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8/28/2022 Father Owen's Bulletin Message
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Dear Parishioners,
For the last several weeks, I have been blessing our college bound students. I have given special blessing to the freshman, and they begin their new lives, away from home. I am aware that some of our students study locally and return home each day. However, they have begun a new phase in their lives as their studies now will prepare them for the careers they chose in life. For a parent, the empty nest syndrome can be both lonely and fearful. Lonely in that all of their children have now left home for college; the noisy house is quiet, the over full laundry hamper is empty, the juice doesn’t get drank so quickly. My prayers surround all of our parents who are going through this transition, and we ask for patience for them as they orient themselves to a new way of living. We know that many years of prayer, sacrifice and examples and schooling go into preparing our young people for college. These eighteen years of prep goes so quickly. So, moms and dads be patient with yourself and try to rekindle the early years of your relationship before your young adults were born, spend time together, be careful to continue to work on your own relationship with each other and remember God is with you through it all. For our freshmen, the first month in college can be both exciting and fearful; exciting to be away from home, fearful about forming new friendships and about being successful in their studies and yet we know that our wonderful young people, with prayer, patience and time will be successful in their first year and throughout their years in college. We surround our college kids with love and prayers and know that college will prepare them for fruit filled lives where their talents and skills will impact many.
I am delighted to welcome our 9th and 10th grade students with their parents to the Confirmation orientation this Sunday, August 28th at 5:30 pm. During this session, they will hear our vision for our youth for the coming year and for those families who have been at the shore all summer, I will be happy to introduce our youth minister, Sean Jenkins. We have great plans for youth ministry this coming year. For continuation of excellence in catechesis and to help our young people better understand our faith and the importance of Holy Mass. We will teach the sacraments through drama, and I know with the addition of some new music pieces, we hope to continue to form our young people in enthusiasm for their Catholic faith. I thank you their parents for gifting us with their child/children and appreciate your example of coming with them to weekly Mass so that together as a family we prepare our young people for the sacrament of Confirmation and for full participation in the life of the church.
Fr. Hubert returns from Poland on Tuesday evening. I look forward to welcoming him back home and I am sure he will share his stories of Poland, his family and his little dog, Molly.
Fr. Owen