Pastoral Invitation to My Church Fellowship
Catholic Faith, Prayer, Formation, and Fellowship at St. John of the Cross Cluster
Welcome to My Church Fellowship, the online Catholic ministry of the St. John of the Cross Cluster and the Christian Life Center, in the Diocese of Portland, Maine.
This website is first and foremost for pastoral invitation. It is an open door for anyone seeking God, exploring the Catholic faith, or looking for a place of prayer, learning, and community. Whether you are a longtime parishioner, a visitor, a family searching for spiritual growth, or someone rediscovering faith after time away, you are welcome here.
Our mission is simple: to help every person encounter Jesus Christ and grow in faith, hope, and love through the life of the Church. Through prayer, the celebration of the sacraments, the study of Sacred Scripture, and the fellowship of believers, we walk together as disciples on the journey of faith.
About Koinonia
Koinonia, a Greek word translated as “fellowship,” “communion,” or “joint participation,” lies at the heart of the New Testament and expresses the deep Christian unity, shared life, partnership, and living communion God desires for His people. This sacred communion begins in God Himself and is shared with us through a living relationship with Jesus Christ. As the apostle John proclaims, “what we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). This communion flows from the mystery of God’s own life revealed in Christ—“I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (John 14:11; cf. 10:38)—and is extended to believers through grace: “I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you” (John 14:20). Rooted in the teaching of the apostles, sustained by prayer, and nourished in the breaking of the bread (Acts 2:42), koinonia is not merely social fellowship, but a sharing in the very life of God that forms believers into one body, united in faith, hope, and love.
This divine communion becomes visible and tangible in the life of the Church. Jesus prayed “that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe” (John 17:21). In the early Christian community, this unity took concrete form in generosity, mutual care, and shared mission, such that “they had everything in common” and “there was not a needy person among them” (Acts 2:44; 4:32, 34). At St. John of the Cross Cluster and the Christian Life Center, this same koinonia is lived and renewed through prayer, faith formation, worship, sacramental life, and genuine Christian fellowship. Here, each person is welcomed not as a stranger, but as a member of the household of faith—invited to belong, to grow in holiness, and to walk together as disciples of Christ. You are not simply visiting; you are invited into a shared life shaped by communion with God and with one another in Christ.
Fr. Simon is a Catholic priest of the Society of African Missions (SMA). He is dedicated to preaching, pastoral care, and helping the faithful encounter Christ through Sacred Scripture and the sacraments, guiding parishioners toward a deeper life of prayer and discipleship.
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The Reason Why Series
Things We Say to Shy Away from Faith — and What the Gospel Reveals
The Reason Why series will offer our visitors Pastoral Invitation to encourage those who shy away from the faith to return to practicing the faith.
Many people do not reject faith outright. More often, they quietly step away. Life becomes busy. Questions arise. We tell ourselves, “I will return later,” or “I am not ready yet.” Sometimes faith is not denied—it is simply postponed.
Yet, in the midst of daily life, Christ continues to call us.
This space is an invitation to pause and listen again to that gentle call. It is a place to reflect honestly on the reasons we sometimes distance ourselves from prayer, from the Church, and from one another. Without judgment, and with the light of the Gospel, we are invited to look at our lives with truth, humility, and hope.
Faith is not meant to be perfect before it is lived. It is a journey—often marked by questions, hesitation, and even struggle. But it is also a path filled with grace, mercy, and new beginnings.
Here, we gently explore the thoughts and reasons that can keep us away:
“I am too busy.”
“I will come back later.”
“I am not ready.”
“I am still young.”
And we place them in conversation with something deeper—the enduring truth of the Gospel, which continues to invite, to heal, and to lead us forward.
This is not about pointing out faults. It is about opening a door.
A door back to prayer.
A door back to community.
A door back to Christ.
Wherever you find yourself today—close to faith, far from it, or somewhere in between—you are welcome here. Let this be a place where you can reflect, rediscover, and take one step closer to the One who never stops calling you.
The Reason Why Series begins now...
Hospitality
Once there was a man who loved to read. He read books about kindness, watched stories about generosity, and admired people who welcomed others with open hearts. He could speak beautifully about hospitality, quoting wise sayings and sharing inspiring examples. But in his own home, the door remained closed, the table was set for one, and the stranger passing by remained unseen.
One day, a traveler appeared at his door—tired, hungry, and alone. The man hesitated. He remembered all he had read, all he had studied, all he had praised. But this time, something stirred within him. He opened the door, offered a place to rest, and shared what little he had. In that simple act, he discovered a truth deeper than all his books: hospitality is not learned by words, but by action. For Scripture reminds us, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2).
From that day on, his life changed. He welcomed not only friends, but also the lonely, the stranger, and even the difficult neighbor. He learned that sharing one’s comfort is never easy, but it is always fruitful. And in opening his door to others, his own heart was opened as well—filled with peace, gentleness, joy, and kindness (Galatians 5:22).
Brothers and sisters, hospitality is not an idea to admire—it is a virtue to practice. No one becomes a disciple of Christ by watching from a distance. We grow in holiness when we make room for others: the child, the neighbor, the stranger, even the one who tests our patience. For in every act of true hospitality, we do not only welcome others—we welcome Christ Himself (Matthew 25:35).
