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Fr. Don's Weekly Letter ~ 17 March 2024

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

It might seem to some that the word “synodal” or “synodality” is something that has crept into Church culture in the past few years with the prominence placed on it by Pope Francis. Actually, it is the ancient process of the Church. It is still the practice today in the ancient Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Rite Churches. The Church is not just the clergy. The Body of Christ coming to full stature will not happen unless all of our voices are heard. The pathway of the Church is not determined by the vision and creativity of only priests!

We hosted one of the diocesan synodal listening sessions recently, and I still don’t think we have the process figured out. Perhaps in the interest of keeping the size of the session manageable (or maybe to assure that at least a certain number of people attended), each pastor was to choose four lay members of their parish to speak about what was on their mind. Our four parishioners represented differing viewpoints and social diversity, but it seemed that what was said at the listening session was more an extension of the pastors themselves because they chose the participants. I don’t believe a report sent to Rome about us based on that meeting would really represent us.

Particularly during this season of Lent, this synodal spirit is important: only by “walking together,” as Pope Francis says, will we find the kind of transformation that the Church needs so much. The journey through Lent to Easter is not a solo sport but a path that we are called to walk together. First of all, we walk together with God. It is Christ who leads us and goes before us. We learn to follow him more closely and realize more deeply how close he is to us. At the same time, walking with Christ opens us up to one another. Being a disciple is not only about following Jesus but about following him with others, just like the first Apostles that Jesus gathered around himself. They walked around Galilee and Judea together for three years. They listened to Jesus and each other. They weren’t walking around as individuals but as part of a community on a journey. That’s what the Church is, too.

How easy it is to see Lent as our own private journey in which each one of us strives to make our own individual efforts. But Lent is not meant to be experienced alone, just as Easter is not meant to be celebrated alone. Lent and Easter are the journey of the whole Church through the desert to the promised land, from death to new life, from sin to salvation, from the Cross to the Resurrection.

This brings us to the transformation that the Church needs so much. Our experience of Lent and Easter are meant to transform us, and so too is the path of synodality. The two go hand in hand. As we know, Lent is a time of conversion: to prepare ourselves for Easter, to open our hearts, and to let ourselves be changed by God. Jesus invites us to focus ourselves on Him and on others, overcoming our temptations to remain centered on ourselves.

Our mission as a Church is to share with everyone the joy of Easter, Christ who is truly risen and present in our midst. Walking with the world is the path by which we can live out this mission in the 21st century. Spread the joy of Easter more widely this year, especially with those who are on the margins. Perhaps invite someone from outside your family circle to join you for Easter or reach out to a relative that you have lost contact with. Let yourself be transformed by the experience of walking together with others in the light.

The Lord be with you,

 

Streaming Masses and Announcements for the week of 17 March 2024

Today's Live-Streamed Mass

Worship Aid for the Fifth Sunday of Lent 


fleur cross logo 
THANKS! If you haven’t already, please complete your commitment to the Bishop’s Lenten Appeal. As of March 3, we are at 73% of our goal with 10% of households participating. Take a pledge envelope from the church or go online to make a gift or pledge. The funds from the BLA provide a way for leaders of all ministries, volunteers and people from all walks of life to grow as a community, enrich parish life, teach the faith, and help those in need. You may make a gift at: www.arlingtondiocese.org/BLA 

fleur cross logo Lenten Soup Suppers are on Fridays at 6 pm, followed by Stations of the Cross in English at 7 pm and 8 pm in Spanish.

fleur cross logo Our parish Penance Service is this Tuesday, March 19th, beginning at 6:30 pm. We will have many priests available. Please come for confessions, as other opportunities are limited in the days before Easter.

fleur cross logo Have you purchased your ticket to the 23rd Gala and Live Auction on  April 20, 2024. ? Our Biennial Auction is generously supported by our entire Saint Bernadette Community. Buy a Gala Ticket TODAY!

