Let's Celebrate Us!

Dear Parishioners,

Ah, November! It is a month of may things dear to my heart, All Saints Day, Thanksgiving Day, my 40th birthday, conclusions of NCAA football programs,the beginning of a pledge drive for the SQPN, and the final days of Ordinary Time in the Church. Instead of talking about all of these, I'd just like to focus on a couple.

The Birthday Boy!
November 15th will mark my 40th birthday. For many, this is a sign of getting old, a marker of the end of youth. However, I do not see it quite that way. Instead, with every passing year, I pray that I have grown in wisdom and faith. I pray that I will become more tolerant and seasoned in my ability to love God, myself, and others. My parish will be hosting several parties after each Mass on the weekend following my birthday. I confess that I started the idea of a party, but not for completely selfish reasons. However it may look, I believe that a Church should celebrate their pastor and mark special moments for him. So, even if I wasn't the person for whom these celebrations were being offered, I would be right up there encouraging it to happen. The other reason for such a celebration is the most potent of all: The Church needs to celebrate who we are. We need to gather more and celebrate life more often. We need to lift each other up and thank God for the many gifts he has given us. I am truly thankful that has happened to me. The pastor of any Church is the sign of unity of that community. By focusing a celebration around the priest, we are actually celebrating the Church, ourselves in the person of the priest. With all that has bombarded us in these past several years, we need to remember that we are people of celebration. So, let party!

SQPN Support Needed
As you may already know, I am part of the Starquest Production Network, a.k.a. SQPN, with the shows The Da Vinci Cast and TWICC. Well, Fr. Roderick , the founder, alongside Greg and Jennifer Willits, the CEO and CFO of the SQPN nonprofit group, have begun the process of making many dreams come true. This month marks their first ever SQPN Fund Drive. If you have ever listened to the Daily Breakfast, Catholic Insider, Rosary Army, or other productions from the SQPN, you may very well be familiar with the dreams that the SQPN hopes to accomplish. For more information, you can listen to Episode 191 of the Daily Breakfast and hear what Fr. Roderick has planned. Please check it out and see if the SQPN is a venture in evangelization that you feel called to support. Whether or not it is something that you can help with financially, please keep the SQPN in your prayers.



Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor