Welcome to Lent! A blessed time of year in which we focus all of our efforts on the call to conversion, which the Lord invites all of us to embrace. Conversion is beautiful for our souls! Conversion can never be done alone, with God’s help, conversion allows us to change things about us that are not of Christ. Conversion requires much work, honest soul searching and reflection. Conversion is possible! Please take advantage of all the parish has to offer as we journey together through the season of Lent.

Once again, I thank all of you who generously supported the 2017 Annual Catholic Appeal. We were short our goal by $28,000. I received a letter from the diocese thanking all of us at St. Sebastian for the work that went into last year’s appeal and asking that the parish send a check to the diocese in the amount of $28,000 so the parish can meet our goal and the Bishop can continue the Lord’s work in Brooklyn and Queens in today’s times.

I want to inform you that Bishop DiMarzio has asked that EVERY PARISH announce the 2018 Annual Catholic Appeal during the homily at Mass on the weekend of February 24-25. Hopefully, all the priests this year will present the appeal and encourage all of us to participate in this year’s Campaign. Our goal for this year’s appeal has been raised to $151,724. All monies over the goal comes back to the parish. A gentle reminder, if our parish does not make the goal (as was the case the last 2 years) then we still have to give the Bishop the remaining amount owed. Therefore, since we did not make our goal in the last two years, I am asking all of you to contribute something so we do not have to keep giving our money from the parish to the Diocese.

Please know, the Bishop has mandated every parish to conduct the 2018 appeal on this weekend.

Thanks for your support.

Rev. Kevin Abels, Pastor