For the past twenty five years, we the parishioners of St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church, have worshiped God in a temporary structure that was intended to be used for five years.  That was the plan the County of Riverside approved when the current church was erected.  Since that time, our community has grown by leaps and bounds, and we are no longer able to have the entire community attend Mass as one integrated community. We do not have enough seating for everyone to be in the sanctuary during Mass. Some people have to sit in the multi-purpose room and others have to sit outside. This separates us from one another rather than uniting us in the worship of God.  We take pride in that we are considered a hospitable community; but, how is this separation being hospitable?  And who knows how many may have left the parish because of it.

The purpose of Mass is to bring us together as one community of believers in reverence, fellowship, and worship of God, so that we might be of one voice and mind in our love of Him. God has called us to this place and in this time as part of His plan for our lives. That plan calls for us to build a new church in order to service the community of believers that He has assembled here at St. Mary Magdalene. We have been called together as witnesses to our community, as brothers, sisters, children, grandchildren and the generations to come of our faith and trust in God and love of His Church. The witness we have been called to give is the concrete proof that we have faith and trust in God and His plan for our lives. Building a new church is that proof.  The physical church facility is but a symbol to all that see it as a reflection of the impact God had on our hearts and minds.  It is a lasting legacy of the way our faith in God has affected our hearts and minds by His work in and through us. It is a lasting testament of our faith that God does reward those who are faithful to Him in their returning a portion of His blessing to support His Church.

To build a new church takes financial support from all of us as members of His Church in order to raise the capital necessary to not only build the physical structure, but to support the “living stones” (i.e. us – the parishioners of St. Mary Magdalene), as well as our surrounding  community.  For the next three years we will all have to consider how we use the financial blessing that God has given each of us, and how can we use those blessings in support of building His Church. For many of us it will take an increase in our faith in answer that call.  It will take a change of heart and mind to joyfully make the financial support of His Church our number one priority in our lives.  It will require us to completely surrender to His will.  If we are to succeed in our goal of building a new church, we must change our attitude about what is important to us as believers. Is it more important to us that we have all the things that the secular world tells us are important or build up our treasure in Heaven as Jesus tells us to do?  This is the challenge we all must face. Do we have the courage to pick up our cross and carry it daily as we make the choice of how we use the money that God has graced us with?  Which will you choose?  We hope you have the courage to carry the cross that follows Jesus and continue to build up your treasures in heaven.