Dear Friends in Christ,
In the Gospel this weekend we hear Jesus extending an invitation to the apostles to Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while. (Mark 6:31) During the summer months traditionally we take the opportunity to step back from our regular schedule and either travel on a vacation or spend time at home on a ‘stay-cation’. Once school is back in session, many activities also commence and it is amazing how quickly we become busy-being-busy. In the upcoming weeks, I am responding to Jesus’ invitation and will be taking some vacation time. I am looking forward to being unscheduled and enjoying a slower pace. It is important that we all spend some time to rest with the Lord and enjoy His Holy Presence. Please remember that God is always present to us, and He invites and longs for us to be present to him as well.
I am pleased to announce the addition of a new Youth Minister to our Staff. Paul Cacciatore will be joining our parish the week of August 6 to coordinate Middle School Youth Ministry, High School Youth Ministry and also our Confirmation program. Paul comes to us after working as a Youth Minister in Tallahassee, FL, and is looking forward to getting to know our young people and walking the journey of faith with our teens. Please pray for Paul and his family as they transition to Central Florida, and also for the youth of our parish… that the light of Christ will burn in their hearts.
The construction of the Track and Field is progressing well. Some traffic patterns are beginning to change as modifications are made to the driveway in front of the Child Care Center, Cultural Center and Gymnasium. The East-West connector road that leads to Annunciation Catholic Academy will also be closed as improvements are completed as part of this project. Thank you for your generosity to the Alive in Christ Capital Campaign which is making this work possible, and also for your patience during this time of construction.
When you come before the Lord this week, please pray for myself and for the Priests that serve our parish. Know that we will pray for you, your loved ones and your intentions. We may not see one another each day but may we meet each day in our prayers!
In Christ,
Very Rev. Stephen D. Parkes, V.F.
Pastor
