Fr. Mike's Message - 02/06/2022

Dear Parishioners,

Many thanks for a wonderful celebration of Catholic Schools Week last Sunday at the 11:00 a.m. Mass. Many of our students and families gathered to pray together and give thanks to God for the gift of our parish school family! We are blessed with such an awesome group of people that make up our school - parents, students, families, faculty, and staff. Thank you for your ongoing support of our grade school.

We always have news to share with our parishioners and we want to make sure we are able to connect with you! Please take a moment to enter your current contact information so we can keep our Parish Directory up-to-date. The electronic form is secure, and also allows you to select your communication preferences! Simply click this link (or type it into your browser): https://bit.ly/SFBParish. A Directory Update Form will also be included in an upcoming parish mailing if you prefer to provide your current contact information on a paper form and return it to the parish office. This is really helpful for us to have current contact information, so I appreciate your assistance with this.

Thank you for your attentiveness last week as we addressed the All Things New planning initiative underway for the entire Archdiocese. We need to steep this process in prayer, so please pray for the Archbishop and all who are working on this most important project. While the process will eventually look at what changes need to be made to parishes, schools, and agencies in the Archdiocese, we will first be asked to examine our hearts and recommit ourselves to grow in our faith and relationship with the Lord.

We will all be asked to participate in the All Things New initiative. There are several ways to do this. Begin, as mentioned above, with prayer. Spend a quiet moment asking the Lord to bless this process and/or ask the Holy Spirit to guide us and make us ready to embrace whatever is in store for us. Come to Adoration in Church on Tuesdays anytime between 8:30 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. Pray the All Things New prayer. Take advantage of the opportunities that will arise as the process moves ahead, including filling out the Disciple Maker Index which will be released in early March. Check out the All Things New website periodically for updates and new information. You can sign up to receive email updates as well. There will be other opportunities to listen and share your thoughts, feelings, and desires for the future of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.  As has been stated, this process will affect every parish, so please avail yourselves of every opportunity to let your voice be heard, as Archbishop Rozanski has asked each of us to do.

Switching gears, here’s a repeat of what I shared a few weeks ago, but I think it’s important enough to share again: Winter weather announcement…as we get deeper into the winter season with the ongoing possibility of snow and ice, please know we will do our best to keep access to the church as safe as possible. If we get winter precipitation, please use extra caution as you approach and leave the Church.  If you need to stay home or feel safer doing so, you have every dispensation and permission you need to be excused from your Sunday obligation.  I would rather you be safe than risk an injury.  Please know that, for your safety, some entrances and stairways to church will be restricted.  Winter weather always poses an extra challenge to our maintenance crew, so we are sure grateful to them for their extra work.  If you’d like a volunteer opportunity to help with these efforts, please let me or Joe Holtmeier know.  Thanks in advance for your patience and flexibility.

Have a blessed week!

Fr. Mike Boehm