Sunday Homilies in October – October will be a busy month with Altar Server installation, 8th graders becoming Candidates for Confirmation, Advisory Board and other Club officers renewing their commitment to service. And in the midst of the photo sessions for the parish photo directory, the bake sale and the Youth Ministry BBQ, we do want to make time to talk about the upcoming changes to the New Roman Missal. Our committee planning for this upcoming change thought it would be important to talk about them at the Sunday Masses in October, simply because it is where we can reach the greatest number of people. Although this topic has already been presented in Lent to smaller groups, however, it is at the Sunday Mass that we can introduce this topic to most of our parishioners.
So it is my prayer that you will come with an open mind and heart to what the Lord is doing in His Church. Next Sunday, I would like to begin the conversation by touching upon a subject that affects all of us. “How do we handle change?” Although it is a topic aimed at the New Roman Missal, but it will certainly be relevant in other areas of our lives. I hope you will look at the upcoming changes not only with a sense of remorse and loss, but also with a view of the opportunities it presents. After grieving my disappointments, I can now see the blessings it can bring. For those of you who might be interested to study the changes in greater detail and to have a conversation with fellow parishioners about them, we are planning a sign-up for small study and discussion groups. The Mass that we attend in good times and in bad, from here in the U.S. to Africa, Asia and Europe, have a great richness in history and spirituality. I hope you will use this opportunity during our changes, to deepen your own understanding of the Mass and to grow spiritually. That is certainly our goal, as we prepare for the implementation on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011.
Update on the Hall Renovation – the summer months have certainly passed by quickly and after a slow start in the hall renovation, the work is now coming along smoothly. The costliest and least visible work has been the rewiring of the hall. The electrical upgrade included centralizing the power panels, which was disjointed because of additions that were added later to the church building. This upgrade makes provisions for security cameras, sound system, internet and cable TV and they should be good for another 80 years. As you might have noticed if you went downstairs to use the restrooms, we are using tiles to keep up the Mission theme of the parish. Our parishioner and contractor, Bryan Birmingham, still expects the hall to be completed mid-October. The kitchen, which began later because of permit issues, should soon follow. At least our students will be able to use the hall again for motor skills and dancing. Our estimate for the cost of this 2nd part of the hall renovation is $472,868. This figure includes new furniture, appliances for the kitchen, permits and a 10% contingency fee for unexpected expenses. As always, thank you for your financial support that have allowed us to renovate the hall and to pay the bills on time without taking a loan.
Photo Directory – I would like to remind you, if you have not signed up for a portrait session for the Photo Directory, please take a moment to do so. Your portrait will make our parish directory more complete and you can take home a free 8x10 to share with your family. You can sign-up online through our website at www.stbrendanparish.org.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You – I want to extend a great big thank you to the Mothers’ Club and the Men’s Club for their generous donation of $5,000 each to the parish, totaling $10,000. Their gift will be used to improve the Church’s sound system and to add a projection system to display songs, slides or videos. Thank you, Kim Fama, Mother’s Club President 2010-2011 and thank you ,Glenn Fama, Men’s Club
President 2011-2012 and to their members for this generous donation to our parish.
Gratefully,
Fr. Dan
