Aug 29, 2024

Greetings,

St. Sebastian Parish School opened its doors for the first day of school this past week. I wasn’t there unfortunately, having to be away on diocesan business, but Fr. Marcelli
held down the fort. I look forward to seeing all our students this week.

Next week begins our Parish School of Religion. At least I shall be here for your first day! Welcome back students, principal Cinnamon Chivers, catechists and volunteers. May you have a great year of growth and holiness in the Lord!

IN OTHER NEWS:

LABOR DAY SCHEDULE: Please note that on Monday, September 2, Labor Day, morning Mass will be at 9:00am. Also, the parish offices will be closed on this day.

PARISH OFFICE WEEKEND HOURS: We are changing our weekend hours at the parish office. Beginning Saturday, August 31 and moving forward, the parish office will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:30am-Noon.

ANNUAL EUCHARISTIC DEVOTIONS: Our Annual Eucharistic Devotions are coming up September 15-17. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed on our altar following the 11:00am Mass and continue to be present for adoration day and night until Tuesday evening when we will have closing ceremonies beginning at 7:30pm

During this time, we will need to have two or three people minimally signed up for all the hours. It is a requirement that someone be present with the Eucharist when it is exposed at all times. I am requesting multiple people so that we can be sure somebody will be there (in case one person might be held up by traffic or something). Also, it just feels more secure to have multiple people present, especially during those night hours.

If you are fairly flexible, our most difficult hours to fill are between 3:00am through 7:00am. Also, it would be great to have a few able-bodied men to sign up for the night hours. Sign-up sheets will be located on the altar rail in front of the Blessed Virgin Mary statue. Please say a prayer for the success of our Devotions!

CONCERT NEXT WEEKEND: Kirk Kupensky will be opening our 2024-2025 Musical Arts Series at St. Sebastian Parish on Sunday, September 8 at 4:00pm. Pieces by Mozart and Debussy will be played on the harp by this talented, recorded artist who has toured with Bernadette Peters and Josh Groban. The concert is free and open to the public. Just as a reminder, we always encourage parents to bring their children to these concerts. This is a perfect (and economical) venue to begin to teach children how to enjoy and behave at concerts, which is as great a gift one can give to a young person as being exposed to the music itself.

WEDDINGS: Weddings are always such a beautiful, joy-filled occasions. But they can also be a logistical nightmare. Huge ceremonies with a cast of thousands are not everybody’s cup of tea. If it is not yours and you are thinking of getting married in the Church, but tremble at the thought of all the work and brouhaha that seem to accompany it, please be assured that, while wonderful, such lavish celebrations are not necessary. A wedding ceremony, while always public, can also be a very simple affair.

God bless,
Fr. Valencheck