Dear Parishioners,
At the beginning of every New Year, I always tell you that God has greatly blessed our parish and that He would give us special blessings during the coming year. This has been very true. Also, we cannot doubt the material blessings of these last six years and we now take them for granted. This has been due to your genuine love, interest and financial contributions. We have grown from a small mission parish of some forty years ago into a larger and changing community of Americans, Hispanics and Brazilians. Our church with its new and inspiring stain glass windows and beautiful stations of the cross looks much more like a house of prayer (as Jesus called the Temple) and the Blessed Sacrament now permanently and visibly located is the primary focus when you enter the church. As of last week, we began to add a visual component - projection to our singing and Jon, our music director, is helping us in our songs of praise. I am sure that the new direction I wanted last year for our choir is bearing fruit. Jon is also in charge of our Web Page. Many of you find it interesting and well done. We are always open to suggestions to make it more appealing.
When we started the Building Campaign three years ago, I mentioned that unless the Lord builds, we labor in vain. That does not mean just bricks and mortar; it means building and enlarging our spiritual life. We need this more than ever now a days.
I was pleased to see a good number of people attending the parish mission last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, yet I felt sad that so many more could have come. Remember, I am the "dispenser" of the grace of God, but you have to stretch out your hand to receive. Let us try to make this Lenten season a special time to renew ourselves spiritually and get closer to God through Prayer, Penance and Good Works. This will prepare us for a glorious Easter with the Risen Christ.