Dear Friends,
We are well into the New Year and the first event to mark our busy calendar is the First Anniversary of the Dedication of our beautiful Church. I am writing to remind you again how important it is for all of us to celebrate this together as a family. We have marked off a Three Day Celebration to observe this anniversary:
Friday, 18th January 2019 we will have the Organ Recital by Mr. Rudolph A. Lucente, the designer of our new Allen RL66a organ at 6.30 p.m. He is the assistant at the Grand Court Organ in Macy’s, Philadelphia and former Dean of the Philadelphia chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
Saturday, 19th January 2019 is a day set aside for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament between 1 and 4 p.m. These hours will be punctuated with beautiful prayers such as the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the Consecration of our Parish to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Sunday, 20th January 2019 is set aside for the Celebration of the Eucharist in thanksgiving and a parish wide picnic. Please make it a point to join us as I greatly count on you being there. Members with the last names beginning with A-L will bring side a side dish and those with last name beginning with M-Z will bring a dessert. Let us together celebrate our God who is among us and is for us.
This weekend I would like for all us to pray for our brothers and sisters in Pensacola- Tallahassee Diocese who had been battered by Hurricane Michael. I had assured Rt. Rev. Bishop William Wack C.S.C. of our prayers and assistance. Please be generous in reaching out to them as they engage in the restoration of their lives. May God look mercifully on them.
Another iconic moment in the life of the parish is to have a pictorial directory. We have engaged Lifetouch professional group to help us update our ever-growing parish family. This is a great tool to help us stay connected. It will be a classic directory providing a keepsake for the families. I cannot possibly tell you how useful it has been particularly to me when someone calls the office for some ministry or the other. It has helped me at once to know your names by faces and say with familiarity: “Yes, I know him or her.” Now that is family. Please register on line and book a slot on one of the dates the team will be present. It is Free and each photographed family will receive a complimentary Community Book. Simply show up and smile.
I take this opportunity again to thank you for your very active and generous engagement in our campaign for the building of our beautiful sanctuary under the caption: God’s Heart... Our Dream. Our Building Fund for the project has come to an end as of January 31, 2019. Now it is time to begin paying toward our DEBT REDUCTION. The sooner we pay our debt the less we have to pay in terms of interest. Hence I count on your generosity. Beginning February, 2019 you will find debt reduction envelopes in the packets of envelopes for your contributions. Should you want to meet with me for I would be more than happy to meet you in person.
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. With this feast we wrap up our Christmas Season. Sometime today after the Mass you may want to bring down your Christmas decorations. I hope you have had sufficient time to savor the sweetness of this season. From Monday, 14th January, 2019 we resume the Ordinary Time which will continue through Tuesday, 5th March 2019, the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten season. Ordinary Time runs for 33 or 34 weeks in which no particular aspect of the mystery of Christ is celebrated, but rather the mystery of Christ itself is honored in its fullness, especially on Sundays (Universal Norms, 43). The same words that the Father spoke of His Son echoes in each of our hearts as we immersed ourselves in the waters of Baptism à pleased.” Keep the flame of our faith burning brightly.
Have a Blessed Week! With love
Fr. John