A Message from the Pastor…………………….
So many things have happened lately—I like to recap things for those of you who weren’t at one or another of these.
The most recent was our AUCTION last Saturday night. A wonderful event—you could hardly recog- nize the gym, walking into it with the theme of The Oscars. It was aglow in soft red light. There was a good crowd—not as many as the last auction, 4 years ago (!) but a full room. There were many silent auction items, and major oral bidding items led well by Dave Skaggs. A beautiful Labradoodle puppy circulated throughout the room. There was a sense of cheer and joy in the room that you could feel.
Great thanks to all the Auction Committee members, and others who assisted them.
Starting after October 30, we had Halloween, 4 All Saints Masses Tuesday, November 1 including a big evening service with Children’s Choir; and after morning Masses on the 2nd, the reverent evening Mass of Remembrance for especially recently deceased loved ones, as well as others. I appreciate people bringing their tender grieving to this Mass. The Men’s ACTS began on the 3rd, with me and Fr. Tim taking some parts; and in the midst of that was the funeral for Anne Coerver, longtime parish- ioner and more recently a staff member. A good crowd showed their affection and respect. And that Saturday night was the Auction, bringing us full circle on the Week that Was.
Our two Listening Sessions for the Archdiocesan “All Things New” planning went well. We had full crowds (thanks to those who responded to my prodding), got a lot of data, and made comments and questions. Three possible scenarios involving us were put forward, and even these could change in coming months. The complexity of it is beyond any of us—even the Archbishop, who will not give final form to this until May. Till then you will no doubt hear from someone who says “I know what’s going to happen. The Archbishop is the only one who will, and not until May. We all just have to enter a mode of openness in God’s hands.
Fr. Sebastian