My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we enter the Second Sunday of Advent, our First Reading from the Prophet Isaiah speaks of the coming of our Savior, Jesus, who will arise from “a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse.” Jesse, the father of King David, is promised a Savior who will come into our lives. Through Joseph—of the line of David—we see how God faithfully keeps His promises. In the Gospel reading, we hear how John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way of the Lord. As we approach the Christmas season, we are invited to reflect on how we, too, can prepare the way of the Lord in our own lives during this holy season of Advent.
On Monday, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. On December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX issued the apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus, stating: “The most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin.” As we recall why God entered into human history, we give thanks for those He has placed in our lives—especially our Blessed Mother Mary, who continually leads us to her Son.
As we approach the end of the year, we remain grateful for all you have done for our Family of Parishes. Through your generosity, we continue to spread the message of our Savior, Jesus, and live out our mission.
Current Priorities of Our Family of Parishes
St. John Vianney
- Paying down our parish debt, currently a little under $800,000
- Paying off the loan for the Church HVAC system: $300,000
- Building a contingency fund for future needs
- Growing our Parish Endowment to support the long-term future of the parish
Mary Our Queen
- Increasing our Sunday offering to strengthen our mission and allow our parish to grow in faith, service, and stewardship. This will also help enhance salaries and benefits for our teachers and staff.
- Continuing to build both our Parish Endowment and our Parish Educational Trust Endowment. Interest from the Parish Endowment will support facility maintenance, while our Educational Trust Endowment—established by Msgr. Kenny—continues to support our school’s mission.
- Supporting the Msgr. Kenny Scholarship Fund, which provides need-based scholarships for students in our parish.
I appreciate all the support you have given to our parishes.
I continue to recover from my surgery. Please know that if anything requires my attention, you may kindly contact the Parish Office.
Blessed week ahead,
Fr. Marc
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