2nd Year CONFIRMATION
2° año de Confirmación
October 25th Mass & Class 11am-2pm
November 1st Mass & Class 11am-2pm
November 3rd Special Class for Parents & Teens Chris Stefanick 6:30-8:30pm
Years ago, when I was in my early teens, my mother’s father, our beloved grandfather Nonno Gianni, storyteller extraordinaire, family historian, giver of “splendid” gifts (baby rabbits, lambs, chicks), died. A widower at the time, he lived with three of his daughters in the apartment in which his large family had grown. He left behind nine children, the primitive cabin in the mountains beloved by every family member, and a small savings account in joint ownership with his oldest daughter, a spinster.
Last week, I gave you an account of what the parish received, between Sunday offertory, school tuition, fundraising and other gifts. You will have noticed that, as good stewards of your generosity, we were able to set aside about $38,000 last year. What will we do with this sum? The Archdiocese, prudently asks that every parish, just like every household, keep something in reserve, for unexpected expenses, such as: the heating system breaking down; the roof needing repairs and, in our case, remodeling of our church.
Great news! Sunday, October 18th, we will hold the ceremony of the naming and blessing of our bells. As you know, church bells represent the voice of God calling His faithful people to worship. That is why we name and bless them. Come and see what the contributions of our children have helped to buy!
Then, on the weekend of October 23-24, we will hold an “open house” where you will have the opportunity to check out the progress of our church remodel. As you can see, it is going very quickly and smoothly. Come and be amazed!
The practice of keeping a special memorial day of prayer for all who have died in Christ is an important part of our Catholic faith and is a concrete sign to us that those who have died in the faith of Jesus Christ do share in the eternal reward of Heaven! The souls of our beloved departed need our prayers and intercession. I invite you to fill out an All Souls’ Day envelope with the names of your loved ones who have died, drop it by the parish prior to Monday, Nov. 2nd, and their names will be placed upon the altar for special remembrance. All Souls’ Day envelopes are in your envelope packets and will also be attached to next week’s bulletin.
The month of October is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. I invite you to make this a time of special grace through the praying of the Rosary each day as a family. The Rosary will be prayed 20 minutes before all of the weekend Masses throughout the month of October. Come early to the Holy Mass and join in this ancient and noble prayer.
“For A Few Dollars More”
5th Annual School Auction
Tickets Now on Sale
Tickets for this year’s auction are on sale for $35 each starting this weekend after Masses. Tickets are available through the school office Monday – Friday from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm & after all masses the weekends of September 26th & 27th, October 10th & 11th, and 24th & 25th. Get yours before they are sold out.
2nd Year CONFIRMATION
2° año de Confirmación
October 11th Mass & Class 11am-2pm
*October 18th No Class
*October 25th Mass & Class 11am-2pm
*No Date Changes
During this month of October, our Mother the Church is asking us to reflect on Respect Life. It is ironic that at the beginning of this month Hollywood gave us two examples of “disrespect” for life: Roman Polanski and David Letterman. The two separate events to which I refer are sad enough for the victims of the abuse: abuse of power, abuse of authority, abuse of human dignity. They are also sad for all of us: these two powerful, popular men have publicly contributed to the further decline of decency and morality worldwide. I don’t think I am overstating the case. As we hear the usual suspects justify one and/or the other, we realize that most of us no longer expect any accountability from those in prominent positions, from those who are held up to us by the media as “stars.” We either shrug our shoulders, so accustomed we are to the abuse of power on the part of the rich and famous, or we join the bandwagon of those who will salute these two men for their “courage” in breaking down traditional values. And so respect for human life keeps losing ground.
Have you wondered how much money our Parish has received during the past year and how much we’ve spent? The purpose of this report is to answer these questions. Like your own household, we try very hard to be good stewards of the finan-cial gifts that God has given to us. I wish to thank you for your generosity that makes all the good things we do possible!
