Dear Parishioners,

PLEASE NOTE: BECAUSE OF THE PARISH AUCTION ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, THE COMMITTEE HAS ASKED THAT WE MOVE UP THE 5:00 P.M. MASS TO 4:00 P.M. ON THAT DAY ONLY. SO, PLEASE NOTE, ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, CONFESSIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM 2:30 – 3:30 AND THE VIGIL MASS FOR SUNDAY, WILL BE AT 4:00 P.M. THAT DAY. Also please remember that it is “fall back” weekend here in the US, at 2:00 A.M. on, Sunday, it will become 1:00 A.M. Thank you.

This weekend we celebrate the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. In taking on humanity, Jesus became like us in all ways but sin. He experienced heartache and sorrow, joy and affirmation, challenge and rejection. He suffered many things, but his message never wavered. He came as a servant in our midst, willing to accept his human lot, to transform all things with his submission to the will of the Father. His message to his disciples is clear: If you want to follow me, you must be a servant to all.

Next weekend will be the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.  Faith is a leap into the unknown. It is a risk that requires trust in something beyond self. Each one of us entertains doubt on some occasion. We have moments when we feel abandoned, in exile or alone. Next weekend’s Gospel provides a model for what we are to do in times of lonely uncertainty: Take courage, reach out and call to Jesus. Ask for what you need. Speak what is in your heart. The Lord hears and wants to do great things for us.

Masses for the communal celebration of the Anointing of the Sick will take place at the 5:00 P.M. Mass next Saturday, October 27 and the 9:30 A.M. Mass next Sunday, October 28. There really isn’t much more to say, but if you are “up in years” or have a chronic, debilitating disease or weakness (e.g., fighting cancer, even if in remission; dealing with diabetes; high blood pressure; etc.), you are a candi- date for this Sacrament. Please mark your calendars now, if you would like to be anointed later this month. If you know someone who doesn’t “get out” that often, please consider asking them to come and (perhaps) offer to pick them up!

Parish Meeting: Special thanks to the around 150 parishioners who attended the “State of Saint Monica” meeting last Tuesday evening. I thought it was very informative and had a great amount of information given. Thanks to all of the presenters last Tuesday.  The drawings for the various phases of the “rebuild” process for our parish are in the mail lobby of the Church. I hope to get a letter to the Archbishop soon for his permission to get moving on the elevator and the renovation of the parish hall.(One more thing: Please remember that people of the parish gather each Wednesday morning 7:45 A.M. to pray for the parish, the students, faculty, and staff of our school, and the families of our students! The Rosary is every morning, but Wednesdays for the school!).

Regarding the “Restore, Renew, Rebuild” capital campaign, I received the following the other day. I was asked to put this in this week’s bulletin, not only about our own campaign, but also about the over- all success of the Beyond Sunday Campaign in the Archdiocese.

Our own RESTORE. RENEW. REBUILD Capital Campaign has had $2,905,582 in Gifts and Pledges received as of June 30, 2018.

Saint Monica Parish Impact to Date:
Parish Share Distributions* $389,844 received
Beyond Sunday Scholarships $50,315 in scholarships awarded to 4 students in our parish
*Distributions are made quarterly and are based on pledge payments received for the given quarter.

ACROSS THE ARCHDIOCESE Impact to Date:

  • Parish Share Distributions $24.5 million distributed to 184 parishes
  • Beyond Sunday Scholarships $5.5 million in scholarships awarded to 1,611 unique students attending 133 Catholic elementary & secondary schools
  • Academic Capacity Enhancement Grants $1.3 million granted to 73 schools & PSR programs
  • Transformational Innovation Grants $521,000 granted to 13 schools & PSR programs, the Catholic Education Office of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, & the Department of Special Education
  • Beyond Sunday Education Endowment Fund
  • $24 million invested in the Beyond Sunday Education Endowment Fund to provide sustained scholar- ship support

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC FOUNDATION

Sustaining THE LOCAL CHURCH for future generations. 314.918.2890 | www.rcfstl.orgThe Roman Catholic Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity, independent from the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The Foundation has directed all Beyond Sunday funds (less campaign expenses) to support Catholic education and address local parish needs. No Beyond Sunday contributions have funded or will fund anything else.

 25th / 50th Celebration: Thanks to all who were present last weekend for this annual event. I under- stand that it was a great celebration. A heartfelt congratulations to all those celebrating significant anniversaries this year. Thanks to the committee for their wonderful planning and carrying out of the event. (My Golden Anniversary High School reunion was great, too!)

Comings and Goings: Fr Mike Donald is back from his trip to the State of Washington. I hope that it was a great time with his family. I will be leaving on Monday morning for Saint Meinrad Archabbey, in Indiana, for a brief, four day, retreat. I will be back on Thursday night. Please pray for me and all the priests who will be on retreat this coming week. Thank you.

Archdiocesan Priests Convocation: I said last week that I’d give a report on the quadrennial Priest’s Convocation that was held October 8 – 12. BUT, there isn’t room in this week’s bulletin, so it will be in next week’s. Suffice it to say it was a very spiritual event. “Stay tuned.”

Faithfully yours,

Fr. Sebastian