May
21, 2006
If
Any
Great Blood Drive
Last Monday over 100 people came to our blood drive and we collected
78 pints of blood (that’s 18 more pints than our last drive).
Thanks to Omar Chirinos, Bob and Gilda Harrison, Bill and Rosemary Havron
for coordinating the drive and thanks especially to all who came to
give blood -- many for the first time. We gave a lot of life that day.
Receptionist
Position
After nearly two decades of serving our parish as our receptionist Therese
Walsh will be retiring at the end of June. We are currently beginning
a search for a new receptionist. The job description can be found online
or a copy is available at the parish center.
We’ll certainly miss Therese and we’ll be having a retirement
party soon -- watch this space for details in a few weeks.
Census
Continues
Of the approximate 6,000 families we usually send mail to, we’ve
received completed Census booklets from over 4,000. So we’ve got
a ways to go.
Is your booklet in?
CollegeStudents
If you know students who are away at college, let us know so we can
keep touch via e-mail.
Sign up here!
e-mail Father Ralph:
Past Columns:
May14: Celebrating Mothers
May 6: Celebrating Priests
April30: Baked Fish
April 23: What we hear
April 16: Out of the Tomb
April 9: Jesus, Our Source
of Peace
April 2: NOW, Can you Hear
Me?
Mar 26: Can You Hear Me
Again?
Mar 19: Can You Hear Me
Now?
Mar 12: Now Take 4Steps
March 5: Take A Step
Feb 26:Coming Home
Feb19: Visiting Heros
Feb 12: Passing Pastor
Feb 4: Annual Appeal
Jan 22: Abandoned Nets
Jan 15: Everlasting Life
Jan 8: I'm not going to
jail..
Jan 1: Happy New Year
Columns
from 2005
Columns
from 2004
Columns from
2003
Columns from 2002
By
the time you read this I hope we’ll know which priest (if any) will
be assigned to take Father Jim’s place when he moves to become Pastor
of Holy Family in Hicksville.
I did say “if any”.
This year there are 15 parishes with openings for an associate pastor
and only nine priests to fill those positions. I know the day will come
when we will have fewer priests assigned to our parish. I’ve been
praying hard (and advocating with the diocese) so that this is not the
year.
But what if we didn’t get
a replacement for Father Jim? What effects would that have on the services
that we offer here? Would this force us to cut back the number of masses?
And how could we do that given the growing parish population -- new parishioners
are only beginning to move into the new condos in downtown Westbury. The
1500 new housing units in the old Roosevelt Raceway area are also beginning
to be occupied. We expect 500 more units in New Cassel in the next two
years!
Two thousand people came to the 11:45 mass on Palm Sunday and again on
Easter -- we had to have two simultaneous masses in Code Auditorium and
in the chapel. Over the last few weeks I’ve noticed more people
standing at mass -- the church fills faster and fuller these days. The
only masses with a lot of room are the 9am and the 10:15 in the school,
and we expect more people when the condos on Maple Ave open.
So how could we cut masses? We
need all our priests. We need more people to become priests. When people
bemoan the growing shortage of priests, I ask them if they’ve ever
asked their own sons or grandsons or nephews about whether they have considered
priesthood as a vocation. Hardly any have. But where do priests come from?
They come from families. Like yours. Some of the nine priests available
come from other countries and we’re grateful for their willingness
to minister here. BUT...in a diocese of over 1.3 million Catholics, I’d
be surprised if the Holy Spirit was ignoring all those who live here when
it comes to calling people to the priesthood. What can you and I do to
invite people to hear the call?