 

Streaming Masses and Announcements for the week of 10 March 2024

Today's Live-Streamed Mass

Worship Aid for the Fourth Sunday in Lent 


fleur cross logo 
THANKS! If you haven’t already, please complete your commitment to the Bishop’s Lenten Appeal. As of March 3, we are at 73% of our goal with 10% of households participating. Take a pledge envelope from the church or go online to make a gift or pledge. The funds from the BLA provide a way for leaders of all ministries, volunteers and people from all walks of life to grow as a community, enrich parish life, teach the faith, and help those in need. You may make a gift at: www.arlingtondiocese.org/BLA 

fleur cross logo On the Fridays of Lent Fr. Jeb will be offering Lenten Reflections in Spanish in the Chapel at 7pm after Soup Supper at 6pm and before the Stations of the Cross in Spanish at 8pm. Join us on this spiritual journey! Los viernes de Cuaresma el P. Jeb ofrecerá Reflexiones de Cuaresma en español en la Capilla a las 7pm, después de la Cena de Sopa a las 6pm y antes del Vía Crucis en español a las 8pm. ¡Únase a nosotros en este viaje espiritual!

fleur cross logo Lenten Soup Suppers are on Fridays at 6 pm, followed by Stations of the Cross in English at 7 pm and 8 pm in Spanish.

fleur cross logo Additional Wednesday evening confessions during Lent from 6:30 to 8 pm.  Our big parish penance service will be on Tuesday, March 19th.

fleur cross logo Have you purchased your ticket to the 23rd Gala and Live Auction on  April 20, 2024. ? Our Biennial Auction is generously supported by our entire Saint Bernadette Community. Hurry before prices increase on March 15. Buy a Gala Ticket TODAY!

 fleur cross logo A generous supporter has donated to our Saint Bernadette Catholic School Gala and Live Auction 4 tickets to the ACC Championship Game on Saturday, March 16th, in the Ultra Club at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. Enjoy the game and VIP Hospitality (including food and beverages) from the FOURTH ROW of the Club! The ACC Tournament will be held in North Carolina for the next five years, so join in the action locally this year! Please see the display in the church vestibule.  

fleur cross logo Do you love putting your creativity into action? Be part of our team for the upcoming “Sailing into The Future” Gala being held by our beloved Saint Bernadette School. The event will be on April 20. Use your time and talents to help us execute a beautiful and enjoyable evening. Please contact Jean Corday in the parish office.

fleur cross logo All High Schoolers are invited to join us every Tuesday for fun and fellowship. We meet weekly from 7:00-8:30 pm in the youth room.

 

Fr. Don's Weekly Letter ~ 10 March 2024

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

I found this letter from a previous year and thought it was good to print again!

At one of his Wednesday audiences in June of 1918 Pope Francis asked Catholics to consider their understanding of faith and faithfulness. He said the Ten Commandments can be experienced as heartless rules imposed on mankind by an oppressive God or, rather, words given by a father to his children in order to protect them from harm. “Man is in front of this crossroads: does God impose things on me, or take care of me? Are his commandments only a law, or do they contain a word? Is God a master or a father? Are we slaves, or children?”

Is your experience of the Church compliance, or commitment?

Most of us experience this “battle,” he said, which takes place both inside and outside of the person, and “is continually present: a thousand times we must choose between a slave mentality and a mentality of children,” he said, adding that the Holy Spirit is a spirit “of sons, it is the Spirit of Jesus.” “A spirit of slaves can only welcome the law in an oppressive way, and it can produce two opposite results: either a life of duties and obligations, or a violent reaction of rejection.”

The whole of Christian life, he said, is making the passage “from the letter of the law to the Spirit who gives life. Jesus is the word of the Father, he is not the condemnation of the Father.” A commandment or rule does not invite dialogue and interaction, but a word does.

From my experience as a pastor, I have watched people have a wide range of reaction with regard to change. I experience this, myself. The unfamiliarity of change can be unsettling. New realities often require a growth curve that can be challenging. Change requires us to think differently or see things in a new way, or at least recognize a truth we have always known in a new way. Change demands faith and hope, and sometimes these are not as strong as our uncertainty. Yet, we have to discern the kind of change that is necessary for growth and embrace it. If we aren’t growing, we are not improving and thriving.

I don’t know anyone who would look around, or even at themselves, and say everything is perfect. I can’t think of a single thing that could be better? I want everything to stay just as it is? That being the case, then, we need to discern with prayer, prepare with prudence, and gather the strength to do what we must do. It is not always easy to accept change, but change is essential if we want to see positive results.

Nowhere is this more true than in the spiritual life. We are challenged every day with choices we make to move forward or fall backward. A lot of life can get in the way, but the worst foe is complacency. “Good enough” really isn’t.

Lent is a time to embrace the formation and conversion that God made us humans to undertake. May his grace inspire us and his strength help all of us to carry through.

