Fr. Tom’s Letters

Each week Fr. Tom writes a letter to parishioners in our bulletin. Every letter is comprehensive, including current information about the Parish, an explanation of Scripture for that Sunday, and an invitation to become more engaged in the life of the parish.

February 10, 2019

Dear Parishioners,

I am very happy to report to you that beginning this Wednesday, February 13^th, our newly re-finished pews will be returning to our church. They should be in place next Sunday when you return. As these pews are returned, the pews in front of the church, the “side facing pews” will be removed and re-finished. During that time, the re-polishing of the floor will be completed.

With you, I very much look forward to the return of the pews. With the painting of last year, the re-polishing of the floors, the cleaning of the windows and the re-finishing of the pews, our church will shine! I am very grateful for all your patience during this time. I am very grateful to all our maintenance staff for all the re-shuffling of chairs during this past month. Everyone has cooperated in making this project go as smoothly as possible. Thank you also for your generosity past Spirit Days that allowed us to pay for this project. I believe we will all be happy with the final product.

PARISH DINNER DANCE

Our Friday, March 1^st 90^th Anniversary Dinner Dance is completely sold out. The Garden City Hotel gave us a cap of 400 guests. If you have paid and find you are unable to attend for some reason, please let us know, so that another parishioner might be contacted and “have a place at the table.” We have not had a dinner dance of this kind in more than ten years. It is a tribute to the kind of community that St. Anne’s is that we had such a great response. The committee is diligently working at all the details to help make this a delightful and fun evening for everyone present. Thank you to all the committee.

BEING CATHOLIC AT ST. ANNE’S

We continue to move along with our capital campaign to fund our new ministry and meeting building at the former covenant property. We had a reception Wednesday evening, another one on Saturday afternoon, and one today, Sunday, starting at 1:00 PM in McCloskey Auditorium. Participants in these meetings have been very supportive. Parishioners have asked great questions and offered insightful comments. Parishioners leave the meetings with a folder of information about how they can financially support the parish endeavor.

What rings true at all of these meetings is the sense of community at St. Anne’s. People are very aware of the many ministries in the parish, particularly our ministries that involve students, families, seniors, and those in need. Parishioners are also supportive of St. Anne’s support of 12-step programs and ministries that provide emotional support to those who may be struggling. Parishioners understand our need for better and increased facilities to host all that we do at St. Anne’s. We have received more than a million dollars in written pledges. It is a great start. As we reach out to more and more parishioners over the next month, we hope to move closer to our 3.5 million dollar goal.

Happily, parishioners who have attended the gatherings feel very informed about our effort. When I asked at Wednesday’s meeting, how many have been aware of this project for the past year, almost everyone answered they were aware. We have tried hard to communicate all through the process and it seems we have succeeded.

Now we could use everyone’s help in order to save a few dollars. A packet of information has been prepared for each registered parish family. We will be mailing these later this month. If possible, we ask you to pick up your packet at the rectory. This would provide savings in postage. The packet contains much helpful information about our project. Please help us in this regard if you can.

TODAY’S READING

In the three readings today, we hear of the call to vocation for Isaiah, St. Paul, and St. Peter. Each came to his vocation by a different path. Isaiah’s was very dramatic. In the midst of an encounter with God, Isaiah experiences a great cleansing and in his new enthusiasm, he exclaims to the Lord “Hear I am, send me.”

In the middle reading, St. Paul reflects on how he has come to be an apostle after having been a great persecutor. His path to Christ was marked by a dramatic conversion and healing. We hear Paul say in today’s reading, “By the grace of God, I am what I am.”

In the gospel we hear of the call given to Simon, Peter, and later to James and John. This call is given to them at sea when they are fishing. Peter is afraid, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Jesus challenges Peter’s fear, “Do not be afraid.”

There are many ways that the Lord invites us to draw close to him in each of our vocations. What is important is that we acknowledge how the Lord invites us and how we respond./userAssets/file/Father%20Tom's%20Letters/February%2010%2C%202019.pdf

Enjoy a peaceful week!

Fr. Tom

The letters are available in PDF and require Adobe Reader to view. If you do not have Adobe Reader, you can download it for FREE by clicking the graphic to the right.

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