In this week’s gospel, Jesus asks us, “Do you love me?” He invites us to continue the works that he has done on earth by making sure that we are caring for and tending the flock of the Lord. Confronted by the Lord, Peter’s threefold expression of love redeems him from his earlier threefold denial and liberates him form the fear of following in the footsteps of the risen lord, and we must not allow our fear to keep us from following Christ.
I want to thank everyone who made and participated in our Spring Festival 2019.The entire complex was packed with booths, and games. I think that everyone who attended had a great time. We are still working on the results, and will have the final tallies to you soon.
All of that was made possible by you, the parishioners of STHY, who gave of your time. Thank you again to everyone who volunteered in a booth, bought a ticket, or lent a hand in any way. We couldn’t have done it without you. Let me again express my sincere thanks to our dedicated core committee, led by Mrs. Lisa Freeman our Chairperson with the collaborative help of Raul Turner, and hosts festival volunteers for all of their hard work and efforts. Special thanks to the Catholic Daughters and the Knights of Columbus. What a blessing they all are to our parish. And remember, they are parishioners just like you and I. They give of their time and talent to make this possible, so be sure and thank them when you see them at church. It’s a community event and when we all participate as joyful stewards we are blessed beyond measure. We’re already looking forward to Spring Festival 2020!
Next, I want to give a special thanks to Mike Layton, our Festival MC. Scott Martin and his team with Otis Matthews, for the wonderful BBQ that was provided at the Spring Festival. The BBQ was amazing!
Next, I want to take the time to thank everyone who has participated in the 2019 DSF campaign. Our goal this year at St. Hyacinth is $84,000 and we have so far collected $35,010 from only 155 families (as of the writing for this bulletin). We always strive for 100 percent participation.
The DSF raises funds to support the more than 60 ministries of the Church that no one parish on its own could ever accomplish, but that collectively we can all do to bring God’s love to all people. Most of these ministries operate behind the scenes and we don’t think about them because we just assume that the Church does them, but it can only be done through your support. If we have 100% participation from everyone, we would make our goal easily. The average pledge is usually around $250. For those who have not given anything to DSF, could you please consider giving that amount this year? Or maybe make a pledge of $365 — a dollar a day to support those great ministries. Any amount that exceeds our goal is returned to us 50 percent (the other 50 percent goes to help inner-city parishes in need), so it’s a blessing for us and the archdiocese. Please prayerfully consider what you will pledge and we’ll see that it is processed. Let’s do our part to, as this year’s theme says, minister with “Do Not Neglect to Share What You Have” I thank you for your continued support of the DSF at STHY.
I want to say congratulations to all of our young people who have received their First Eucharist in the one of the two First Eucharist Masses here at STHY. I want to thank Director of Faith Formation, Mrs. Pamela Johnson Administrative Assistant Mrs. Christina Riley, along with our team of Catechist and volunteers for their work of religious formation in First Eucharist preparations.
For 54 years, St Hyacinth has been building on the foundation of God’s promise of unconditional love for all people. We stand on the shoulders of the saints who have gone before us, and from this remarkable vantage point, we see what we must do to continue sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and welcoming all people to join us on this incredible journey.
Our challenge is great, but so too is our faith – a faith that has carried our church for a half a century. Just as the saints of the past took leaps of faith, preparing the way for future generations, so too will we take a leap of faith, imagining and building a vital St. Hyacinth for the next fifty years and beyond. Together we will continue Building faith Family and the future….. Our Sanctuary…. Our Home.