Twentieth Week In Ordinary Time

August 9, 2022

by Fr. Reginald Samuels

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

As a Christian we are called to “set the world on fire.” Jesus uses very divisive words in this weeks Gospel and he challenging us to move from being self-serving to selflessness. Inviting people to serve God and others before themselves is a divisive suggestion. Jesus wants us to move from being so focused on surviving to focus on living the Gospel message. As the Psalm says this week. We ask the Lord to make “firm our steps.”

Next, as you are aware by all of the news in our community and throughout the country, there is a severe food shortage and all of the food banks including our own SVDP food bank. For the month of August, our own SVDP, is asking everyone specifically to bring cans of fruits, cans of vegetables and cans of soup. The donation box is in the narthex of the Church. A list of SVDP requested donation items are located on our parish website at https://sthyacinth.org/special-events . Thank you for your generosity in supporting SVDP.

Starting Next Weekend, we will celebrate the 57^th anniversary of the founding of St Hyacinth. For this year’s celebration, the weekend of August 20^th - 21^st. there will be a time of prayer, remembrance, and celebration. There will be giveaways, and fun throughout the weekend culminating with the raffle of wonderful prizes. Please plan to participate in this wonderful celebration.

We will kick off our parish celebrations with an 8:00 am Mass on Saturday morning August 20^th. This will be a mass of healing and reconciliation. We will have adoration and prayers throughout the day in the Church to celebrate and commemorate all those who have gone before us in our parish. The Sacrament of Penance will be available throughout the day.

To continue the parish anniversary celebrations, we will have Casino night on Saturday evening after Mass .Doors will open at 6:15. There will be casino games, food, and prizes. Casino night tickets are on sale now.

For our parish 57th anniversary Sunday’s celebrations which will begin after the noon mass we will have food fun and prizes with the silent auction and major prize raffle. The grand prize being a $3000 gift card. Raffle tickets are on sale now.

For our parish anniversary, we are collecting funds for a Statue of St. Hyacinth. A four-foot custom-made linden wood and painted statue of St Hyacinth will cost approximately $18K. (The handmade statue would have St. Hyacinth holding a monstrance and a little statue of a Madonna with Child). We have placed a special donation box is in the Narthex as well as a picture of the statue. You can give online at https://sthyacinth.org/statue-of-st-hyacinth as well. Thank you for your support in precuring a statue for our Church.

I know it is the middle of August, but it is time to start thinking about the next coming school year and the beginning of Religious Education classes. Classes will start September 11^th. With more than several hundred children in some level of religious education last year and, we need to have a head start in preparing for this fall’s Religious Education classes. To register online for Faith Formation classes, go to: https://sthyacinth.org/faith-formation-registration-form

Finally, as our students, teachers and supporting education staff prepare for another year of School, we want to give a special blessing to all those returning to the education environment this weekend. May God bless you all, and we wish you all the best.

God Bless,
Fr. Reginald Samuels