July
10, 2005
Ministry
to Seniors
Chicken
or Smart?
Could
it be that I’m “chicken”? After all this is the week
we move all weekday church liturgies to the chapel in the school because
we begin painting the church -- and I’m away on vacation!!!
I don’t have to face all the little problems that come up when
such a change happens or be confronted by people who didn’t read
the bulletins over the past weeks and who take this temporary move as
an unpleasant surprise.
Or am I really smart??
Weekends
All weekend masses (including weddings) will follow the usual schedule
in the church and school. In another week, some of the pews will be
taken out to be refinished and temporarily replaced by chairs. Thank
you for your patience as we refinish the interior of our church. By
the fall all will be lovely again. (Actually, even lovelier!)
Catholic
Ministries Appeal
Thanks to all who made a pledge in response to last week’s “encouragement”
by Soraya Navia. We’ll give an accounting in a couple of week
of where we’re at in the campaign. Right now every new dollar
given will come back to us in the form of a rebate once we reach our
goal.
e-mail Father Ralph:
Past Columns:
July 3: The Painters are
Coming!
June 26: The Last 25%
June19: Sommer in the
Summer
June 12: Great News Anoying
News
June 5: What's Essential
May 29: Setting Priorities
May 22: Painting Project
May 15: We are the Church
May 8:Mother of the Church
May 1: On Life and Death
April 24: Habemus Papam
April 17: The Spirit Abounds
April 10: Two men on a journey
April 3: He's baaack!
March 27th: Not the best
news...yet
March 20th: What are You
Doing For Easter?
March 13th: The Stench
March 6: To Tell or Not
To Tell
February 27: Dry Mouth Dry
Soul
February 20: Good to Be
Here
February 13: And he was
hungry?
Ash Wednesday '05
February 6: Ashes Already?
January 23: Catholic Schools
Week
January 16: Continued Charity
January 9: Migration
January 2:All is bright?
Columns from 2004
Columns from 2003
Columns from 2002
With
the recent retirement of Terry Patterson from two important ministries
at St. Brigid’s, we’ve been involved in a lengthy search to
find people to coordinate the Ministry of Winter Grace (which involves
ministry to the homebound) and Senior Connections (which provides a place
for seniors to gather for community and to share their time and talents
with the parish). Terry single-handedly did such an outstanding job that
it took time to find a worthy replacement. And we found two! Many thanks
to Terry for all her creative and loving work the past years.
Sister
Susan Smolinsky, SC, will be joining us as a part-time staff member and
will be coordinating the ministry to the homebound. is a Sister of Charity
of St. Vincent dePaul, Halifax. She was born and raised on Long
Island and has served the People of God in several parishes in the southeast
Queens cluster of the Diocese of Brooklyn. Sister Susan has also ministered
in Canada as a missionary in the Yukon Territory and as a retreat and
spiritual director in Toronto. She has served in healthcare administration
at St. Vincents in Manhattan and most recently coordinated the public
health insurance programs for Catholic Charities in this diocese.
Sister Susan especially enjoys all kinds of music and at Mass you’ll
notice she likes to sing! Welcome Sister Susan!
Norma
Beyer,a parishioner for 40 years, will be coordinating Senior Connections.
Today she and her husband Dan celebrate their 51st wedding anniversary;
they have 4 children and 7 grandchildren. She is a former school teacher
and has taught religious education for 26 years and is the recipient of
the Pius X award. She is the former president of the Rosary Society. She
is currently the president of the Legion of Mary. Norma has been an advocate
for the poor and elderly. Welcome Norma!
