Thank You!

 

Dear Parishioners,

            On this New Year’s Day I am dedicating this space to express my deep sense of gratitude to all of you.  I would like to begin by thanking you for your Christmas cards, prayers, and greetings to me and also to Deacon Ron and Deacon Tom.  We are blessed to serve you as your clergy, and you make our experience joyful by your friendliness and help.  Thank you also for your Christmas donations to the parish!

            I must acknowledge our many volunteers who do so much throughout the year.  The bulletin could not contain all the names.  You have stepped up, again, in this holiday season to make it more cheerful for so many.  Thank you to all who served in and donated to the Seniors Dinner.  Thank you to our extraordinary ministers who brought cookies and flowers to parishioners who receive Communion at home.  Thank you to everyone involved in the Children’s Nativity Program and who organize and donate to the Giving Tree.  A special thanks to the leadership, volunteers, and benefactors of the Avon Grove Christmas Basket Program, which has helped so many families again this year. 

Thank you to all who are involved in our liturgies – the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, the Sacristans, Lectors, Altar Servers, Decorators, Ushers, Greeters, Cantors, Musicians, and Camera monitors.  You do a lot to make our worship worthy of the Lord.  Thank you also to the members of the Respect Life Group, who do so much to promote respect for all human life and to help mothers in difficult situations.  I am grateful also to those involved in the Ministry of Consolation, which is a big comfort those who have lost a loved.

The members of the Finance, Development and Pastoral Councils and their committees do a great job in helping me as an administrator and pastor, and I am very grateful to them.  Their expertise and insights have been invaluable.  We also have dedicated staff working in the parish and school, for which we are grateful.    

            Thank you to all who are involved in ministry to our youth, especially to those who serve as volunteers in Assumption BVM School and our Catholic Youth Faith Formation program.  You put a lot of time and effort into teaching the children and to helping them to know Jesus.  You are a great example to them!  I am also grateful to our director and the coaches of CYO Sports!  They dedicate a lot of time to making sure that our young people have a chance to compete in organized sports. 

            A key to the success of so much that we do as a parish family are the members of the Knights of Columbus and the Ladies Auxiliary.  They are dependable and available when help is needed, and their outreach initiatives do good for many people.  Thank you also to all involved in the parish cleanup days!

In general, I am grateful for the welcome which our parishioners give towards newcomers, who often tell me how pleased they were by your welcome and outreach.  Finally, I am grateful and impressed by your generous financial support of the parish.  It makes me think of what St. Paul said in a gathering of leaders in the church of Ephesus, where he quotes the Lord and says, “It is better to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).  You are living this virtue by the giving of your time, talent, and treasure in many different ways.

            In this New Year let us continue to do all that we can to honor and glorify God and to build up his people.  May the Lord bless our efforts to bring the good news to those who do not know him, for  “God desires all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).  May we truly live up to our parish motto: “To Know Jesus, to Love Jesus, and to Serve Jesus.”  Thank you for being His faithful servants!  And may God give each of you and your loved ones a blessed and happy New Year! 

Father Scott