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Dear Parishioners,
Again, I thank the generous parishioners for donating the beautiful altar in memory of their parents and grandparents. My thanks and appreciation go out to Charles and Ann-Marie Vizzini. Charles meticulously designed the altar and spent several hours of love and care to create this magnificent altar. A big thanks also to New Holland Church Furniture and in particular, to the craftsman, Todd A., who has been a craftsman and is now in a more senior position but stepped away from his responsibilities to make our magnificent altar. It has been a true pleasure working with New Holland. Every member of their staff works as a family with care and meticulous attention to please the customer and that they certainly have. From beginning to end, this experience has been both satisfying and humbling as they, through their devotion to duty, go beyond the bounds of time and attention to create furniture that will be beloved in our church and other churches for centuries to come. As I stand at the altar, which I won’t use yet until Bishop dedicates it, I pray for the hands that created this beautiful altar, the furniture and for our beloved parishioners who through your sacrifice have made our dream a reality. We are thrilled to have been able to retain the integrity of the church building and through art, design, and craftsmanship, provide a sacred and beautiful worship space for our parish.
A big thank you to Chuck Rieg who painted the former chapel. It is now in a light gray with black trim and really shows off the colors of the stained-glass windows in a beautiful way. We have ordered new carpeting which matches the side carpeting in the church and will be installed in a few weeks. As we do not use this room as a chapel anymore, we have decided to name this room “The Marian Room” which reflects Mary, the Blessed Mother and a beloved parishioner, Marian Schaudenecker, who devoted so many years to the service of our parish. This room will now be used for meetings and gatherings. I look forward to the Marian Room serving as a meeting space for discussion and instruction for many years to come.
On Monday, the priests of our diocese met in Spring Lake for a 4-day Convocation. We had time to reflect, pray and grow together as a Presbyterate. It is important for us learn from each other, support each other, and befriend each other, using the many gifts of men old and young, of varied ethnic backgrounds ordained to serve our beloved diocese of Paterson.
I am thrilled to welcome young friends from beyond our parish and those of our parish who gather this weekend for an Antioch experience. I am proud of our adult and young adult leadership who help to empower our young people to live our Catholic faith and to reach out with the love of Christ to their peers.
Please mark your calendars to join us for this important Mass and celebrate with Bishop Sweeney, Father Owen, Father Hubert, Father Doody, Father Mike, and Father Alex at the picnic afterwards. For more information and to RSVP for the 40th celebration event, please go to our website, use the sign-up sheets in the narthex, or call the office.
I wish you the peace and love of St. Francis as we celebrate this venerable saint’s day! Let us be peacemakers and care for each and planet Earth to the best of our ability.
Fr. Owen