From the Pastor’s Desk by Fr. Terry Kerner,
On page two of this week’s bulletin is some very sad news. Deacon Tom describes his cancer and the medical implications for treatment. Deacon intends to continue his ministry to us as long as possible. Certainly, as he describes it, there will be a period of time that he will be absent. Deacon Tom is displaying incredible courage and powerful faith these days. He attributes his attitude to prayer and the certainty of our support for him. Any cards or personal messages for him can be placed in the offering boxes in church.
Deacon Tom is intensely committed to serving the sick and homebound of the parish. People love his visiting and offering the Eucharist to them. For a while this ministry will have to be suspended unless parishioners come forward to continue this corporal work of mercy. I am asking you to consider being a part of this ministry to the degree you are able. Simply contact the parish office or drop a note in the offering box. We will be contacting you. Certainly I will work with you & help you to be comfortable making the communion calls. Not only will you be bringing Christ to our homebound but also your faithful love for them. This new parish ministry will be titled “Christophers” for obvious reasons.
Our Family of Parishes (St. Alphonsus-St. Clement, St. Barbara, St. Kateri, St. Maria Goretti) has only three deacons to serve us. Sadly, we learned last week Deacon Regis Buckley of St. Maria Goretti is battling lung cancer. Our third deacon is Larry Girard and is 106 years old – the oldest deacon in the United States. God has blessed us with these good men to serve the Church through their parish ministry. May we bless them with our grateful and hopeful prayers!
With Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent not too far off it is appropriate to think about how you may want to observe this holy season. There are plenty of different ways of doing so. Think of a few that will help you discover and rededicate your life to God, your family and your parish.
On a final note, enjoy the Super Bowl and don’t let Taylor Swift get in the way of watching some good football!
