Late September Update!!

 Hello All!!

Normally, I would be announcing the beginning of our new Faith Formation year this Sunday but as it stands this week at the 9am Mass, instead of beginning our year, we will wrap up the 2019/2020 Faith Formation year. First Communion in September? I know, confusing!  But this is a special Mass for our First Communion class that would have originally taken place in May. Having this Mass will allow the children and their families the opportunity to celebrate their sacrament in full community.  I am grateful that we can give them that! 

What has happened since I last posted?? So much! 

We hosted Confirmation for 4 parishes, it was really beautiful despite all of the precautions that had to be taken. We are so proud of our Confirmation Class and wish God's blessing on them as they move forward in their faith and in life.

Bottle and Can Drive: Yay!! 👏It's over and a surprising success! We returned almost 5000 bottles and cans and with a generous donation from and individual and the parish we are able to send the parish in Puerto Rico a $500.00 donation! I think that is OUTSTANDING considering that we began the drive the week before we shut down! Thank you to all who took part from the beginning to the end! What a testimony to the heart of this parish! 

In addition we are back to our full Mass schedule! It has been such a blessing to see so many of our friends and to have so many people help to make that happen! Thank you, one and all, for following protocol and being kind to our volunteers! Do you want to be a volunteer?? Great! Let us know! 😃

With Confirmation, First Communion and the Bottle and Can Drive finally coming to completion we can now look forward to the upcoming year which will begin on November 1st. It will be a shorter year but hopefully a fruitful one. To that end, I would like to encourage everyone to still register and choose either in person or remote option.  Since everything is dependent on the infection rates, we ask for your patience as we try to move in the best and safest way for all involved. If we find that in-person requests are too small we will move everyone online as our catechist pool has also (understandably) dwindled. However, I believe that we can handle a small group of kids in a couple of classrooms that have space and ventilation. Numbers will be restricted. The exceptions are the Sacramental years; Grades 2, 9 and 10. We are looking to have these take place in person, socially distanced and every other week so as to minimize risk. 

What I have really come to appreciate is the role our homes play in the passing on of our shared faith. This time in history is the perfect time to share and show the value of a strong belief that God is in charge, that Jesus is with us through it all. It is a wonderful opportunity to share with our own family members what it means to us to be beloved children of God. For me, knowing that God loves others as much as God loves me, helps me connect on a deeper level to the collective loss to our human family through this pandemic. It also helps to connect to the lives of the saints who we remember because they lived through similar and often far worse circumstances. We can learn so much through their example. What a gift we have to give to our children; this faith that was given to us. So, it is my plan to try to create opportunities for families to delve a little more deeply at home together this year. Stay tuned. 😇

(Speaking of saints...) The one thing that we haven't been able to do properly is to thank all of our Catechists for the gift of their time last year! I want to especially thank Marybeth Harrod and Clare Manino who attended almost all of our First Communions in June so that their class would feel their love and support. I want to make sure that we recognize those teachers that had to step away this year for their own safety and well-being: Kathy Levi, Michelle Paladino, Sr. Paula and Libby Lemire have been with me since I started seven years ago!  I am so grateful for their years of service and reliability. They have shown great love for the children and more importantly, great love for our God. In addition, Patty Marashian, Megan Fiorentino and Rose Aldrich who need to focus on being full-time teacher/moms in this unpredictable and ever-changing time. We also wish Allision Tanner a wonderful first year as she works toward her PhD (Just like her dad!) at Alfred University. And as ever, I want to thank Scott Tanner and Sr. Elizabeth for staying in their spots through the coming year (they join Marybeth and Clare!) We also said goodbye to our student helpers who headed off to college! Please keep them in your prayers! 

So, as you can tell, though the blog has been quiet, it has been anything but! But I will end with just a reminder to get your registration in and that if you have any questions about how we are planning on going through the coming year please don't hesitate to ask. Also, I ask your patience as I muddle through all of the changes that have taken, are taking, and will be taking place. 

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these bright, colorful, and abundant autumn days. I hope you are able to feel the Holy Spirit in the breezes and know that you infinitely loved by God. 

(I am having an issue linking the documents, please check back later in the week!)