I want to thank Dominic Parmantier for his presentation last Sunday on the Capital Campaign. As we enter the home stretch, we can feel a real sense of accomplishment. Thanks to your support, our parish is in much better shape. As Dominic mentioned, we have new roofs for our church and school, new restrooms for the school and renovated ones for the church, two new classrooms, tutoring spaces and a small kitchen for the school, the renovated Ramon Sainz portable and the new Tice Hall. Most recently, we are in the process of installing a new boiler for our church. The Campaign paid existing debts for school and Ailbe House boilers, as well as part of the accumulated debt which burdened us with monthly interest payments. I want to thank the donors to the Capital Campaign who have made this possible. At present we have 666 (!) donors. As everyone knows, six hundred and sixty-six is an ominous number (cf. Rev 13:18). So if you have not yet pledged, you could be the one to get us into safe territory. J Now is the time to join your fellow parishioners in the final phase of the Capital Campaign. We have more to accomplish – such as repairs of water damage inside the church, extension of our main parking lot and repairs to the Ailbe House, particularly the roof. And, as Dominic mentioned, we could do another million dollars worth of improvements to our parish, if we had the funds.
It seems like I am always asking your Stewardship of time, talent and treasure. That is one of my main jobs as your pastor. This weekend we have a one-time collection for the Fulcrum Foundation. In his column Principal Glen Lutz gave a good explanation of the importance of the Fulcrum Foundation for our school and parish. We will follow up next week with a focus on our own parish school, as we have one of three special collections for tuition assistance. Also next Sunday at our 11 a.m. Mass, we will have the presence of the young people who participate in CYO Sports. You have probably noticed the work they have done on our parish athletic field. The picture shows them doing the fine grading in preparation for the hydro-seeding of the field. The picture is courtesy of school dad, Fred Cavazos. Next Sunday I will include the group picture of the students and parents who worked on the field.
Thanks to the support and encouragement of a group of young men, Holy Family Parish has the distinction of being the first in the Archdiocese to offer a Blessed Pope John XXIII Mass. After the Friday evening Mass, Deacon Abel Magaña took a picture of Fr. James Reichmann, S.J., Fr. Mel Strazicich, various altar servers and your pastor. (The picture is in the Spanish section of the bulletin.) In addition to “Fr. Straz,” several other priests of the Archdiocese attended the Mass, along with 150-200 people. The Mass was a beautiful experience. For me it was like opening a “family chest.” After my parents died, there were a number of boxes in the home that my brother Louis inherited. Louie and I were more interested in being couch potatoes than opening the boxes. It took our niece, Sara, to do so. She found many things that helped our family connect with its roots. For example, the boxes preserved some post cards that my dad had sent to my mom before they married. Like a typical Norwegian, he said only a few words and they were decidedly unromantic, but still you could sense his care and love. In addition to the postcards, there were pictures that revealed aspects of family history that I either did not know or had forgotten. Something similar has happened for me as I have been studying the intricate and beautiful rubrics of the Mass that nourished Christians for many centuries. It contains treasures that will benefit the entire Church as we strive for a profound renewal. I will be offering the John XXIII Mass on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. Of course, there will not be a Latin Mass during the weeks when I am in Peru, but it will resume on October 30.
This Sunday is the deadline for Pastoral Council nominations. If you cannot find a form, you may write a candidate’s name on a piece of paper and place it in the collection, drop it off at the office or give it to me personally. The Pastoral Council is a vital consultative body as we face issues of Catholic identity, the meaning of Stewardship and the implementation of the Archdiocesan Hispanic Pastoral Plan.
In conclusion I would like to recommend some prayer intentions. First of all for the eternal rest of Maria Urena. Maria died on the morning of September 19. Maria was an active member of our parish, along with various children and grandchildren. May God grant her merciful pardon for any sins she may have committed, along with a reward for her many good works. In addition to prayers for Maria and all our faithful departed, I ask your prayers for a more joyful intention. On Saturday, September 29, seventh grade teacher Christine Haldeman will marry David Hokenson. David is a very lucky young man to marry Miss Haldeman. As the children and staff of our school know, she has a wonderful personality. The marriage will take place in a parish church in Wisconsin. Our prayers go with David and Christine – and all couples preparing for the Sacrament of Marriage. Finally, I ask your prayers for the Peruvian people. They continue to mourn the deaths of the hundred of adults and children who perished in the August 15 earthquake. In addition many suffered serious injuries as well as loss of homes and property. The earthquake has disrupted normal services such as water, roads and electricity. I am in communication with the parish priests and Vincentian Sisters in the hard-hit city of Pisco, where I will be staying for several days. They are most grateful for your solidarity and prayers.
Este domingo tendremos una presentación sobre la Campaña Capital. Quisiera agradecer a todos los donadores. En la seccion en inglés hay una indicación de lo que ya hemos logrado y lo que nos queda hacer. Necesitamos nuevos donadores. Es interesante que hemos lleadgo a 666 donadores. Como todo el mundo sabe, no es un número desfavorable (cf. Rev 13:18). Necesitamos al menos un nuevo donador esta semana para entrar en territorio más seguro. J
Al mismo tiempo pido su apoyo para Fulcrum. Esta fundación ha ayudado mucho a nuestra parroquia y escuela. Por ejemplo ellos nos dieron una donación para refaccionar el salon parroquial (gimnasio) de la escuela. Es nuestra oportunidad para expresar nuestro agradecimiento.
El diacono Abel sacó una foto después de la misa del Beato Juan XXIII del dia 14 de este mes. Esta misa (en latin) se celebra el dia martes a las 7:30 p.m. Cuando yo esté en el Peru (del 1ero al 26 de octubre) no habrá esta forma extraordinaria de la misa.
Y hablando del Perú, quisiera agradecer a todos que participaron en el Kermés del domingo pasado en celebración de mi cumpleaños. Se recaudaron casi mil dólares. Su generosidad ayudará a muchas personas necesitadas en el Perú por medio del Centro Mary Bloom.
Finalmente, pido sus oraciones por el descanso eterno de la Sra. María Urena que se nos falleció el día miércoles aquí en Seattle. Oraciones también por el consuelo de Dios para sus hijos y nietos que son miembros de nuestra parroquia.
