Weekly Letter from the Pastor

While things are moving more slowly with the completion of the modular building than we had expected, we are at least able to accommodate the students and their needs in the meantime. Yet, with an opening student body of 554, we are quite happy with the way in which the school year has opened and is progressing. The kinks for morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up always take some time to ease, but overall it is a smooth operation. Our staff seems to be in a really good place right now. 

We are certainly in wedding season with seven on the docket for this month alone. We are grateful to Lori McCahill for her work in preparing couples for marriage and then in working with families in strengthening marriage and family life. Lori is also moving into preparing first-time parents for the Sacrament of Baptism, and assisting them in their journey, walking with their children through their formation in faith and prayer. 

One of the challenges we experience is the number of couples who are not sacramentally married. There are several reasons why this is the case, and there is no room for judgment here, but the observation is that as these couples begin to practice their faith later on, or as they are asked to be sponsors for baptism or confirmation, the lack of proper sacramental form becomes a stumbling block. If you are in this situation, please consider having your marriage sacramentalized by the church through a process called convalidation. Please make contact with Lori McCahill to initiate the process. Likewise, if you have been previously married, either civilly or sacramentally, and that marriage has ended in divorce, working through the annulment process is also a good step to take. For those already remarried civilly, it opens the door to a convalidation, and for those who are considering or are even open to getting married again, an annulment is an important hurdle to overcome. Call the parish office for more information and to set up an appointment with one of our annulment advocates. The process is generally far less cumbersome than many assume, and certainly does not come with the rumored heavy price tag. 

We will be drawing that winning number for the parish 50/50 next Sunday, so make sure you have your tickets in by then. 

Grateful for your ongoing support, 
Fr. Garry