I want to thank you for your prayers for my sister, Melanie. Please continue to remember her. She still does not have the use of her right arm. The therapist told her that probably, within in eight to twelve weeks, she will wake up and be able to move her arm. The human body is so mysterious and my sister’s stroke makes me realize how much we depend on forces beyond our control. The picture shows Melanie smiling, with a little help from brother Louis. Behind them are her husband Alex and our sister-in-law Marianne preparing supper.

The work on our school continues to advance on schedule. I have to admit that to me it seems like a little miracle. As you know the new medium size hall, the two new classrooms and rest rooms are made possible by your support of the Capital Campaign. In addition we received an unexpected grant from the Shea and Fulcrum Foundations to improve the other four classrooms on the ground level and to renovate the ceiling and floor of our parish hall/gymnasium as well as the entrance, office and faculty bathroom of our school. The pictures below show the work on the school entrance, the hall and girls restroom. In the Spanish section I have placed a photo showing the new floor of the second grade classroom. The kindergarten, first and third grade classrooms also are receiving new floors. Please pray for all those who have made this work possible. It will benefit the children attending our parish school and ultimately all of our parishioners. I am excited that we will have a medium size hall with easy access for seniors and those with disabilities.

This Sunday we celebrate the anniversaries of Frank and Pate Waite (director of our children choir) as well as school principal Glen Lutz and his beautiful wife, Yvonne. Their children and grandchildren will be with them at the 11 a.m. Mass.

Also this weekend I will be inviting you to sign a petition supporting the rights of conscience of pharmacists. In this past year I have had the privilege of getting to know young pro-life pharmacists and pharmacy students. They recognize that so-called “Emergency Contraception” or Plan-B can provoke an abortion by making it impossible for a newly conceived human to implant. Archbishop Brunett and the Washington State Catholic Conference have encouraged us to support the conscience rights of pharmacists. This is a vital issue. If Planned Parenthood, NARAL (National Abortion Rights Action League) and other groups succeed in forcing all pharmacists to dispense “Emergency Contraception” it will mean that pro-life pharmacists, in conscience, will not be able to practice in Washington State. Your signature will help make a place for them in our state.

Finally a personal note: Two of my brothers and I are going Tuna fishing this Monday. The boat leaves Il Waco at 2 a.m. because it takes several hours to get to the warmer waters where the Tuna feed. Although I don’t look forward to missing a night’s sleep, I am very much looking forward to the outing.

Gracias por sus oraciones por mi hermana Melanie. En la sección en inglés hay una foto de ella sonriendose, con la ayuda de nuestro hermano Louis. También he puesto unas fotos del progreso de la renovación de la escuela parroquial. Abajo hay una foto del salón del tercer grado. Es lindo ver este trabajo y estoy agradecido a ustedes por su apoyo de la Campaña Capital que lo hace posible.

También en la sección inglés hay una explicación de la defensa de del derecho de consciencia para farmacéuticos. Es un asunto de importancia para todos nosotros. Queremos nuestros hijos sean pro-vida, es decir que defiendan el derecho de todo ser humano, desde la concepción hasta la muerte natural. El problema es que hay grupos poderosos (como Planned Parenthood) que quieren requerir que todo farmacéutico recete lo que se llama “Contracepción de Emergencia” que puede causar la muerte un niño recién concebido. Se esto sucede, hará imposible que farmacéuticos pro-vida practican en nuestro estado. El arzobispo Brunett y la Conferencia Católica del Estado les invita firmar la petición para apoyar los derechos de conciencia de farmacéuticos pro-vida.