Pastor's Notes - 06/07/2020

You received a surprised letter from Archbishop Carlson about the Annual Catholic Appeal beginning later this month. It had his address and name on the outside of the return address. It is for real. If you look closely at the top of the pledge card is has 370, which is our parish number.

I know that some parishioners are financially strapped, and others are fine. If you are able to contribute this year, you have several options available to do so. First of all, you can fill the pledge card out and mail it back in.  Secondly, you can fill it out and put it in the collection or drop it by the parish office.  Thirdly, you can come to the parish office and they will help you to fill it out and even give you a replacement pledge card, if needed. Fourthly, you can go to aca.archstl.org which is a direct link to the Archdiocese and one can give online.
 
St. Francis Borgia benefits from the Annual Catholic Appeal in many ways. Fr. Tony was just in the seminary last year; Dave Tobben and Tim Reis are in the diaconate program; Connie Stelzer is currently in the three year lay formation program (our past graduates are: Scott McKinnis and Jennifer Hill); continual formation of us three priests; supporting retired priests like Fr. Sigmund; elementary teachers education fund; Steubbenville retreat for high school students; St Francis Borgia Regional High School; natural family planning for marriage preparation; Right Start Program for 8 ^th graders; and the Catholic Magazine which is a quarterly magazine sent out to all Catholics.
 
As we go forward, please remember that our parish office is open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. One must wear a mask and knock on the door to be let in. The Mass schedule has not changed; and neither has the confession schedule. I realize that we still have social distancing, but there is room in church and the church balcony. Plus in Jesuit Hall there is seating in the choir room and the large room upstairs on the third floor. There is sound in Jesuit Hall for now. Deacon Leon is trying to get Adoration going again from mid-morning till 8:00 p.m. Right now, there are not many before 5:00 p.m. who have agreed to spend an hour with the Lord.
 
Next week I will talk about the replacing of the barrel ceiling of the church which will affect the use of the church during the weekdays.  It will be starting later this month.
 
Thanks for all your generosity to the parish at this time.
  
Fr. Joe Wormek
Pastor