FATHER ABEL’S COLUMN – JULY 3RD, 2016

declartionI am happy to let you know that we are getting a Filipino priest, Fr. Joey Francisco, who will begin his ministry here on September 30th. I interviewed him over a month ago and can honestly say that he will be another wonderful addition to our parish. It’s a blessing getting a fifth priest here in the parish!

The Bishop knows how busy we are and how important priests are to the wonderful people of Saint Sebastian! Fr. Joey will be a great blessing to our parish, especially our Filipino community, who continue to grow in numbers. I look forward to welcoming him and introducing him to our community at the end of September.

Also, I hired Mr. Ryan Wasson as our Full-time youth minister. I was only able to do this due to some monies left before I got here, specifically marked for youth ministry purposes. We have a lot of young people in our parish who are eager to stay connected to the parish. We must reach out to them! Father Rodnev has done a remarkable job getting young people together for various events, etc. Father Rodnev and Mr. Wasson will work closely with me as we look forward to building a strong youth ministry program for our Parish.

Now that summer is upon us, I wanted to let you know that this weekly mass schedule will be 7 AM,9 AM and 12 noon. There will be NO 7 PM mass during July and August,. It will resume after Labor Day. In addition, we will keep the Blessed Sacrament exposed Monday through Friday from 7:30 A.m. to 6:45 PM. At 6:45 PM a priest will come over to celebrate Benediction.
Please note: The 7 PM Wednesday night mass and Novena to Our Lady Of Perpetual Help will remain during the summer.
All are invited to attend.

Finally, a gentle reminder on the financial health of the parish. If you are going to be away at any time during the summer, please keep Saint Sebastian’s in mind. Of course, you are still obligated to attend mass on vacation but if you can still contribute to our collection over the summer, it will be so much appreciated. Our parish relies on your agenda ration generosity all during the year. So, if at all possible, please consider supporting our collection by mailing any donations or envelopes to the rectory. It will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for your support!

Kevin P. Abels, Pastor