Dear Parishioners,
The following include several updates and reminders.

Capital Campaign

Our parish Capital Campaign, Cherishing Tradition, Creating Vision, continues to unfold in a timely manner. It serves as yet another reflection of the generosity of our parishioners. In the near future all our parishioners will receive a statement about the campaign’s progress along with a final invitation to contribute to it if they have not done so and may wish to. Eventually there will be a memorial wall in the church narthex identifying (in alphabetical order) all those who participated in the campaign. It will not list the amount of each donation, however.

We are now in the process of finalizing the plans and aesthetic details with the architect. This will allow us to decide on the companies who will perform the remodeling in the church. We can then present their contracts to the Diocesan Buildings and Grounds Committee for final approval. Hopefully in late spring of 2024 we can begin the actual work so that if at all possible, it can be completed during the summer months during which time our Sunday liturgies will be celebrated in the school gym. I will keep everyone updated on any changes or unforeseen issues which are not at all uncommon.

Shrine of Mary and the Saints

By now, all (or most) our parishioners have seen our new and original statue of the Blessed Mother and the child Jesus. This was a gift from a parish family and was not part of the Capital Campaign. Originally there were to be 15 glass panels of various saints mounted on the wall surrounding the statue. All 15 panels were memorialized by parishioners. Several individuals came forward later and expressed a desire to memorialize yet another. So we were able to incorporate 3 additional images which have now been claimed. The additional saints are, John the Baptist, Patrick of Ireland and Dorothy Day who is in the process of being canonized and who has now been declared “Venerable” – the first stage in the canonization process. Dorothy Day was an American from New York who began the Catholic Worker Movement and was highly regarded for her efforts at social reform. She was also a Benedictine Oblate of St. Procopius Abbey and was deeply committed to insuring that the sacred liturgy be celebrated in a beautiful and dignified manner. She frequently quoted the Russian author, Igor Dostoyevsky who wrote, The world will be saved by beauty.

Blessing of the Shrine of Mary and the Saints

My original intention was to have a solemn blessing of our shrine of Mary and the Saints on August 15, the solemnity of Mary’s Assumption. Because of several unpredicted delays in this project however, the blessing will be done on two separate occasions. On August 15, we will bless just the statue of Mary and Jesus. Then on November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, the glass images of the saints will be blessed. This will allow the artist a bit more time to execute the three new panels and to refine the details on the other fifteen. The end product promises to be a unique and stunning artistic achievement that is both lovely to behold and inspiring to pray before.

Eucharistic Revival

The ongoing Eucharistic Revival that is now occurring on the local parish levels, continues to generate interest and activity. The ultimate goal of this revival is to deepen both, our knowledge and our devotion to the Eucharistic Mystery. To that end, I will be offering a 5 week course on the history of the Mass and Eucharistic Adoration this fall. These classes will be held from 7:009:00pm on the following Wednesdays: Sep 13, 20, 27; Oct 4, 11. More details are forthcoming.

Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW)

Much interest has been expressed in reviving the Children’s Liturgy of the Word, which was in place at the 9:30 Sunday Mass prior to COVID. I am eager to restore this ritual practice whereby, the children ages 4-10 are dismissed after the Opening Prayer and led to a separate room where they celebrate the Liturgy of the Word in a manner that is simpler and more conducive to younger minds. I would like to begin this in the fall but I am in need of adults who are willing to officiate at these rites. I would personally train them and offer the resources necessary to make them happen. Ideally we would have three different leaders who would alternate weeks in officiating at these rites. In addition, we would also need three sets of two assistants for each leader. Please contact me if you are willing to volunteer for this parish ministry.

The days of summer are passing quickly. Enjoy them while you can. I once read the following definition for the month of August as Summer that has heard the rumor of fall.

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