From Our Pastor: May 30, 2021

Thank you for welcoming and being generous to our Maryknoll missionary this past weekend. He said you all were so welcoming which doesn't surprise me at all.

Congratulations Fr. Bruns on your ordination to the priesthood this past weekend and welcome this weekend for the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Masses. We are so blessed to have the chance to have a mass of thanksgiving and the indulgences attached to his Masses here granted by the Holy See.

Congratulations to Fr. Mary Sheckells, OFM. This past weekend at St. Peter in the Loop (where Fr. Don is now) the Franciscans of the Sacred Heart province ordained Fr. Marc Sheckells O.F.M. Congratulations to him and to the community.

We have so many blessings here at St. Francis Solanus. I am so grateful for all God has given us and your responses to him. I spoke a couple weeks ago that we still owe just over $105,000 in ACSA to the diocese this year and it would become a debt to the parish or we would have to dip into our savings, which I don't like either option. A generous donor has come forward to do a magic match. If we raise the other 30,000 they will match your giving and pay the other $75,000!!! This is huge and very generous, but depends on your generosity. We must raise the 30,000 before the month of June is over to receive this $1 for $2 match for our diocesan assessment up to a $75,000 total gift. Again reminding ourselves that this giving goes to priesthood formation and education and diaconate formation and education and to make the cost of annulments free so the cost is not a hinderance to people seeking them. And for the many services the diocese provides for all of the parishes and so much more. We all want these services and new priests and deacons so we need to do our part.

I truly am grateful to this parishioners discipleship response to this need stepping up to do this match. Some have said they don't need the $1400 from the governments "Covid" checks, this would be a great place to apply it to a need. If we have 30 people give $1000 we have raised this money. If we have 60 people give $500 we have raised the money. If every family (1700 families) in the parish gave just $20 we would meet the goal. It always seems so overwhelming when you see the big number but when broken down it shows it's possible. So if we can raise this $30,000 this month we will pay off this amount which we really need this year with giving being slightly down in Covid. I hope you will respond generously so that we can take advantage of this gift and keep from having a debt into the coming fiscal year. Thank you for your generosity.

Rev. Steven Arisman