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08/06/2023 Father Owen's Weekly Message
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Dear Parishioner,
One of the many joys and blessings of being a priest is that you become very close to a family. I am privileged here at St. Luke that there are many families where I am actually part of that family and am always thrilled to support the family in happy occasions. Sadly, of course, some occasions are not very happy but this past week I was privileged to celebrate the wedding of Kelsey Oros, the daughter of Mike and Stephanie. I celebrated the wedding in The Church of the Immaculate Conception, a magnificent old church in the heart of Ithaca built in 1865. The church has been beautifully installed and stands as a beacon of Christ’s love in the center of that old and venerable city. It was great to meet Cole’s family who live in Chicago. What a joy it was to preside at their wedding and to feel the presence of God in the sacrament of marriage. I wish Mr. & Mrs. Cole and Kelsey Kinna a blessed and happy life together and look forward to seeing them in the future here in Long Valley.
Last Sunday, I had the honor of baptizing another member of the Falk family. My dear friends, Jay and Judy had asked me to celebrate another sacrament and I was overjoyed to baptize Larkin Grace Falk. Larkin’s dad Randy, received all his sacraments here at St. Luke. He and his wife, Jessica live in Atlanta Georgia. It was great to have the family gathered together to celebrate Larkin’s first sacrament and to welcome her entry into the Catholic church.
Last Sunday, I blessed Angel, Maria’s eldest son. Angel is a wonderful young man and went off to Boot Camp a few days ago. How great it is to see a faith-filled Catholic man who loves our country and is willing to serve in the Armed Forces. We know the next few weeks will be difficult for Angel and for his family. Let’s keep him and them in our prayers.
I know that the date October 2 is out there in the future and honestly, and you may not know this but I pray daily for us. I prefer not to talk about it constantly so that we can enjoy the rest of the time we have together. The Diocesan search for a new pastor for our beloved St. Luke Parish has already begun. I have spoken to Fr. John Hart, Personnel Director and have given my recommendations as to the gifts and talents we need for our parish. It is important that you, too our parishioners have some input and the Diocese values your views. To that point, included in the bulletin this weekend is a link for a questionnaire to help find the best priest to continue leading our parish.
Last Friday, we had a delightful celebration to thank Fr. Hubert for the gift of his priesthood here at St. Luke. In the name of our parish, we presented him with a statue of St. Luke which I know he will treasure. We wish him all the best as he begins at the University. We keep him in prayer and in our hearts.
Fr. Owen