The Lord be with you,

 

Fr. Don's Weekly Letter ~ 3 March 2024

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

1. Living stones
2. Unity at Saint Bernadette
3. 40 Hours review

1. “Living Stones.” A popular, relatively new tradition here at Saint Bernadette is returning today, the Third Week of Lent. You will see containers with river stones at the altar. Here is how it works:
Personally invite someone who has been away from practicing their Christian faith to come back to church. Accompany them, if they are willing.
After you invite them, take a stone from the container and place it in front of the altar.
Whenever we, the assembly, see the stones, we will pray for them.

2. As you know, our biennial Gala/Auction to benefit the school is coming up Saturday, April 20. Right now it would be optimistic to say that ticket sales are sluggish. And I’ve heard different people saying different things – some, that this is a parish event, others that this is a school event. We’ve worked really hard to try to heal the division between what some people call “parish” and others call “school.” Our parish is our school; our school is our parish. The ministry of Catholic education, as much as we are able, is to provide vital, quality learning and Catholic values to as many children as we can. Your monthly contributions to tuition assistance help us provide about $70,000 in financial aid, in addition to the car raffle and diocesan endowment benefits, a total of about $250,000 to help keep Catholic education affordable and not a luxury available only to the wealthy. This past year the cost to educate each child was $9,119, and next year tuition for the first child in a family is set at $8,327. We are already providing about $800 per child for our school, and this will increase due to inflation and the regular jump in the cost of living, or family discounts for additional children in a family.

You can see why this, OUR Gala/Auction is an important part of our financial stability. Also, it is exactly the kind of event where parish and school come together to be ONE, one church, one family. It’s all about the children, and we take whoever God sends us. Currently all desks are full for the coming year so we are as secure as we can be, and our school is in good hands with our wonderful administration, faculty, staff. Be confident. Come to the Gala/Auction! I would like to announce a challenge goal before the auction even begins at $75,000 in ticket sales, sponsorships, advertising and donations.

3. 40 Hours this past week was such a time of peace and grace for our parish. When people come together to pray, good things happen.

I was pretty happy how my talks each night came together. I’m sorry if you couldn’t be here with us, but in case you are interested, the three talks are posted at the same place we post my weekly homily -- just go to the parish website, hover your mouse over “Welcome” and a menu will drop down where you will find “Homilies.”

The Lord be with you,

 

Streaming Masses and Announcements for the week of 3 March 2024

Today's Live-Streamed Mass

Worship Aid for the Third Sunday in Lent 


fleur cross logo 
THANKS! If you haven’t already, please complete your commitment to the Bishop’s Lenten Appeal. As of March 3, we are at 73% of our goal with 10% of households participating. Take a pledge envelope from the church or go online to make a gift or pledge. The funds from the BLA provide a way for leaders of all ministries, volunteers and people from all walks of life to grow as a community, enrich parish life, teach the faith, and help those in need. You may make a gift at: www.arlingtondiocese.org/BLA 

fleur cross logo Concerts at Saint Bernadette presents the nationally renowned Bowling Green State University Men’s Chorus, Monday, March 4, at 7:30pm. All are invited to this free concert, light reception to follow. 

fleur cross logo On the Fridays of Lent Fr. Jeb will be offering Lenten Reflections in Spanish in the Chapel at 7pm after Soup Supper at 6pm and before the Stations of the Cross in Spanish at 8pm. Join us on this spiritual journey! Los viernes de Cuaresma el P. Jeb ofrecerá Reflexiones de Cuaresma en español en la Capilla a las 7pm, después de la Cena de Sopa a las 6pm y antes del Vía Crucis en español a las 8pm. ¡Únase a nosotros en este viaje espiritual!

fleur cross logo Lenten Soup Suppers are on Fridays at 6 pm, followed by Stations of the Cross in English at 7 pm and 8 pm in Spanish.

fleur cross logo Additional Wednesday evening confessions during Lent from 6:30 to 8 pm.  Our big parish penance service will be on Tuesday, March 19th.

fleur cross logo Have you purchased your 23rd Gala and Auction Tickets? Buy a Gala Ticket. Representatives from our Saint Bernadette Auction Committee are available this weekend after all Masses to answer questions and assist you with purchasing tickets to our Saint Bernadette Gala and Live Auction April 20, 2024. Our Biennial Auction is generously supported by our entire Saint Bernadette Community. Hurry before prices increase on March 15.

fleur cross logo All women are invited to a Lenten Evening of Reflection in the school gym on Saturday, March 9, from 7-9 pm. This event is free. See the bulletin for more information.

