Dear Parish Family,
October finds us in the beautiful season of fall. Before our very eyes, we see our world beautifully transformed into a new season. We witness fall’s brilliant colors, cool temperatures, pumpkins, apple cider and the little ones all dressed up in their favorite costumes. Who would have imagined that mask wearing would turn into a 365-day reality instead of a one-night event on Halloween!!!
October is proving to be a very busy month in the parish, and I thank everyone who is working so hard and creatively to keep our parish moving in a spiritually and physically healthy direction. 2020 has pushed us to explore and initiate new ideas, procedures, and programs in order to keep the faith alive and thriving. Thank you everyone for hanging in there with us.
October and November will also be big sacramental months. My sincere thanks to our religious education directors and teachers for preparing our children for First Eucharist and our teens for the sacrament of Confirmation. Because of the current situation with the virus, Bishop Cote has delegated the pastors of our Diocese to preside at the Confirmations. What a great opportunity this has been for me to be present at such a pivotal moment for our teens. Both our children and our teens are doing an excellent job! My thanks to all of them.
On October 4th we celebrated the feast day of St. Francis and I thought with the many challenges we’re facing, the St. Francis prayer would be a very appropriate way to end this letter.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
Peace,
Fr. Rick