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Dear Friends,

    Warm Greetings! It is sure nice to have some signs of Spring. Yay!
    This past Monday, I met with the School Development Core team. In addition, I invited representatives from the Finance Council, Pastoral Council, and Parish Staff. Our purpose was to explore the possibility of expanding upon all the good work of the School Development effort to include Parish Development as well. After much good discussion, we decided unanimously to broaden the focus of the School Development program to include the entire parish. We also decided to continue the work of the School Development Committees as they are for at least this next year. This includes the Annual Fund Drive that will be held again this Fall. In addition, we have begun searching for a consultant from the Institute of School and Parish Development (who we have used in the past) or another company to help us in the process of expanding our development focus to include the whole parish.
    Development efforts help a parish to identify needs and resources, inform members of what is going on, invite people to participate, and involve people in the life of the parish community.  In addition, these efforts help people to feel invested in the mission of the Church, to implement the goals set forth by parish leadership, and to be constantly improving our school and parish.  On behalf of the parish, deep thanks to the many people who continue to work so hard in our school development efforts. We will keep you posted as to our progress in this expansion.
    The Novena to the Holy Spirit is the prototype of all novenas (nine days of prayer) because, in a sense, it was instituted by Christ himself when he sent his apostles back to Jerusalem to await in prayer the coming of the Holy Spirit. The nine days that the apostles prayed from Ascension Thursday to Pentecost Sunday was, in effect, the first novena.
    This year, Bishop Blair has asked the entire Diocese to pray this novena in one voice together this year during the original days of Ascension Thursday through Pentecost Sunday. Starting on Friday May 2nd , we will pray the Novena to the Holy Spirit as a community at every mass and communion service for the nine days to Pentecost Sunday. In addition to this communal prayer, people are invited to pray the novena at home. Beautifully printed booklets of this novena will be available at the entrances of the church this weekend. Please take one if you would like to pray it at home.
    Let us pray for God to bless our parish and our Church with the gifts of the Holy Spirit which are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. Let us also pray for us to exhibit the fruits of the Holy Spirit which are charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. PRAY HARD! Our world can certainly use a heavy dose of those fruits and those gifts. COME HOLY SPIRIT!
    Next week we will celebrate First Communion at all of our masses. Please pray for these little ones and their families. May their excitement remind us of the great gift we receive at Mass.

Peace,
Fr. Mark