Dear Friends:

In all of our lives we must face losses. Last week we all endured with much sorrow the loss of Father Cronin to death. The parish came together wonderfully, with so many making a gift of their time, presence, and effort to make a fitting tribute to the wonderful priest and the equally wonderful man who gave of himself to this parish for so many years. Thanks to all who came to pray for Father Cronin, to reminisce about him, and to celebrate his life and give thanks to God for him. Sadly, another loss is imminent for our parish, come the middle of July. At that time, Deacon John Hoffman, who has served so selflessly and so well here at St. Mary’s, will be leaving us as he is moving to Florida to be with his wife, who has relocated there due to the demands of her job. We understand perfectly that Deacon John must go, even as we do not want him to leave.

I want to organize a reception for the weekend of July 7- 8, Deacon John’s last weekend with us. An organizational meeting will be held on Monday, June 4 at 7:00 PM in the church hall. We need people to organize refreshments, setup, staffing, and cleanup especially. So, if you would like to get involved, plan to join us on June 4 at 7:00 PM.

As for the parish as we move forward, Deacon Richard Sennett will remain with us. Though he is officially retired, he remains a vital and vibrant presence in the parish, and I consider his work to be  nvaluable. I thank him as close co-worker with me in this little patch of the Lord’s vineyard that is our parish. It is my hope that we will be assigned a deacon to succeed Deacon John Hoffman. I have asked for a deacon and I have every hope that my request will be granted. As that develops, I will keep you informed.

Please be aware, too, that the initial meeting of the parish Christian Formation Committee will be held next Wednesday, May 30, at 7:00 PM in the church hall. At this meeting, we will be looking at ways to evangelize the fallen away, revitalize the life of the parish, and enhance adult education as well as other areas of faith formation in our parish. Anyone with constructive ideas is welcome to attend.

Finally, please be aware of the many advertisers who buy ads that make this bulletin possible. Take a look at the advertisement page in the bulletin and whenever possible, support those businesses, letting them know you saw their ad in the St. Mary’s bulletin.

Rev. Aidan N. Donahue