Dear friends:

The Lenten season is upon us and for the next forty days we have an opportunity to grow in better relationship with the Lord Jesus and the church. The season is just a very short six week period; a season of prayer, repentance and trying to live a better Christian life. There are so many opportunities that the church offers, as an approach, to journey from Lent to the glory of Easter.

One of these ways is to attend and participate in our parish Lenten mission (Feb 22-24, at 7 p.m.) which will be presented by Fr. Tom McCarthy. Fr. Tom is an Augustinian friar, works as the Vocation Director for the province and will be preaching at all of the masses next weekend, as a way to “entice and invite” all of us to the mission. The annual Lenten penance service is part of the mission and will happen on Tuesday, as the theme of his mission is “The Sacraments, the Treasures of Our Faith”. Also, this could be a great way to invite someone you know, perhaps one that may have fallen away or have been hurt; please consider extending an invite to someone you know. Please plan on attending the mission!

​Fr. Ray

Hello, friends:

Last weekend I presented the “State of the Parish” address as a way to share good news about the life of the parish over the last year. I hope that you were able to look at the financial report that was an insert in the bulletin as well as the schedule of collections that we’re calling “ year at a glance”, again as a way to help communicate when and how these monies will be collected. I’m very grateful for the leadership (parish, finance and visioning committee, along with the parish staff) that help animate the mission of our faith community. If at any time you have a concern, observation or question please feel free to talk to me or anyone on our parish staff. In the very near future I’ll be asking you to pray for the annual United in Ministry appeal and if you can make a pledge for the next year.

Please refer to and hang on the bulletin insert this weekend. It has all of the scheduled events that will be happening in Lent this year. Please consider attending any one of the Ash Wednesday services, although it is not a holy day of obligation, as well as the Friday Stations of the Cross and soup supper. Also, we’re hosting a Lenten parish mission; it promises to be good, mark your calendar (Feb. 22-24, starting at 7 p.m.).

I’m away this weekend; I’m attending a vocation/ discernment retreat at Villanova, sponsored by the Augustinians. Please keep me in your prayers and know that I’ll keep you in mine.

​Fr. Ray