Father Newman giving a Sermon

The Epiphany of the Lord

1 January 2005

Dear Friends in Christ,

Permit me to draw your attention to two important meetings in January and one critical need for the parish:

  1. Are you married outside the Church or thinking of marrying someone who was married before? On Thursday, 20 January 2005, I will explain what the Church teaches about the possibility of declaring a previous marriage sacramentally invalid (usually, though inaccurately, called an annulment). Any Catholic or anyone thinking of becoming a Catholic who is divorced and remarried outside of the Catholic Church is welcome to attend this class at 7:00 pm in Sacred Heart Hall. You do not need to bring any documents with you to this meeting; our purpose is simply to provide information and answer questions.
  2. The Master Plan for the future of St. Mary’s Church and School is now complete, and on Monday 24 January 2005, everyone in the parish is invited to the unveiling of the new plan. I will explain our vision for the complete restoration of the middle school building and describe the preliminary design for a new church that will seat 1200 persons. The architects of Pazdan-Smith Group have prepared drawings and a model of our campus to help me explain our vision for the future, and I encourage you to attend this meeting to get your first glimpse of the extraordinary possibilities facing St. Mary’s. We will meet at 7:00 pm in Gallivan Hall.
  3. We need a Director of Stewardship and Development to serve our church and school, and I am now actively searching for the right candidate for this full time job. This position is about much more than fund-raising, although that task is an essential part of the post. If you or someone you know would be interested in discussing this position, please send me a resume and cover letter at the parish office. I am reviewing applications now and hope to hire someone early in the New Year. The ideal candidate will be a practicing Catholic with a commitment to the New Evangelization who also has experience in the areas of Christian stewardship and/or institutional development.

May the LORD richly bless you and those you love in 2005.

Father Newman

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us.