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5/15/2022 Father Owen's Bulletin Message
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Dear Parishioners,
We had a wonderful celebration of First Holy Communions last Saturday. Our children were filled with joy when they received Holy Communion for the first time. Maureen and I were so proud of our little ones and grateful to their parents and godparents who entrust us with this awesome responsibility. A big thank you to all who support us in this ministry, our sacristans, Lenny, and the choir.
Thank you to Deacon Ray and the wonderful Operation Chillout volunteers for spending a very rainy Saturday bringing beauty and dignity to the veteran who will live in the “Tiny Home” here in Long Valley. I am so very touched by the love and care Operation Chillout gives to the many heroes who often feel unrecognized, unloved, and uncared for.
I am so thrilled and delighted by the response to the church revitalization and maintenance campaign. To date, all the pews have now been donated and with donations we have $262,000 in commitments which is very close to our goal. Having said that, some families have indicated that they still intend to give, and I urge you to do so as there are some other projects that I would like to complete; much needed upgrades. Please know that we certainly not only appreciate it but can use the contributions. With that in mind, we will keep the campaign going until May 31st.
Our painters are due to start work on Monday, May 16th. During that time, we will have weekend masses in the parish center, Daily Mass and Baptisms will take place in the former chapel. The cleaning and re-grouting of the tiles will follow and then the installation of the pews will begin on June 13 and should take no more than 3 days to complete. We will be back in church for the sacrament of Confirmation on June 17th.
I am delighted that Karen Hannon began the Women’s Bible Study Program on May 4 and am thrilled that she can be a facilitator so that the women who attend these wonderful sessions can draw closer to God, using the videos offered and through the understanding of God’s plan for us through Holy Scripture.
As I have often mentioned, we are blessed with the wonderful staff here at St. Luke and we have many dreams and visions for the parish in the coming months and years. We are all thrilled with the many new families who have joined our parish in the last couple of years. Many of these new families have young children and we look forward to guiding them in laying the foundation of faith for their children in a joy filled way; through our academic programs, the celebration of Holy Mass and with the ability to plan get-togethers such as barbecues, movie nights, to have fun while at the same time, developing our own relationship with God. I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming weeks about our plans.
Fr. Owen