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8/7/22 Father Owen's Bulletin Message
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Dear Parishioners,
Long Valley is a very quiet and safe place, but one never knows and as such, last Saturday, Chip Michaels and Bob Wilson gave our ushers and other leadership members a wonderful presentation on “The Power of Hello”. This is to assist our ushers, our wonderful welcomers but also helps them to be prepared for any dangers or situations of conflict that might arise. Both Chip and Bob are senior police officers and have a wealth of experience in evaluating people who may have intent to harm. I want to ensure the safety of everybody at St. Luke and help us to be fully prepared God forbid should an emergency ever arise. We will have a follow-up meeting on Saturday, September 10 at 9:30 am. During this time, our head usher Jim Moore, Maureen, and I will go through certain procedures and make sure that our ushers and leadership people are aware of our exits and our safety plan should that be necessary. A big thanks to Chip and Bob who volunteered their time and also to Dov Ben-Shimon, EVP/CEO, the Jewish Federation of Greater Metro West NJ.
Nina Dorlon has been the youth minister here for many years but in the last year, I have asked her to work on different areas of parish life. Her responsibilities now include flocknotes, webpage care and maintenance, rental and scheduling of the facilities, welcoming new parishioners and families, organizing all parish events such as parish picnics and periodic family and movie nights and more. I know Nina with her big heart will bring great success to her new position.
Last Monday, I appointed Sean Jenkins, a longtime parishioner as part-time Youth Minister trainee. Sean is a charismatic young man and attends Morris County Community College. He has a strong Catholic faith and truly enjoys working with young people. Sean recently worked as a counsellor for Catholic HEART camp, and I know he will bring a sense of vitality, youth, spirituality, and fun to the programs he intends to begin. Sean will be mentored by Jeff DiLollo and I am grateful to Jeff for his mentorship of Sean during the coming year. Sean is looking forward to telling you more about his plans and joy for the youth of our parish. We are thrilled to have him on Board.
Every year, each parish in our diocese hosts a mission and this year, it is a pleasure to share information on the work of Fr. Thaddeus Kuusah of Missionary Cooperation Plan in Ghana. We will have a second collection to benefit the Missionary Cooperation Plan.
——————————Missionary Cooperation Plan, Ghana————————
Fr. Thaddeus is a priest from the Archdiocese of Tamale and a missionary from Missionary Cooperation Plan (MCP) in Ghana. The cooperation serves the Christian population in the northern part of Ghana, approximately 13.2% of the 2.5 million. Fr. Thaddeus and his brother priests, work with rural and remote communities which makes up the majority of their diocese, building bridges and promoting integration between tribal communities as well as providing formal education and provisions for education facilities for the female population where they evangelize. They build trust and confidence in these communities opening them up to the Christian message. They also promote literacy as an aid to evangelization. Approximately 86.2 % of the female population in Ghana have never been to school. Additionally, their priests are engaged in advocacy and facilitating the provision of basic and essential amenities such as health care, potable drinking water and opportunities for formal education. These ministries can be challenging but they are very engaged in the ministry of peace building. God continues to use these priests as instruments of peace and healing. Your support would help them to bring not only the gospel to the people of Tamale region but education and relief to many in rural communities in the northern part of the diocese. I am happy for the opportunity to share information on their mission and thank you for your prayers and support as they continue to live God’s mission.