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Dear Parishioners,
I am thrilled to see so many additional parishioners returning to church each weekend. Through the advice of Mike Wozniak, our maintenance coordinator, we at St. Luke, as I have mentioned before, are taking every precaution to ensure the safety of our parishioners and guests. These safety measures naturally cost money but I feel certain that it is money well spent. As a parish, I think it is important that we all understand the scope and costs of these necessary steps that we have taken:
- Chemical cleansing cost of $800 per month and we have signed a contract for 9 months to ensure the safety of all.
- Within the last couple of months, $1,782 to upgrade the HVAC filtration system to increase the flow of fresh air.
- $1,805 through the Diocese to purchase freestanding purification stations including additional cleaning agents and supplies, Purell and hand held thermometers.
It is my intention to have three second collections in the next nine months to help defray the costs of these necessary and unexpected expenses. We hope that you will generously donate.
Maureen, Nina and I have begun registration for CCD and Confirmation. Our catechists are being prepared for the new academic year and we look forward to starting in September. I strongly encourage all parents to register their children and youth for our CCD and Confirmation programs this upcoming year. Registration will be totally online and the link is available on the St. Luke’s website. We love offering CCD and Confirmation classes but as you can imagine, there is a cost associated with these programs for utilities, staff and materials. As such and upon the recommendation of our Parish and Finance Councils, CCD and Confirmation families are now required to donate online either weekly or monthly depending on your situation (as previously mentioned in the letter sent home). For families who are financially hurting, please contact me personally.
I am excited to welcome Bishop Kevin Sweeney to celebrate our Sunday, August 2 nd 11:30 a.m. mass next weekend. We have invited a selection of all parish groups to the mass and the parish center will be equipped with simulcasting as well as extra socially distant seating to facilitate a larger seating capacity should it be necessary. We have seven tenth graders left to be confirmed and when Bishop advised that he wants to come to St. Luke on August 2 nd I was excited to invite him to celebrate their confirmation. I appreciate our Bishop coming to St. Luke for a pastoral visit so soon after being consecrated. I look forward to showing the Bishop around and getting to know him on a personal level. This mass will be live-streamed and I know many of our parishioners who are homebound because of COVID will enjoy being part of this wonderful celebration.
The 26 th of July is always the feast day of St. Anne and St. Joachim and although the 17 th Sunday in ordinary time takes precedent over this feast day, we will remember and give thanks to God for the great dignity of St. Anne and St. Joachim, the parents of our Blessed Mother. This wonderful couple, who are also the grandparents of Jesus are a shining example of a marriage in which the couple joined together in the covenant of matrimony, know the will of God and live it in their lives. Thanks to St. Anne and St. Joachim’s faith in God, our Blessed Mother received the encouragement to be the mother of our Savior and through her knowledge of sacred scripture, was able to open her heart to God’s holy will. St. Anne and St. Joachim pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Fr. Owen