My dear friends,
As we listen to this Sunday's Gospel from John chapter 3 verse 16 (see above) and more, what good reason to Rejoice this Laetare Sunday!
His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, had a great time with us at our Friday evening Fish Fry! A big thank you to our Parish Council Member, Karen Pelella, for coordinating this great and delicious event (thank you Nick at the Wooden Spoon!). I think we have a new parish tradition!
To Karen and to all who assisted her this Lent in building up our parish community during one or both of the evening Fish Fries, thank you!
Offering First Confessions to those in our school and religious education program is truly a delight for Fr. Thumma and myself as they prepare to receive their First Holy Communion this May! Congratulations to our young people and their parents and families!
We will therefore suspend Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament briefly this week for Religious Education First Confessions on Monday (3:30-5:30pm) and Wednesday (4-5:30pm). Eucharistic Adoration will resume after the Confessions are completed on all the above days.
Join me in wishing Fr. Rayappa Reddy Thumma a Happy 38th Anniversary of the day of his Priestly Ordination (this Monday)! Congratulations and thank you for the gift of your priesthood!
Last weekend we experienced a heartwarming IHM School production of Beauty and the Beast (Junior). Thank you to Mrs. Ashleigh Jack, the director, who worked countless hours with the students preparing them for such a touching story. For all that Mr. Joshua Jack, her husband, did in constructing the set and to all school families, teachers and students who supported this musical - thank you!
Mrs. Laura Covais, the Coordinator of our Religious Education Program, ran a professional development evening for our Catechists this past week by bringing in Mrs. Nancy Vericker from IHM's HSOR to offer the formation and to lead them in a Marian Way of the Cross. Laura and her staff bring people together so well and Nancy always does a great job - it was an enriching a beneficial time together. Thank you to our Catechists for all you do!
I look forward to praying with the Saint Veronica Guild members and women who join them this Friday for 9am Mass and a reflection in the lower church for a Lenten Day of Recollection.
Please welcome back to IHM this weekend, Gifts from Bethlehem, who make available handcrafted olivewood items for purchase from the Holy Land.
I hope people are considering coming to the annual Chrism Mass on Tuesday of Holy Week (March 26th), if your schedule permits.
Next weekend our IHM Parish Council will be hosting a Parish Ministries Fair to showcase all of the organizations and groups that we have. Perhaps you may be interested in joining one or perhaps there is a group you would like to add in the future as we seek to build up our parish and communities and grow in the faith.
Now that the library is catalogued and library cards and pass codes have been distributed, it would be helpful if the library had some regular hours. Two popular times pre-Covid were lunch time during the week and Sunday morning during Mass time. The Library Staff is looking for people who can cover the library during those times or any other time that is convenient. Perhaps consider volunteering for an hour a week of your choosing, including early evening. The library will be open twice a week, Wednesday, and Friday from 11 AM to 1:30. We would like to extend that to the evening time, perhaps 5 or 6 PM one evening. The hours are flexible. Thank you for your interest.
A blessed Sunday - see you at the Eastchester Saint Patrick's Parade and come march with IHM!