The summer break is over; school starts this week for many of us, but for others it has already started! For some students, this is great news and for others it is a disappointment. But for all the parents I know, it is welcome news. Most everyone I know is excited to have their children back in school and learning again in person. After the last year of COVID restrictions, school was on and off again multiple times and often in distance learning. We are all eager to get back to a normal life again, whatever that will mean in the short; with everyone needing to continue to wear face masks because of the Delta variant. But in all of this, we are hopeful that getting back in routine with school and other activities that we will return to a more normal way of life. I suspect we will need to learn to live with the COVID and its many variants that will come and find a new normal where we can see each other and still be community for each other. We here at St. Simon Parish will continue to do whatever we can to bring us together safely and be the community the world so desperately needs right.
To that end, I want to highlight the many activities we are kicking off in the days ahead. This weekend, we will have a guest priest from India preaching on the needs of his Diocese of Balasore. It is part of the annual diocesan mission appeal in which every parish is asked to help one cause from different parts of the world that are in need. Please listen to his appeal or read his appeal and give generously.
Speaking of giving, we have several other opportunities for you to give locally. We ask you to support the eWaste drive next Saturday. You just bring all your leftover technology equipment and we dispose of it for you. All the proceeds from this will go to St. Vincent de Paul and their many ministries. They are also collecting school supplies for local schools in need. Please see the links below for more information. We can all give a little and every child will have what they need for the year. Also, we have our annual CASH CALENDAR RAFFLE where we try to eliminate other little asks throughout the year and use these funds to meet those needs. What a fun way to fundraise – a raffle to win cash! Again, we appreciate your help here. Thank you.
It is hard to believe that I have been here at St. Simon one full year as your pastor and I have not really spent time with many parishioners. I see many of you coming to Church but it is such a brief time and I do not really get to chat with you and get to know you. I really want to meet your families and I am eager to do so at the upcoming BBQ on September 11. Come with your family and be prepared to stay and chat with others. We miss each other and we really want to gather together and celebrate this community and the Fall BBQ will be a great way to do so.
Many times over the last year, we have tried to plan a celebration to celebrate and say farewell to Fr. Warwick in his retirement but some COVID event has interrupted our plans. So after talking with Fr. Warwick, we have planned a farewell. We will gather on Sunday, September 26 at 5pm at which he will preside, with all the St. Simon priests concelebrating. Then, we will hold a simple reception in the school yard immediately after the outdoor Mass. Please save that date and plan to join us to say thank you and farewell formally. More information will be coming the weeks ahead.
Lastly, next Sunday, August 22 at 5pm we will celebrate Fr. Mike Burn’s 90th birthday with a Mass and special birthday blessing at the Mass. There will be no reception per his request so just come to Mass and give him your blessing and he will give us his. What an amazing age—90! Wow!
God Bless,
Fr. Brendan