January 18, 2004

Welcome to Ordinary Time. Ordinary does not have to mean boring. It is only boring if and when we make it boring. Ordinary Time means that we start making use of all of the gifts and graces and experiences from the holy season we just left, just like kids now play with all of the new toys they got at Christmas. Emmanuel is still “God with us”. What DO we do with the presence (and not just presents) that remains?

Our gratitude to Harry Drost, a parishioner who now resides in a nursing facility, for his donation of the new St. Anne (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary) statue, the refinishing of the Holy Family statues and the refinishing of the furnishings (altar, ambo & tables) in the Daily Mass Chapel. Many parishioners have been admiring all of the beautiful changes in the Chapel. The statues will be blessed during the 9:00 AM mass on the memorial of Our Lady Lourdes on Wednesday, February 11.
Speaking of “ordinary”, the scaffolding around the school seems to be becoming an ordinary fixture these days as we wait for the spring to come to replace the roof and repair the façade of the building. We are still waiting for the results of investigations by the Office for Property and Planning in developing a plan for repairs of our entire physical plant. Waiting is not a fun thing to do since it makes us sit patiently with questions to which we want immediate answers.

Our parish census will begin next weekend. Details on how this will take place are found on an insert in this weeks bulletin along with a census form. It is an important part of the life of our parish to update the information on our current records and to see exactly who our parishioners are: some move away and never notify us but are still listed in our census. Different diocesan fees and assessments are based on our census population as well as the upcoming direct mailing of the Pittsburgh Catholic beginning this July. We greatly appreciate your cooperation in accomplishing this task.

Several weeks ago I announced that we have a back log of requests for masses that dates back to 1999. Some are being sent to other parishes that have no mass intentions and some are being sent to Father Don Fix, who is serving as a Navy chaplain in Iwakuni, Japan. I suggested that some may wish to offer prayer intentions through the candles that are available at the statues of the Blessed Mother and St. Albert the Great instead of requesting masses for these same intentions. It is very important to pray for individuals and various needs and not to delay these prayers for years. Please consider this option when you wish to offer prayers at the death of family members, neighbors or for other needs.
Together, we continue being...