From the Pastor
October/08/2009
God bless the 70 + people who came to last Sunday’s annual LIFE CHAIN on Linton Blvd. and Federal Highway, praying and giving living witness for one hour to the Gospel of Life, as well as the 21 people who couldn’t come, but prayed in church for the same intention during that time. I’m told by the ‘veterans’ of this event that this was the best turnout ever for our parish (certainly the best of the 4 times I’ve been here). The witness was impressive, especially on the part of the youngsters who came and held signs. Most people tooted their horns in favor of our pro-life messages (while a few obnoxious ones showed the level of their intellectual capacity to understand that abortion is the taking of innocent life). God bless all who sacrificed an hour of their time to pray for a change of hearts and minds of the pro-abortion mentality crowd.
God bless our Knights of Columbus and the teens from our Edge and Life Teen youth programs under the energetic leadership of Heather Hackett, for their successful First Friday Fish Fry (4Fs) last weekend. Our next Fish Fry will be on December 4th (there’s none in November because of the Parish Auction). We look forward to seeing you at our next 4-F get-together!
This past Thursday, a number of our parents took up the invitation to join the Chairpersons and Underwriters of the Annual Auction, and tour our school, as they enjoyed a tasty breakfast meal, and asked many pertinent questions on the status of our parish school’s future. They liked what new and exciting changes they have been witnessing lately, and certainly showed their interest in the future of their children in our school, pledging their support of our program, our staff and our plans for the future. They also inquired about the special monthly collection envelope for support of the school, and whether particular goals were achievable through each month’s supplement. The response was a full “YES.” Our new approach is what we call our S-O-F-T program: more Scholarships, upgrading Operations, maintaining Facilities and updating Technology. Now, for instance, with this month’s offering, we would like to purchase one or two more “smartboards” for our classrooms (cost is about $1250 each). It’s “do-able,” and if we look at the benefits derived from the investment of these funds, our children will be linked up with the technology of the 21st century. That’s why these next two groups of people are vital, and linked to one another.
Our Legacy Society Committee is displaying a passion, purpose and pride for our parish and school, especially when it comes to continuing the competitive academics and facility upgrades at St. Vincent’s Parish School. Among them, we currently number Jacqueline Didier, Louise Glover, John & Begona Krane, John Krolikowski, Jan Kucera, Mimi Meister, Dolly Steinman and Carla Zorovich (Chair). Since they will be working alongside our Parish Development Committee, you’ll notice a number of names in both. May God bless them and their efforts!
Our Parish Development Committee has been working feverishly to help us put together a strategy and develop a plan of action for the next several years to help stave off cutbacks on necessary services to our church and school, and to prepare to endow the parish with funds to meet the ever-encroaching financial drains on our parish revenues. With great gratitude, I thank the following who have offered to serve on our Parish Development Committee: Jayson & Vicki Chung, Don Pfeil (Chair), Tad & Julie Gibson, Bill Gillis, John Glover (Co- Chair), Chris Grant, Lisa & Mark Hargrove, John Krane (Secretary), John Krolikowski, Rob Mannweiler, Mimi Meister, Susie Roegiers, Carolyn Roehm and Frank Vilcnik. God bless them all!
What is so special about these two groups is that instead of complaining about the dwindling availability of funds to run the church and school, lamenting the financial losses we sustained because of the market and overall economy, or sensationalizing their disagreements in the media or other venues, they are seizing the proverbial “bull by the horns,” and are working very hard to build up a reliable endowment fund and sources of revenue for both the immediate needs and the future life of our parish. Like so many men and women of good will in our parish, they are being wise and true stewards of God’s gifts of time, talent and treasure! May God bring their good efforts to fruition, and may He continue to draw them closer to Himself!
From the bottom of our hearts, my family and I would like to thank you for all of your kind words and expressions of support as we recently observed the first anniversary of Mom’s death. Mrs. Vikki Delgado and her family express the same, since her Mom went before the Lord the day after mine. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord…. Very Rev.
Very Rev. Canon Tom
God bless our Knights of Columbus and the teens from our Edge and Life Teen youth programs under the energetic leadership of Heather Hackett, for their successful First Friday Fish Fry (4Fs) last weekend. Our next Fish Fry will be on December 4th (there’s none in November because of the Parish Auction). We look forward to seeing you at our next 4-F get-together!
This past Thursday, a number of our parents took up the invitation to join the Chairpersons and Underwriters of the Annual Auction, and tour our school, as they enjoyed a tasty breakfast meal, and asked many pertinent questions on the status of our parish school’s future. They liked what new and exciting changes they have been witnessing lately, and certainly showed their interest in the future of their children in our school, pledging their support of our program, our staff and our plans for the future. They also inquired about the special monthly collection envelope for support of the school, and whether particular goals were achievable through each month’s supplement. The response was a full “YES.” Our new approach is what we call our S-O-F-T program: more Scholarships, upgrading Operations, maintaining Facilities and updating Technology. Now, for instance, with this month’s offering, we would like to purchase one or two more “smartboards” for our classrooms (cost is about $1250 each). It’s “do-able,” and if we look at the benefits derived from the investment of these funds, our children will be linked up with the technology of the 21st century. That’s why these next two groups of people are vital, and linked to one another.
Our Legacy Society Committee is displaying a passion, purpose and pride for our parish and school, especially when it comes to continuing the competitive academics and facility upgrades at St. Vincent’s Parish School. Among them, we currently number Jacqueline Didier, Louise Glover, John & Begona Krane, John Krolikowski, Jan Kucera, Mimi Meister, Dolly Steinman and Carla Zorovich (Chair). Since they will be working alongside our Parish Development Committee, you’ll notice a number of names in both. May God bless them and their efforts!
Our Parish Development Committee has been working feverishly to help us put together a strategy and develop a plan of action for the next several years to help stave off cutbacks on necessary services to our church and school, and to prepare to endow the parish with funds to meet the ever-encroaching financial drains on our parish revenues. With great gratitude, I thank the following who have offered to serve on our Parish Development Committee: Jayson & Vicki Chung, Don Pfeil (Chair), Tad & Julie Gibson, Bill Gillis, John Glover (Co- Chair), Chris Grant, Lisa & Mark Hargrove, John Krane (Secretary), John Krolikowski, Rob Mannweiler, Mimi Meister, Susie Roegiers, Carolyn Roehm and Frank Vilcnik. God bless them all!
What is so special about these two groups is that instead of complaining about the dwindling availability of funds to run the church and school, lamenting the financial losses we sustained because of the market and overall economy, or sensationalizing their disagreements in the media or other venues, they are seizing the proverbial “bull by the horns,” and are working very hard to build up a reliable endowment fund and sources of revenue for both the immediate needs and the future life of our parish. Like so many men and women of good will in our parish, they are being wise and true stewards of God’s gifts of time, talent and treasure! May God bring their good efforts to fruition, and may He continue to draw them closer to Himself!
From the bottom of our hearts, my family and I would like to thank you for all of your kind words and expressions of support as we recently observed the first anniversary of Mom’s death. Mrs. Vikki Delgado and her family express the same, since her Mom went before the Lord the day after mine. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord…. Very Rev.
Very Rev. Canon Tom