|
 Dear
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Happy Feast of Christ the King! It is good to be together
again to celebrate our Lord and King, Jesus the Christ! What a
great way to end our liturgical year, before we begin Advent next
weekend.
I’d like to offer my thanks to all of those who helped out
last Saturday with our Thanksgiving food delivery. 165 Thanksgiving
food boxes went out to a 165 different households right here in our
own area. I’d like to particularly note that this year so many
families delivered the food boxes for the very first time. Thanks
to each of you! Because of our sacrifices, our time, and our
concern, 165 families got to have a nicer Thanksgiving, or even a
Thanksgiving at all. Special thanks go to Jerry and Kendra Geis,
Tom and Suzanne Oliger, Ron and Kathy Pelletier, Ken and Peggy Norus,
and Ann and Mike Brown, for their leadership and tireless effort in
keeping our HELP Committee and Shepherd’s Gate Food Pantry going and
thriving. Thanks, guys! Our whole community should be so proud of
what we accomplished together.
Last weekend at all our Masses, we got to hear for the first
time from our 2008 Spring Fling co-chairs, Chris and Shari McGrath
and Rod and Kara Clarke. I’d also like to thank these four very
special individuals for their willingness to step up and provide the
leadership for this fundraiser. As Shari mentioned last weekend in
their announcement, the Spring Fling really is St. Maria Goretti’s
only fundraiser for the entire year. On this one incredible night
on the last Friday in April, together we accomplish amazing things
for God and for our Parish family. We have so many beautiful
blessings that serve our whole community all the time, that we would
never have been able to afford, if it were not for the Spring
Fling. Past Spring Flings have paid for the school’s kitchen, the
rectory, the two beautiful statues in church, the grand piano in
church, the new maintenance building, the seed money for our future
adoration chapel and bell tower, funds to help us build our gym, and
so much more! Quite obviously, this is a very important event for
our whole parish. There is no way that Chris and Shari and Rod and
Kara are going to “put on” the Spring Fling by themselves. They are
going to need ALL OF US helping them! They have been most generous
in agreeing to head this up, but what has made the Spring Fling so
much fun for so many, is that we ALL help out. I know that April 25th,
2008 seems like such a long way away, but it will be here before we
know it. More importantly, we need your help NOW to start getting
ready. Please consider getting on one of the committees as soon as
possible.
Also, as we start to pull together items for the Spring
Fling auctions and raffles, ALL OF US need to be on the lookout for
acquisitions. I am constantly amazed at how many contacts and
resources that this community has. What items could you help us to
get this year? What could you donate to the event? Along these
lines, I’d ask that each one of us consider ourselves members of the
Acquisitions Committee for this year’s event. Think about this.
Pray about this. Imagine what we can all do together!
Next weekend, our Altar Rosary Society is having another of
their fantastic bake sales, in the Parish Hall, from 8:00 AM until
Noon. All of us are invited to come over after 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM
Masses to purchase their delicious baked goods. Our Parish
community has been so greatly blessed with an extraordinary number
of great cooks and bakers. We’re getting quite the reputation.
Somebody told me recently that they “heard” that St. Maria Goretti
was a “party parish”. I’m not quite sure how to take that, but if
it means that we really enjoy one another’s company – I think
Christians call that “fellowship” – and we enjoy having a good time
with one another, with good food, and good music for everybody,
well, I guess we do like a good party. At least we like each other
enough to want to be with each other, unlike some parishes that I
know. I’m taking it as a compliment. St. Philip Neri used to say
that being a Catholic Christian SHOULD be fun. And he did his best
to make his Faith a celebration every day. He liked parties too.
And his “holy” parties got him to sainthood! It can work for us
too.
Also next weekend, we welcome back the Little Sisters of the
Poor from St. Augustine’s Home down in Indianapolis. Every Advent,
we invite the Little Sisters to come out and let us share in their
beautiful ministry at St. Augustine’s Home. As many of you know, my
97 year-old maternal grandmother has been a resident at St.
Augustine’s Home since last January. It is an amazing place of
great love. We’ll have a second collection for them next week.
Enjoy our last week of “green” and Ordinary Time. Advent
starts next week. Thank you. I don’t say that enough. I am most
grateful for each one of you. It is my great honor and privilege to
be your Pastor.
In Christ,
Fr. Kevin
Life is like a good salad. It takes more oil than vinegar to make
it good.
|