fleur cross logo Volunteers are needed to help “spring clean” the church. If you have an hour or two to lend, we could use help vacuuming cushions, washing pews, and cleaning wax from floors in preparation for our Easter celebrations. Twenty volunteers would be fantastic, and ten or so vacuums would be helpful. We will supply other cleaning supplies. Please plan to join us this Saturday, 9 March, in the church from 10-1pm. Please RSVP to the parish office. We have scheduled a backup date of March 16th, should we need it. Thank you in advance for your gift of time!

 fleur cross logo A generous supporter has donated to our Saint Bernadette Catholic School Gala and Live Auction 4 tickets to the ACC Championship Game on Saturday, March 16th, in the Ultra Club at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. Enjoy the game and VIP Hospitality (including food and beverages) from the FOURTH ROW of the Club! The ACC Tournament will be held in North Carolina for the next five years, so join in the action locally this year! Please see the display in the church vestibule.  

fleur cross logo Our WorkCamp Prayer Card Fundraiser is still going on. Please grab a prayer card in the vestibule to help support our youth.

fleur cross logo Saint Bernadette is hosting the Diocesan Teacher Job Fair in the gym on Saturday, March 9th, from 9-11 am. See the bulletin for more information.

fleur cross logo Do you love putting your creativity into action? Be part of our team for the upcoming “Sailing into The Future” Gala being held by our beloved Saint Bernadette School. The event will be on April 20. Use your time and talents to help us execute a beautiful and enjoyable evening. Please contact Jean Corday in the parish office.

fleur cross logo All High Schoolers are invited to join us every Tuesday for fun and fellowship. We meet weekly from 7:00-8:30 pm in the youth room.

 

Streaming Masses and Announcements for the week of 25 February 2024

Today's Live-Streamed Mass

Worship Aid for the Second Sunday in Lent 


fleur cross logo 
The mailing for the 2024 Bishop’s Lenten Appeal – also called the BLA - has been sent to registered parishioners. The funds from the BLA are a unique way for leaders of ministries, volunteers, lay people, and priests – people from all walks of life – to grow as a community to enrich parish life, form seminarians, teach children our Catholic faith, help the needy and inspire those outside the church through evangelization efforts. Please read the BLA materials and then prayerfully reflect on making a sacrificial pledge to this vital appeal that spreads the love of Christ throughout our diocese. Thank you.

fleur cross logo Concerts at Saint Bernadette presents the nationally renowned Bowling Green State University Men’s Chorus, Monday, March 4, at 7:30pm. All are invited to this free concert.

fleur cross logo On the Fridays of Lent Fr. Jeb will be offering Lenten Reflections in Spanish in the Chapel at 7pm after Soup Supper at 6pm and before the Stations of the Cross in Spanish at 8pm. Join us on this spiritual journey! Los viernes de Cuaresma el P. Jeb ofrecerá Reflexiones de Cuaresma en español en la Capilla a las 7pm, después de la Cena de Sopa a las 6pm y antes del Vía Crucis en español a las 8pm. ¡Únase a nosotros en este viaje espiritual!

fleur cross logo Lenten Soup Suppers are on Fridays at 6 pm, followed by Stations of the Cross in English at 7 pm and 8 pm in Spanish.

fleur cross logo Our 40-hour Eucharistic Adoration begins in two weeks, on Sunday, February 25.  We will need two people for adoration round the clock from Sunday evening through Tuesday evening.  There will be two additional Masses on Monday and Tuesday evenings at 6:30 pm.  Sign up for adoration in the vestibule. 

fleur cross logo 2024 MISSION TALKS during 40 Hours - “Community through the Lens of Vatican II” Father Don Rooney, our pastor, will offer the talks each evening after Mass.

- Talk 1: Sunday, February 25 at 6:30pm - THE LAITY: Perhaps for the first time since the age of the Acts of the Apostles, lay people are restored to central place in the life of the Church.  Priesthood is shared by all.

- Talk 2. Monday, February 26 at 7:30pm - SACRED LITURGY: Primarily as a renewal of the role of the laity, participation, and accessibility become primary in the worship of God in the Church. We look toward each other as our hearts are gathered together to God’s life.

