is called to be its spiritual heart: a Catholic community that worships faithfully, forms generously, serves joyfully and, through everything it does, points beyond itself to Jesus Christ.
May the Lord continue to bless St. Edward Parish, its clergy, its parishioners and all those whose generosity makes its many ministries possible. And may this beautiful community continue to be a strong and joyful Catholic presence at the heart of Palm Beach Island and within our beloved Diocese of Palm Beach.
Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez, JCD
