Fr. Tom’s Letters

With the Wednesday bulletin deadline, I need to write this letter several days before you read it. So as I write this edition, there are all sorts of predictions for a Sunday snowstorm. Some are predicting up to 13 inches of snow; others are suggesting the low pressure storm system is going to be held south and put out into the ocean by a cold high pressure system to the north. We’ll see. I think, snow beginning Sunday afternoon, after Masses I hope with about 5 inches into Monday morning, creating a happy snow day for kids on Monday morning. I hope I’m correct!

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

We are scheduled to begin Catholic Schools Week on Sunday at the 10:00AM Mass. I hope all the parish knows we have a great St. Anne’s Parish School. We are growing; we are financially strong; we have great support from our parishioners. Our students are happy; they are polite, courteous, friendly and cooperative; they are learning; eighth graders did great with Catholic High School acceptances; they are very excited about their sports and other activities, including the school play. Jesus is present in our school every day; prayer is a part of each class; students attend Mass; they are growing in their faith, especially as they prepare for First Holy Communion and Confirmation.

Our school parents are very supportive, active, and involved. The parents make sacrifices to afford the tuition for Catholic education. They see Catholic education and their investment as an experience of how they love their kids. I sense they are very happy with our school and its recent growth.

Our school administration, faculty, staff, and maintenance and support staff are a great group of people. Our principal, Dr. Thomas Fasano, is a genuine and professional educator. He consistently brings vision and energy to his role as principal. Very importantly, not only is he a seasoned educator, he is a family man with children who truly understands the tremendous responsibilities and challenges of being a parent. Our school parents have tremendous confidence in Dr. Fasano as a principal and as a man firmly rooted in his Catholic faith.

Our teachers work very hard on a daily basis with our children. They extend themselves in many ways to address the needs of their students. Some teachers are at the beginning of their career; we also have teachers who have taught at St. Anne’s for dozens of years; it’s a great mix of seasoned teachers and young faculty. Our school staff, support staff, and maintenance crew do all that is asked and needed to keep the day to day operations of the school safe, neat, and welcoming.

St. Anne’s Catholic Parish Elementary School is the finest grade school I know. Thanks to all involved.

CHURCH ROOF AND AIR CONDITIONING

The church roof and air conditioning system have been in place for more than 33 years. The roof has leaks and the air conditioning system is like an old car. It has issues, malfunctions, and parts for needed repair are no longer available. We are replacing both the Church roof and the air conditioning system. The cost for both projects together is projected to be $850,000 to $1,000,000. Scope of work, bids, approvals, and contracts are being completed. We will use some parish savings to cover the expenses and we will ask parishioners for donations to contribute to the overall cost. We will present the need during one of the weekends in Lent and offer ways that parishioners can make a donation toward this renovation and replacement project. The work will begin in early spring and hopefully be completed by June 1. We hope for minimal disruption in terms of our air conditioning cooling. More information about the project and its funding will be shared as we move along.

Enjoy the week!