- Talk 3. Tuesday, February 27 at 7:30pm - UNIVERSAL CALL TO HOLINESS: The circle is widened as the “chosen people of God” is interpreted as all of those God created in love.  We look outward to spread the Good News.

fleur cross logo Additional Wednesday evening confessions during Lent from 6:30 to 8 pm.  Our big parish penance service will be on Tuesday, March 19th.

fleur cross logo Have you purchased your 23rd Gala and Auction Tickets? Buy a Gala Ticket today!

fleur cross logo Do you love putting your creativity into action? Be part of our team for the upcoming “Sailing into The Future” Gala being held by our beloved Saint Bernadette School. The event will be on April 20. Use your time and talents to help us execute a beautiful and enjoyable evening. Please contact Jean Corday in the parish office.

fleur cross logo All High Schoolers are invited to join us every Tuesday for fun and fellowship. We meet weekly from 7:00-8:30 pm in the youth room.

 

Fr. Don's Weekly Letter ~ 25 February 2024

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

In case you haven’t heard, I will be the mission preacher at our FORTY HOURS of adoration this year. I’m not very good at self-promotion, and I’m hoping that it isn’t too late for people to plan to come. I’ve had some sketchy descriptions in the bulletin as place holders for the topics of these three talks, and I must admit that through a process of being still and listening, prayer, and Google I have found a very interesting, even surprising, series of talks. It will be a glimpse into my strange mind and what I like to think about, and I hope you can come. I’m shooting for about 40-45 minutes each night, and the talks will follow after the 5:30pm Mass this Sunday, and two special 6:30pm Masses for 40 Hours on this Monday and Tuesday nights. Here is a real quick overview.

I started with a framework of the topics that I think are important, especially today where it seems much of the Church is drawing back from Vatican II. “Who Am I?” - the dignity and importance of the Laity. “Why Are We Here?” - how we are wired for worship and why the reforms of Vatican II were necessary. Finally, “Who Are We?” - is this experience intended just for the “holy few” or is it a gift for all? How big do we dare to draw the circle?

Overlaying these themes I wanted to talk about the harmony of faith and science, one of the stumbling blocks of so many people today. We dive into the first “moments” of creation from nothing and see what happens, explained by modern physics and quantum mechanics. (Don’t worry, I don’t know much about it so it will be an entry-level talk.) I have been intrigued by how science brought my brother John to the priesthood. Who are we embedded in this bigger picture?

I’m going to share about my own brush with the divine in the process of creation not from nothing as a painter. This is where particle physics begins to dance with space and time, perspective and motion. Art and science aren’t as polarized as you might think. Time and its context are what unite them. You might never look at time the same again. Our highest form of art is worship, and I mean the Mass and ritual, and art, architecture and music -- the art of prayer which drives time forward.

I’m still working on the third talk, but it will largely deal with the way we see as human persons. Light and color. And how little we see. “Who Are We?” - an attempt to see the world through the new eyes of Vatican II, embracing all peoples as brothers and sisters. Ultimately can we say that the “chosen people of God” are all those who are created by his love? A turning outward.

All talks will include texts from the Constitutions of the Second Vatican Council.

Please come. I don’t know if I will ever have this opportunity again, and this might just be the book I will never write. They say everybody has one, but it is hard to give birth.

In the meantime, enjoy the glorious beauty of Christ today in his Transfiguration -- that glory shines in you, too.

The Lord be with you,

 

Streaming Masses and Announcements for the week of 18 February 2024

Today's Live-Streamed Mass

Worship Aid for the First Sunday in Lent 

fleur cross logo Parish Office will be closed Monday, 19 February in observance of President's Day.

fleur cross logo 
The mailing for the 2024 Bishop’s Lenten Appeal – also called the BLA - has been sent to registered parishioners. The funds from the BLA are a unique way for leaders of ministries, volunteers, lay people, and priests – people from all walks of life – to grow as a community to enrich parish life, form seminarians, teach children our Catholic faith, help the needy and inspire those outside the church through evangelization efforts. Please read the BLA materials and then prayerfully reflect on making a sacrificial pledge to this vital appeal that spreads the love of Christ throughout our diocese. Thank you.

fleur cross logo Concerts at Saint Bernadette presents the nationally renowned Bowling Green State University Men’s Chorus, Monday, March 4, at 7:30pm. All are invited to this free concert.

fleur cross logo On the Fridays of Lent Fr. Jeb will be offering Lenten Reflections in Spanish in the Chapel at 7pm after Soup Supper at 6pm and before the Stations of the Cross in Spanish at 8pm. Join us on this spiritual journey!

