From the Pastor’s Desk
By Fr. Terry Kerner
This past Wednesday, July fourteenth, we celebrated the feast day of our parish patron St. Kateri Tekakwitha. But if you live in Canada, you would have observed her feast on April seventeenth. Now Kateri was born 1656 in Auriesville in upstate New York. Twenty years later on April 18, 1676, she was baptized and eventually received her first communion on Christmas Day in 1677. She entered eternal life on Wednesday of Holy Week, April 17, 1680. Declared Blessed on June 22, 1980, by St. John Paul Il she was canonized a saint thirty-two years later on October 21, 2012, by Pope Benedict XVI. On July 1, 2013, St. Kateri Tekakwitha officially became our parish patron saint.
With all the significant dates and events described above we have chosen to celebrate St. Kateri on October 21st this year. This will be in conjunction with a broader celebration of twenty other saints as part of an exhibit entitled “Walk Among the Saints”. Besides exploring the lives of many of the traditional saints we will address the blessings of Native American and Black Catholics saints and their contribution to the American Catholic Church experience. Mark your calendar now for the exhibit and programs scheduled for October 21 — 26, 2021. Tell your family and friends they are all welcome to join.
Our parish can be very proud of and grateful for our support of this year’s Catholic Services Appeal (CSA)! As mentioned last weekend we continue to exceed our designated target in pledges and percent of participation. As of July 8th, the Archdiocese released its current figures. I share them with you along with our own.
| As of July 8, 2021 | Pledged Amount | Cash Received | Percent of Participation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archdiocesan Goal for 216 Parishes | 57.6% | 48.6% | 13% |
| St. Kateri Parish | 113% | 104% | 41.9% |
| Parish Goal: $52,271 | Pledged to Date: $59,275 |
| Amount Paid: $54,802 | Anticipated Refund: $7,004 |
Refunds from the CSA every year go to any needed capital improvements or significant maintenance issues. We can all appreciate everyone’s prayers and generosity.
Have a good week and always keep the umbrella handy!
