Dear Beloved Parishioners,
I think of my mom, now three Mother’s days gone, and find myself ever grateful for lessons taught and lessons learned. Certainly among them is a fierce and protective love for the underdog. Followed closely by her hospitality. You could not enter the Kempf house and leave without food… Finally, she was a woman of devout prayer and a deep devotion to our Lady in the rosary. These traits have grounded my ministry and my life in a pretty good space. And for that, I am so grateful…
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We continue to pray for the Archbishop and his discernment for the entire Archdiocese. To that end, here is a specific prayer to raise up to God for guidance for the Archbishop, sent to us from the Office of Worship.
Almighty and ever-living God, we seek your guidance
and wisdom for Archbishop Rozanski as he implements
the All Things New pastoral planning initiative. We ask
that You bless him with the gifts of discernment and
courage so that he may make decisions that are in
accordance with your divine will.
May he be guided by the Holy Spirit and be open to
listening to the voices of all those his decisions will
impact. Help him to discern the best way to meet the
spiritual needs of all the faithful in the Church in St. Louis
so that the Church can have a greater presence in our
communities.
Grant him the strength and perseverance to complete his
task with compassion and wisdom. May the result of this
process be a stronger, more unified Church that
continues to bring your light and love to all people.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Marie is delayed in her return from vacation, so we continue to be a bit short staffed in the interim. Karen Wood is here on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. You will get the best service on those days. (
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Fr. Chris headed off this morning to retreat, and will be return sometime next Monday, the 22nd. If you would keep him in your prayers for a fruitful retreat, that would be a blessing for him.
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Another word of thanks goes to Andy Bourneuf for his drywall and floor board work as we make the transition from chapel to office. All that is left is to change either the combination (if we can find the directions) or the door hardware off the ramp to secure the office. Then we will be able to move the files and have them be secure in the new space. Thanks to all of you for your patience in this process, and for understanding the necessity of it for the mental health of our parish priests and staff…
Fr. Chris and I look forward to being able to host our families and friends for gatherings soon.
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As I mentioned in my pastor’s pen, there is a new opportunity for Senior health from SAJE. In partnership with HEALTHFIT, this is an advanced exercise program designed by doctors and physical therapist (with pre/mid/post testing) to help you stay fit as your body ages, helping you to have better health outcomes and choices in your senior years. Think of it a chair aerobics on steroids. (my words, not theirs.) It seems like a good fit for our SAJE outreach and at $10 a class (a grant pays the other half) a good investment in your future.
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Keep our eighth grade in your prayers as the take their final exams this week and prepare for graduation next week.
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Thanks already to so many who have made their pledge to the Annual Catholic Appeal. You have been amazingly generous already. Here is the report to date, as we close in on our challenge goal:
REPORT DETAIL
2023 Published Goal $101,755
Challenge Goal $164,787
New Donor Goal 50
Total to Date $131,534
Total Parishioners 854
Returned to Date 178
# New Donors 18
# Increased Contributions 58
Net Increase $9,585
# Maintained Contributions 75
# Decreased Contributions 20
Net Decrease $-4,778
Signed Refusal Cards Returned 7
Pledges Percent 20.02%
Prior Year Pledges Percent 35.00%
Cards Returned Percent 20.84%
Matching Gift Cards Returned 4
Matching Gift Total $1,435
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The Pictures of the Day comes to us from our day of service: “The Coop builders…”
Easter Blessings,
Fr. Bill