October 2nd

Dear Friends,
Thanks to all who made last Saturday’s Rock the Block such a success! I want to offer a special word of our thanks to the leaders of BCA’s Home and School Association who put to much work into the event: Amanda Canino, Dana Dedina, Jennifer Gigliotti, Cathy Guisti, Lisa Morris, Andrea Scalise, Michelle Scalise and Toni Vittori. The weather was perfect and the turnout was, I was told, the best ever. It was a joy for kids and adults from our entire parish to come together for this.

Our parish is blessed with two schools, one on each campus. This Sunday our Saint Gabriel Catholic School is hosting an Open House from 10:30am (after the 9:30 Mass) to noon. Open House at BCA is in two weeks, on the 16th, and will be from noon (after the 11am Mass) to 1:30pm. I encourage everybody to take a walk through our school buildings to see them- whether you have children or not. Since our education ministry is our primary ministry right now, it’s good for parishioners to get in and see the spaces that have been dedicated for this purpose. I have come to appreciate the warm, welcoming environment in both of our schools and the engaged community of families involved with them. 

I would like to reach out to parishioners and invite you to consider helping with a liturgical ministry in the parish. At both of our churches we could use a few more Lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of Communion. If you are at least 16 years old, are baptized, confirmed and have made your First Communion, attend Mass regularly and are willing to dress up a little for the Masses when you are scheduled… you are a candidate for this! There will be some training involved, so don’t worry about feeling unprepared. Some people tell me that they don’t feel “worthy”… none of us is worthy! I’m certainly not worthy to do what I do. But the Lord calls us to serve His community, and so even us unworthy ones need to accept that invitation. In addition, our parish could really use a few more Ministers of Care, who visit our homebound and bring them communion. If you would like to help with this, or even just get a little more information about it, please let me know. You can call or email me, or talk to me after Mass.

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