Dear Brothers and Sisters,
At every Mass we pray that it is our duty and our salvation always and everywhere to give God thanks. What an important truth this is––that giving thanks in all circumstances is not only the proper response to God, but also opens the heart of the one giving thanks to receive and experience the salvation (or, the happiness) God won for us! And so it is fitting that I give thanks as we say TTFN (Ta Ta For Now). I pray that you too are giving thanks.
This week I give thanks for the daily blessing the staff at Holy Family has been for me and for our parish and school. We have a deeply dedicated and compassionate staff here at Holy Family, and most of these wonderful women and men who help lead our parish do their work behind the scenes, often going unrecognized. From our principal, Mike McGonigle, and our assistant principal, Theresa Purcell, to our teachers, some of whom have been serving our parish for over 30 years(!), to our coordinators for the ill and bereaved in our parish––Linda Waggoner and Linda Blondin, to our business manager, Mark Stockoski, to our liturgy coordinator, Joanie Donovan, and our music director, Simon Lee; from our bulletin editor, Linda Doyle (yes, we have lots of Lindas on our staff!), to our RCIA coordinator, Maddie White, to our maintenance team––Brian Aulph, Chris Kotowicz, Bobby LeRoy, Lorn White, Byron Rhode––to our youth coordinator, Jennifer Giddings, and our DRE, Jan Gravel, from our coordinator for Evangelization, Larry Blondin, and our coordinator for Stewardship, Lorri O’Dea, to our bookkeeper, Sue Satkowiak, and our events coordinator, Carrie Pilarski…and there are still many others who I am thankful for, too many to be mentioned each by name, though each deserves it. (Did you know we have over 60 people on our staff?) In a special way, though, I am thankful for all the secretaries that we have here at Holy Family––Janine Schichtel and Orysia Novajovsky and Lisa Harvey and Shelley Corcoran and Theresa Dyer. Among this great group of women, though, Theresa Dyer is for me personally a great gift from God because of my close reliance on her. On a daily basis Theresa has made my job easier, has shown unflagging dedication, enthusiasm, care, kindness and professionalism in everything she does. I am deeply thankful for all our staff here at Holy Family.
Over my four years here I have seen scores of individuals give of their time and talent in areas of leadership at our parish on our pastoral council, our finance commission and the other commissions at our parish. I am grateful (and inspired) by the zeal and joy, talent and love that so many of you have brought to serving our parish.
I am thankful for all the volunteers, like Margaret Erickson, our sacristan, and Norm Fox and Andy Cocagne, our lead server coaches, and Jim Otis and our dedicated Arts and Environment team, to our volunteer gardeners, to our school volunteers, to the Racine family who keep up our Marian garden (what a gift!), to…well, the list is too long. We are blessed to have so many who give so much. Thank you.
In addition, I am thankful for all of the varied groups that exist at our parish that play a vital role in living our Catholic faith and only exist because men and women have made the choice to serve. From social groups, like our 55 and Over Group, to works of charity, like our vibrant Outreach or those involved in Respect Life work, to small but vital faith-sharing groups, like St. Joseph’s Covenant Keepers, I thank God for all of you.
In a unique way, I am most grateful over this past year for Fr. Gary. He has been a source of daily encouragement, inspiration, strength, wisdom and tireless help for me. I am humbled and thankful that God and Bishop Boyea brought him into my life and our parish.
May we each take time every day this week to thank God, for he is all good, all beautiful and all loving.
May God bless you and your family abundantly this week.
Fr. Jonathan