A happy 4th of July to one and all! Please join me in praying for our country, that the Lord may protect us and guide us; and let us never forget all those that have served in protecting us, those living among us and those that gave their lives for our safety and our freedom. God grant them a full measure of peace.
***
Now that we are beginning to be comfortable in our new worship environment, let me bring you up to speed on all that is going on at SJN. After the floods of 2009, we learned that the county would not allow us to re-build the Neumann Center as it had existed before the flood (with a useable basement). Recall that at the time of the great floods, the Neumann Center was the home of our Pre-school program. After learning that an expansion of the "footprint" of the Neumann Center large enough to hold the preschool ministry was cost prohibitive, we had to find a place for the vibrant Pre-school program of SJN. After much discussion among many, the following was decided and plans drawn up:
1) The Neumann Center would be re-built, using funds provided by Catholic Mutual (the Archdiocese's insurance company). This work should be completed by August; and at that time, Catholic Charities will begin to occupy that space, offering counseling services and other assistance to those in need. Catholic Charities will pay SJN a fee each month, so that all operational costs are covered by Catholic Charities. This will be a great blessing for our outreach ministries, to offer a regional office of Catholic Charities on our campus. Additionally, a room at the Neumann Center will be a dedicated office for our softball ministry and the scouting programs at SJN.
2) A new Preschool is being created in the space that was known as Lind Hall. It will be a wonderful space for the little ones. We are creating a playground for the preschool in what was a cement courtyard that separated Lind Hall and the school's gym. Though this will be a wonderful addition to our campus, it was unexpected, and the financial strains involved have been significant. Still, with the good stewardship and work of the staff and the members of our Finance Council, and the generous support of this parish family, this task should be completed in time for the opening of school!
3) As Lind Hall became the new Preschool, what about our teens? We have a new Lind Teen Center, occupying the space that was formerly the choir rehearsal room. The Lind Teen Center will be a safe place for teens to gather, to meet, and to hang out... all at church! The coordinator of ministry for our teenagers, Mrs. Linda Koerner, will have her office in the new Lind Teen Center, to offer our teens the blessings of her dedication to the Way of the Lord.
4) And finally, Phase II of our BLF project. We have completed the first phase of the project, with the new church and lower level meeting rooms. We will need to complete our redemptions of the pledges made... since we are still paying for what we are already enjoying. Our redemptions are to be completed by December of 2010. THEN, as we fulfill our redemptions for the completed first phase of our project... Phase II... and the Parish Hall! More about this, in due course.
Our seminarian and brother, Ruben Nuñez will speak at all of the Masses this weekend. He leaves us on the 4th, to begin his seminary studies. He has been a true blessing to us. Please greet him after Mass with a heart-felt thank you y gracias. And please continue to pray, asking the Lord for holy vocations... for the re-birth of baptism, for marriage, for religious life, for the Order of Deacons and for priestly ministry!
Msgr. David Talley
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|