September
10,2006
God
be With You
Merry
Christmas!
Our “Christmas in August” debt-cancelling campaign is up
to over $37,000 in donations in just three weeks. Even though it is
September now, we’re glad to receive the extra donations to help
us toward the goal of paying off nearly $130,000 in bills. Thanks to
those who made a generous donation. And no, it’s not too late
for “Christmas
in August.”
New
Office Hours
The Parish Center Office will now be open during lunch hour.(12-1) due
to a restructuring of our receptionist hours. Carla Escobar is here
Monday thru Friday 9am to 2pm; Grace Puglisi is here from 2-5pm; Maria
Therese Gutierrez and Kris Maresca are here in the evening during the
week. Those who attend the noon mass can now stop in right after mass
for mass cards, to set appointments or drop off their Christmas in August
donations!
Off
to College?
Are you or your child away at college? At St. Brigid’s we like
to stay in touch via occasional e-mails as we send photos and news from
“home”. College students wishing to be connected through
our “Letters from home” can sign up online here
or you can mail or
e-mail thecollege names and e-mail addresses to Father Ralph and he’ll
put them on the list.
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?
e-mail Father Ralph:
Past Columns:
Sept 3: Back to
School
August 27: Merry Christmas
August 20: Wine or No Wine
August 13: Mangia...
August 6: Mixed News
July 30: Impossibly Little
July 23: Come away!
July 16: Got a Mission?
July 9:Missing God
July 2: Jesus Interrupted
June 25: One Here, One to
Come
June 18: A Father's Gift
June 11: Charity Begins
At Home
June 4: Turning Silver
May 28: Eight Years •
Eight Months
May 21: If Any
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
Each
week when you heard the words, “Good morning and welcome to our
celebration of the Eucharist at St. Brigid’s,” people would
get a little foretaste of what was about to unfold in the liturgy ahead.
There were different priests with difference accents and different life
experiences. The music differed too from mass to mass. But the basic message
of welcome never changed. And when we got to the prayer of the faithful,
it was as if what we watched on the news or read in the papers jumped
into the prayer of the day. ALL of us together lifted up the prayers for
peace and reconciliation in the world, prayers for the tiniest children
in the womb, prayers for families with special needs, prayers for our
armed forces, prayers for those facing the struggles of illness or aging,
prayers for our loved ones who went home to the Lord.... We were led in
praying for these people and whether it was the deacon, the lector, the
priest leading the prayers, there was an unseen prayer leader behind all
this.
This week we celebrate the ministry
of Estelle Peck who has shared over two decades of her life with the parish
of St. Brigid’s as coordinator for liturgy and stewardship. She
might have asked you to read or sew, paint or iron, climb ladders, plug
in lights, make smoke rise and roosters crow...at the end of each project
you were tired but joyful for your were part of the great wonder that
is liturgy at St. Brigid’s. Behind the scenes, Estelle not only
invited folks to share their time and talent, but she prepared so many
of the words we used to pray -- especially the welcome and the prayers
of the faithful.
She is taking her gifts to the
Diocese of Rockville Centre-- and in a way, she is taking a bit of all
of us with her. So we send her off with our prayers and God’s blessing.
Thank you, Estelle, for all the ways you led us in prayer, led us in community.
So much of the spirit of St Brigid that has been alive here for years
is due to your careful stewardship of the gifts given to you. God be with
you.
