Love God, Love Others, Share the Good News!

    This Week's Letter From Father

Dedication of St. John Lateran             

November 9, 2025 

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

Today we celebrate the Dedication of St. John Lateran. The Archbasilica of St. John Lateran is the

highest ranking and oldest among papal basilicas in Rome. The first building was consecrated on

land owned by the Laterani family by Pope Sylvester in 324. The present structure was 

commissioned by Pope Innocent X in 1646. The inscription placed there by Pope Clement XII states

that it is the “mother and head of all churches of Rome and worldwide.” The same Pope dedicated

this building to Christ in honor of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. 

This Archbasilica remains the cathedral Church of Rome and the ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of

Rome who is the Pope. Many people think that St. Peter’s Basilica is the Pope’s church. But it is not

true. The Archbasilica of St. John Lateran is the Pope’s parish church. 

Popes resided there from the 4th century until their moving to Avignon in 1309. Six Popes are 

buried in the Archbasilica. It was also a site of five Ecumenical Councils. 

We all are attached to certain churches because they were significant on our spiritual journey. There

we celebrated baptisms, first communions, confirmations, weddings, ordinations, and funerals of

our loved ones and friends. In these churches we grew in faith and were touched by God’s grace.

They were avenues where we met Christ. Some of those churches don't exist anymore. Most of

them were closed rather than lost to 􀄮re, hurricanes and some other natural disasters. St. John 

Lateran was rebuilt several times. The buildings are secondary, only our faith is primary. 

Today we are reminded that the church is not the building but the people. Our faith does not die

when the building crumbles. Similarly, the gestures, vestments and language with other elements of

the Eucharist have changed over the centuries. But we still celebrate the same Eucharist led by 

Jesus. Additionally, saying thousands of prayers would not make us automatically holy. Thus, we

should concentrate not on the number of prayers or fasting, but on God who created us, loves us

and wants the best for us. 

St. Paul in our second reading (1 Corinthians 3:9-11,16-17), reminds us that by faith and baptism, we

are God’s temple: “Are you not aware that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God

dwells in you?” The Holy Spirit that was sent upon the apostles and gave the birth to the church,

lives in each one of us. We are the living stones of that temple. Let us never forget that. 

                                                                                 ….. 

I felt honored to baptize Rowan Harper Norris! The ceremony was touching, filled with her radiant

smile and her family’s genuine joy. I pray that the Lord guides her throughout her faith journey. May

her parents and godparents serve as inspiring examples of Christian living. 

The Knights of Columbus Baby Bottle Drive is still going strong, and we’re excited to support the

Crystal Coast Pregnancy Center. We appreciate everyone’s participation in this wonderful cause. 

The St. Egbert Harvest Fest was a huge success! It was heartwarming to see families and children

during the Costume Parade. Everyone had a great time enjoying tasty food, lively music, singing, and

fun games. 

Our students at St. Egbert School creatively turned pumpkins into their favorite book characters. We

also enjoyed fun games, making for a delightful morning full of joy and happiness. 

The Ladies Guild will meet on Thursday. After the Rosary, visiting speakers will share information

about Breakthrough Therapy, followed by lunch. 

Great news! The playful dolphins are back! You can enjoy their fun antics with me until the end of

April or early May next year. Come and watch them frolic! 

Squirrels are beautifully preparing for winter by gathering their food! I love feeding them; it’s amazing

to see how they bury it. They’re fantastic gardeners! 

A heartfelt thank you to Annmarie Maxim for the delicious pasta with meatballs, Patricia Reichert

for the comforting chicken and bean stew, Chris Kline for the savory potato leek soup, and Adelaide

and Richard Reichert for the scrumptious pumpkin spice muffins. Each meal and dessert was a wonderful welcome upon my return, and I truly appreciated them! 

With continued prayers,

Fr. Ryszard

Welcome Message

Greetings in Christ Jesus!

Whether you are just visiting for a short while, have moved here and are joining our parish, or are returning to your Catholic Faith, on behalf of our parish community, we welcome you to St. Egbert Catholic Church and the beautiful Crystal Coast of North Carolina.

When Jesus was asked which of all the commandments was the greatest, he replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the great, and first commandment. And a second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” These two Commandments form the foundation of our mission to Love God, Love Neighbor, and to Share the Good News.