April 30th

Dear Friends,

We just finished the Spring ALPHA, and I am grateful both to those who facilitated this session (Deacon Rob Morris, Lori Serpico, Joe Parra, Jean Johnson, Anthony Dugo, Sharon O’Connell, Silvia and Angelo Herrera, Rita McArdle, Angelica Hernandez) and the 24 or so people who took part. Once again, those who attended were very positive about the experience. We will run the next ALPHA in the Fall, dates to be determined.

This past week our Religious Education program also wrapped up for the year. I am grateful to our catechists (Lisa Chavez, Lorueen Allen, Patti Graf, Art Gray, Marian Strok and Jeff Hurlbert) and the families of the 60+ children who participated in this.

Our parish will celebrate lots of First Communions in the coming weeks, the majority being for those in Second Grade at special Masses next Saturday. Please pray for those who will be receiving Christ sacramentally for the first time in the Eucharist. I find that the excitement and awe expressed by those receiving Communion for the first time is contagious. It helps remind me just how special this gift is. Please pray not only for the children, but for their parents: this gift will have lasting meaning if our parents continue bringing their little ones to Mass each weekend going forward. I always tell the kids that I hope they will receive Communion every weekend for the rest of their lives. The kids’ job is to make this easy for mom and dad by cooperating.

During the week after the First Communion Masses, we will celebrate May Crownings at school Masses. We will do it then again at both churches, at the 9:30 and 11am Masses, on Mother’s Day. The Madonna Knights of Columbus Council always organizes a Mother’s Day parade through the streets of Canaryville, led by the Stockyard Kilty Band, which finishes off at our Saint Gabriel church. The bagpipes will march down the aisle around 9:30 and we will transition from that into the May Crowning procession to the altar. All in all, this will be a very festive day!

May your week reflect the encounter with Christ
we experienced at Mass today!