fleur cross logo Los viernes de Cuaresma el P. Jeb ofrecerá Reflexiones de Cuaresma en español en la Capilla a las 7pm, después de la Cena de Sopa a las 6pm y antes del Vía Crucis en español a las 8pm. ¡Únase a nosotros en este viaje espiritual!

fleur cross logo Lenten Soup Suppers are Fridays in Lent at 6 pm, followed by Stations of the Cross in English at 7 pm and 8 pm in Spanish.

fleur cross logo Our 40-hour Eucharistic Adoration begins in two weeks, on Sunday, February 25.  We will need two people for adoration round the clock from Sunday evening through Tuesday evening.  There will be two additional Masses on Monday and Tuesday evenings at 6:30 pm.  Sign up for adoration in the vestibule.

fleur cross logo Additional Wednesday evening confessions during Lent begin Wednesday, February 21, from 6:30 to 8 pm.  Our parish penance service will be on Tuesday, March 19th.

fleur cross logo Have you purchased your 23rd Gala and Auction Tickets? Buy a Gala Ticket today!

fleur cross logo Do you love putting your creativity into action? Be part of our team for the upcoming “Sailing into The Future” Gala being held by our beloved Saint Bernadette School. The event will be on April 20. Use your time and talents to help us execute a beautiful and enjoyable evening. Please contact Jean Corday in the parish office.

fleur cross logo The Confirmation 2025 Team #3 has put together a prayer tree with the names of our 2024 Confirmation Candidates that can be found in the Vestibule. Each tag has the name of a candidate and a simple prayer that can be said daily on their behalf. Please take a tag on your way out of Mass and pray for your candidate in preparation for their confirmation next November.

fleur cross logo All High Schoolers are invited to join us every Tuesday for fun and fellowship. We meet weekly from 7:00-8:30 pm in the youth room.

fleur cross logo All 6th-8th graders are invited to join us for Middle School Youth Mininstry, February 21 from 6:45-8pm in the Gym. We'll have snacks, games, and a teaching from Fr. James. Contact Grace Rihl, grihl@stbernpar.org with any questions. 

Fr. Don's Weekly Letter ~ 18 February 2024

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

Last weekend we celebrated our annual Night of Gratitude honoring all our volunteers in the parish. Over several hundred volunteers attended the event.

We probably never have the opportunity to tell our volunteers just how much they are appreciated, often we get into the ministries of service and our time is taken up. During the Night of Gratitude last weekend one of the volunteers remarked how he had no idea there were so many people doing so much here at Saint Bernadette. It is true. To see so many in one place and realize how great is the number of committed parishioners helps us to know better who we are – and grow in strength as a community. Otherwise you would have no idea how many and committed are the people who spend hours for all of us.

All parish staff and many of the school faculty members and administration came and spent all Saturday decorating the gym and prepared the food and served it. It is important that our staff show their appreciation. After all, it is only through the assistance of volunteers that we are able to provide the leadership and many services that make us a vibrant parish. I wish to thank all those who served, especially Rick Caporali, who coordinated the many aspects of the evening. You make a pastor proud that we are able to pull something like this off to thank so many people for their dedication.

Again this year we enjoyed the music of the Andrew Thielen Big Band, a 12-musician orchestra with two amazing vocalists from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. There aren’t that many orchestras like this still around, and we hope to welcome them back again next year.

Last year we honored 21 volunteers with a Volunteer of the Year Award. Having come through the pandemic and gathering again for the first time in several years we had some catching up to do. Last year’s honorees were: Nancy Allard, Barbara Dalmut, Cedric D’Cruze, Jenn Garver, Lyn Goldberg, Frank Guest, Brendan Harris, Don Howell, Sylvia and Bob Malinowski, Kathy and Gino Marchetti, Kathleen Moyer, Clare Mugno, Nilda and Michael Norris, Tom Palumbo, Mark and Pat Price, Gina Soriano, and Jim Womack. We could just as easily given any of these volunteers another award this year for their continued service to the parish.

Added to their ranks this year are Sarah Hoffman for service to the school; Becky Garcia for many years of leadership in the school, parish events and the school gala/auction; Bart Bailey for his leadership as the new executive director of Mary’s Comfort; Suyapa Shine for her many roles, including coordinator of Eucharistic ministers and Walking with Purpose; and Henry Champagne and Bernie Matis for their dedication to the Religious Education Program. Thank you! We can only imagine the possibilities of new ministries and opportunities in the future once we have our new Parish Life Center!

You can find photos of the Night of Gratitude on pages 8 and 9 of this bulletin.

The Lord be with you,