Witness to Hope: I get asked all the time, “do you think we will make our four million goal?” I really think we will at some point. Pledges keep coming in. I think more than 700 parishioners will donate when it’s all said and done. I’m hoping for 850, personally. One of our parishioners keeps reminding me to tell everyone that participation is really important, even if the pledge is small. Thank you to all of you who have given thus far.
Welcome: This weekend Butch Murphy will be speaking at all our Masses as we get ready for our parish mission on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Hope to see you there. Please bring a friend as well. This is a great way to evangelize.
Iraq: In a couple of previous bulletin columns I mentioned one of our diocesan priests, Fr. Gerald Gawronski, and how he volunteered to take an assignment in Iraq. Our bishop sent the priests a letter that Fr. Gawronski wrote. He talked about the power constantly going off. He also mentioned that he teaches literature to 11th graders at a school. He said that they are ‘without guile.’ When he asked them why they didn’t take notes, he thought it might be a cultural thing or too difficult to find paper and pens. The students’ answer, “no, we are just lazy!” Fr. Gawronski said the students have made A LOT of progress in this area. Please keep him in prayer.
Men’s Conference: Our diocese is hosting the men’s conference on February 25 at Our Lady of Fatima Parish near Jackson. The main speaker is Deacon James Keating from the Diocese of Omaha. I’ve heard him speak many times and he is fantastic. He gets right to the heart! Hope many men from our parish will attend.
Alberto: This Wednesday a faculty representative from Sacred Heart Major Seminary will be here to interview staff and parishioners in order to evaluate our seminarian Alberto Nickerson. This is a normal procedure. We really appreciate having Alberto with us.
Music Concert: Looking forward to hearing our 2nd grade music play performance on Thursday, Feb. 16. We finished our ‘First Confessions” with our 2nd graders. The students (and their families) did great!!!
Hoops: Last May at our school auction two parish families bid on going to a college basketball game with me. I already went to a game earlier in the year and this Thursday evening I am going with the other family to the Wisconsin – Michigan game. Looking forward to spending time with the family and enjoying the game.
Georgia: Last weekend I was in Brunswick, Georgia, visiting a priest friend, Fr. Tim McKeown, whom I worked with in Rome. It was the first time I ever spent any considerable time in the Peach State and I enjoyed it. On Saturday we went to the Cathedral in Savannah for a funeral of a 30-year-old man. This young man, Danny, had proteus syndrome. He had over 100 surgeries since he was born. He was very involved with his youth group and much loved. The Cathedral was packed. By the way, the Cathedral in Savannah is very beautiful with many paintings and stained glass windows of the saints. Back in Brunswick Fr. Tim and his associate are in charge of the main parish in Brunswick, plus two other very small parishes—one in Darien and the other on Jekyll Island. They have seven Masses to cover on the weekend, so he thinks Fr. Gary and I are lazy with only five. I preached for Fr. Tim. He said the parishioners always like to hear from others. I met some people from Michigan. One conversation left me a little disheartened. A woman said that she went to a parish in our diocese (not ours) in which no one ever welcomed her or even said hello to her. After some time she left this particular parish. I hope we are always welcoming the stranger in our midst.
Breakfast: Please stop by and enjoy a great breakfast this Sunday from 9 am – noon in our parish hall. It’s really a great meal and the fraternity is good too! Thank you to the Knights who put in all the work to make it happen.
Happy Valentine’s Day this week. Please know of my prayers and love.
Msgr. Jerry
Saint quote of the week: Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interest, it is not quick tempered, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Corinthians 13:4-7