My dear parishioners, I continue to get settled in here at St. Mary’s and I continue to be grateful for the warm welcome that I have received. I know that change is not easy, but we trust in the Lord and let Him lead us. One of the regular comments or questions I have been receiving is “Father, are you going to fix …?” I am grateful for the many suggestions. It helps me to know what is important to you and gives me an idea of the work that needs to be done. Every parish is a work in progress and the care of the parish is never done. A few years ago I realized that I would never be done with repairs or projects. Whether it is the roof, boiler, gutters, floors, bathrooms, there is always something to do. One of the first things I noticed was the deteriorated state of the confessionals. They are dark, musty and uninviting. I have already met with a contractor that I have used in the past to help us renovate the confessionals. Last Saturday, when I was hearing confessions, I felt that I was in an oven. One of the renovations will be to add a vent to allow the air conditioning to come in and for the hot air to leave. I believe renovating the confessional is very important, because I plan to spend a lot of time in there. I want it to be a comfortable place for you to encounter the mercy of God. The part of priesthood I love most after celebrating Mass is hearing confessions. I have seen so much healing take place in the sacrament of confession. I want all of you to receive the forgiveness that only God can give and to know his love. Our God is an awesome God and his mercy endures forever. I have also spoken to an electrician about providing better lighting around the parish property. Many of you have expressed how dark it is at night and I feel the same way. I want you to feel comfortable and safe when coming to see the Light of Christ. Please be patient as we go forward with these projects. Also we are limited with the finances at the moment, so we will have to do them step-by-step. God bless, Fr. O’Connor P.S. I will be away on vacation for two weeks and will return to the office on Monday, August 4th. Please know that you will be in my prayers. Congratulations Ronnie! Veronica Holley, our parish bookkeeper retired this past Friday, July 18 after twenty-six faithful years of service to our parish. As Fr. Noel said, she knows where everything is. Ronnie will continue to be a presence in our parish serving as a volunteer. Please pray for her that the Lord reward her for her hard work and faithfulness. Another change The parish has acquired the services of the accounting firm of Baumann, Dennis and Hochuli to oversee the parish finances and to take on the bookkeeping services, such as payroll, taxes and bills.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 15:26:43 +0000
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