This weekend at the 9:30 a.m. Mass we welcome newly ordained Father Michael DeSaye as he celebrates his First Mass with us, along with his family (parents Greg and Debbie; brother Christopher; sister Marie and her husband, Doug; and sister Kathleen) and friends. We are honored and blessed to have them with us for this great celebration. Please join us for a light reception and First Blessings after the 9:30 a.m. Mass. Father DeSaye has been assigned as parochial vicar at St. Joan of Arc in Marlton.
This weekend Father JM will be returning to the Philippines to spend time with his family. His Grandfather has been seriously ill, so Father is going home to visit with him. We extend our prayers to Father for his safety in travel, as well as for his Grandfather, and all of his family. Father will return at the end of the month.
This week I have several days of meetings as I am a member of the Diocesan Faith in our Future Implementation Commission. I will be at meetings all day on Tuesday and Wednesday. We are fortunate that Father Christopher Dayton, who is also ordained a priest this weekend, will be here to celebrate the 9:00 a.m. Masses on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. While he celebrates his First Mass at Sunday Noon this weekend at St. Catharine Church in Spring Lake, his first parish daily Mass will be celebrated here. Father will offer his First Priestly Blessings after the Masses. Father Dayton has been assigned as parochial vicar at St. Rose in Belmar.
Next Saturday our summer seminarian Christopher Ziegler will begin his service to our parish. Mr. Ziegler is from Ewing Township (just outside of Trenton). He has completed his philosophical studies and enters First Theology this Fall at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD. Chris will be involved in all aspects of parish life this summer. I am sure he will find us a welcoming parish, and I trust that he will have a good experience here, and most importantly, that together we can help him to grow in his vocation and his experiences of pastoral ministry. Fortunately we are a busy parish in the summer, so there will much for him to do.
This coming Thursday evening we are hosting our second annual Coffee House to welcome home the college students for the summer. Please check the bulletin and flyers throughout the church for more details. It is a good time and a good way to reconnect with old friends and, as always, perhaps to make new ones.
This Friday is our Eighth Grade Graduation ceremony. We send off sixty-eight students into the world of high school. We will publish a complete list of the students and the high schools that they are attending in a subsequent bulletin. They are an impressive group of students and we wish them and their parents well.
While the school year is coming to a close, we are thinking about the next school year. If you are considering registering a child in SBS, please schedule a tour soon. We are always happy to consider new students for our school community. Our mission as a parish school is to educate the whole person and to nurture our students in a safe environment with a strong presence of Catholic values and expressions of faith.
May the Lord bless each of you in all of your endeavors this week,
Fr. Garry