Love God, Love Others, Share the Good News!

           This Week's Letter From Father

Fifth Sunday of Easter A                                     

May 3, 2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

During Easter season, we reflect on the significance of the Lord’s resurrection in the lives of the apostles whom Jesus called to follow him. We also consider the impact on the next generation of followers who came to faith through the witness of the apostles and the women who accompanied Jesus. From their experiences, devotion, and struggles, we can learn valuable lessons.

The initial chapters of the Acts of the Apostles present an idealized picture of the early Church, where members lived in harmony, loved each other, and supported one another. As a result of this unity, they attracted many others to follow Jesus. However, this portrayal reflects an aspiration for a perfect community rather than the complexities of historical reality.

Church life can easily be distorted by unhealthy desires for control over ministries, internal disagreements, infighting, gossip, and prejudice. The later chapters of the Acts of the Apostles and the letters of St. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, provide evidence of this reality.

Such challenges can only be addressed by promoting prayer, unity, love, compassion, and understanding within the parish community. When everyone shares their talents, time, and resources, we foster Christian community that confronts prejudice and discrimination.

The original Aramaic- speaking disciples of Jesus in Jerusalem show bias against the Hellenists, who are converts and Greek-speaking immigrants from the diaspora, other areas of the Roman Empire. The Hebrew Christians only support their own widows through their relief program, neglecting the daily distribution of food to the Greek-speaking Christian widows.

To address the issue, the Twelve selected seven Greek-speaking men to help the Greek-speaking members of the community. However, this solution is insufficient because Aramaic-speaking members continue to discriminate against the Greek-speaking disciples. This problem mostly occurs because no Aramaic-speaking Hebrews were appointed to work alongside the Greek-speaking members in the same charitable ministry. Language barriers should not be used as an excuse to neglect feeding the hungry and serving the most vulnerable in the community. The community should aim for unity rather than division.

The Gospel reading from John 14:15-21, frequently selected for funeral liturgies, emphasizes that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life.”  He serves as our guide, GPS to God the Father. In the Father’s house, which represents heaven, there are countless welcoming dwelling places for people of all cultures, nations, and languages. God’s love knows no boundaries when it comes to salvation. We are all cherished sons and daughters of the same Divine Creator.

During challenging times, such as stress, depression, suffering, or grief, Jesus encourages us to trust in our faith: “You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” Embracing this belief can inspire us to navigate our struggles with hope and strength.

                                                                                     …..

I had an honor of baptizing two brothers, Noah Galvin and Graham Smith Hunt. The Baptism ceremony was lovely and brought joy to both their family and me. May the Lord Jesus help you become faithful disciples and witnesses to His Gospel. I also pray that your parents and godparents will serve as wonderful examples of faith for both of you.

Congratulations to our First Communion Class on this beautiful milestone of receiving the Body of Christ. May you cherish this special day and the gift of the Eucharist forever.

Thank you so much, Myra Roche, Lizzethe Alvarado-Castro and Lucero Selvan and for all your hard work in preparing the First Communion Class to receive the sacrament. You all did an excellent job.

Thank you so much, Norma Salas, for the delightful Turkish coffee. Your thoughtful gift brightened my day, and I appreciate your kindness.

Thank you, Annmarie Maxim, for the chicken parmigiana. It was absolutely delicious and so crispy. I enjoyed having it for dinner.

World Press Freedom Day is observed today. Hannah Arendt stated, “The moment we no longer have a free press, anything can happen. What makes it possible for a totalitarian or any other dictatorship to rule is that people are not informed.”

The 2026 World Press Freedom Day global conference is centered on the theme “Shaping a Future at Peace.”  Let us pray for journalists and peace.

With blessings,



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.