Welcoming New Parishioners – Last Sunday at the 9:30am mass, we formally welcomed five (5) families to our community. Twice a year, one around Thanksgiving and the other around the Feast of St. Brendan
(May 16), we formally recognize and welcome new parishioners to our community. I believe our community continues to draw people into our midst, first of all because of our excellent school, but also because there’s a real sense of community and warmth that attracts others to us. The Under 5 Ministry, coordinated by Sr. Catherine Cappello and chaired by Kim DeLucchi and Nika Terjesen, provides an atmosphere where parents with children under 5, are able to come and meet other parents like themselves and find friendship and support. The Ministry to New Parishioners (aka - Welcome Committee) also extends this warmth to incoming parishioners. And the Sunday Children’s Liturgy of the Word as well as Vacation Bible School, and more recently, the School of Religion (for non-parochial students) continue to provide meaningful, faith filled and fun filled opportunities for children and adults to participate in our community. Once again, I’d like to thank Gina Eggert and Kristi Warner, chairs of the Welcome Committee and its members for planning and organizing last Sunday’s welcoming event.
Welcoming our New Music Coordinator – As many of you know, Kristine Sinajon has resigned her position as Music Director to explore opportunities in the music industry. Although we can never replace her, however, Dianne Marquez graciously accepted the position of Music Coordinator for the Sunday 9:30 & 11:30 am masses. Ms. Marquez is currently a nursing student at the University of San Francisco set to graduate next year. She took private piano lessons at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as a young girl. She comes from a musical family. Her mother is Music Director at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Daly City and her brother, Angelo Marquez, is both a Music Director at St. Dunstan in Millbrae and plays at our 8am Sunday mass. She had substituted for Kristine while she was on sabbatical, and the choir so loved her, that they asked her to stay. I’m glad they did and she accepted our invitation to remain with us. We’re blessed!
Good News – As you know, we as priests take a vow of obedience to our Bishop. This oath of obedience is not one way, us doing what we’re told. But it is a collaboration, a partnership, with the Bishop to serve the needs of the community. The word “obey” comes from the Latin “to hear,” or to listen. So the listening is not just one sided. We listen to the Bishop in regards to what he sees the needs of the Church to be, but the Bishop also listens to us, our own needs, our preferences as well as the needs of the local parish. When Fr. Mike Quinn was appointed as Parochial Vicar, his term of assignment was 3-5 years. He was concerned that at the end of June, his 3 years with us would be complete and he would be moved. Fortunately, he is not scheduled to move this year. So we can at least enjoy him for another year. Needless to say, he’s ecstatic as am I that we will be able to work another year together. But that’s the life of a priest. Nothing is certain, except that our lives are in God’s hands. And as our Blessed Mother modeled for us, “I am a servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your Word.”
Fr. Dan
: )
