Weekly Letter from the Pastor

The month of June is upon us and that brings both an end to things and a beginning of things. This weekend we celebrate the baccalaureate Mass for our 8th grade, and then they will have their graduation on Wednesday evening. This is a really positive and resilient group of students, and we are proud of their successes and happy to launch them forward. I will publish a summary of their accomplishments in a future bulletin.

This weekend we are celebrating Monsignor Carroll, grateful for his sixty years of priestly service and certainly for his presence within our community over the past six years. I will not be present at the Mass or reception as I am in Philadelphia for a wedding this weekend. I will then be proceeding to Marlton as the parish there celebrates Father JM Patilla’s 10th anniversary of ordination. As you may remember, Fr JM came here as a newly ordained priest and spent five years with us before moving to St. Joan of Arc parish. His pastor there, Msgr. Richard LaVerghetta, is celebrating his fortieth anniversary at the same Mass there on Sunday.

This weekend is Trinity Sunday. Next Sunday is Corpus Christi Sunday, and the 11am Mass will conclude with the procession outside for Benediction at the three altars.  In conjunction with the semiquincentennial celebrations in our country this July 4, the bishops of the US are consecrating the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The feast of the Sacred Heart is June 12 this year. We will pray the Novena to the Sacred Heart leading up to the consecration and will be offering prayer cards for the consecration of our homes to the Sacred Heart at that time. The Sacred Heart is a beautiful home devotion. 

There are some summer projects ramping up to be attended to as soon as school is out. We will replace the roof on the church; install the bricks for the paver project in front of the school and the Adoration Chapel; furnish a new music room in the school; place a new modular classroom building for the preK-4 students; and install a new electronic sign on Bethany Road.  It is a lot of work, but I am confident that Rich and his team will manage it all well.

It is a busy time, but all good things are happening. 
Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm.
Blessings,
Father Garry