Around the Parish – June 23, 2024

Thank you to everyone that donated to our special second collection last weekend for our Vacation Bible School. We raised $1,773. for our use during the special days of VBS. If you wish to donate still, please feel free to place any donation in the collection basket with a note or envelope marked that the use is for VBS. As a reminder, this event is COMPLETELY FREE for all of our participants. At the moment, we have 29 students registered. More are always welcome! We ask that you register ASAP so that we can adequately prepare by purchasing materials in time for our first day. Can you believe it? VBS is only just about 2 weeks away! Please help us spread the word in our community! All are invited to participate, and we look forward to an amazing week of fun!

Next week, our country celebrates its 248th birthday! What a better way to thank God for the gift of freedom than attending mass? Our daily mass will remain at 8am on Thursday, July 4, but I encourage everyone to rise early to thank God for this gift of freedom, liberty, and the ability to praise His Most Holy Name! As we know, many in our world do not have this luxury, so let’s make sure to use it this year.

As mentioned in last weeks bulletin and included in this weeks bulletin, there is an advertisement for our High School students to participate in a Catholic Summer Olympics over in Sharon and Hermitage. I want to personally encourage any high school student to participate from our parish! It will be a great time of fun and faith for all! I look forward to seeing you all there. Please contact Saint Joseph Parish for more information.

Normally on First Friday we have adoration and confessions available from 6-7pm, but we will not be having that this month of July so that those who are traveling for the Fourth can celebrate and be with family. We will begin our First Friday adoration and confessions again in August. Mark you calendars so that you can join us!

Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:

To prepare for tomorrow, trust in Jesus today. Just because something could have been different, doesn’t necessarily mean that it would have been better. Don’t let your habits become handcuffs. Always try to turn set backs into set up. Let’s be certain to give as much energy to our dreams as we do to our fears.

Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy