Father's Bulletin Letter 11.7.21

Nov 04, 2021

Greetings,

Last Sunday, after the last of his obligations here, I gave Fr. Morris a blessing and he got into his car and headed off to Doylestown. As I watched his car pass down our brick driveway and disappear onto Elmdale, I wondered if that is what it felt like to send a son off to a new job and to live on his own for the first time: proud and sad at the same time.

Here is a little bit of what is going on in the rectory: We know that, even if we should get another parochial vicar, the day is coming in which almost no parish will have one. So, plans need to be set in motion now to design a parish to face this upcoming inevitability rather than just react when it does. Actually, I am quite excited about some of the things that are going to happen and I think you will be too. Slowly they will roll out as we move into the future and more of you may be tapped on the shoulder to help create a strong St. Sebastian Parish.

In the meantime, while we wait to find out what our immediate situation will be, please keep your parish in your prayers and be patient for just one more week as things such as wedding schedules, Mass schedules for outside requests, program assignments and such are worked out. I will have more news for you next week!

IN OTHER NEWS:

CONCERT FRIDAY NIGHT:  For those of you who read the bulletin online ahead of time, you still are able to catch what promises to be a fabulous organ concert this Friday night, November 5th at 7:00pm. Mr. Scott Montgomery will be performing on our mighty organ. The concert is free and open to the public.

FALL BACK:  Along the same lines of trying to warn those who will read the bulletin early, don’t forget that Sunday morning your clocks should fall back one hour!

FATHER VALENCHECK AWAY:  So, I have never accepted an out of state wedding in my life. I always felt too obligated to my parishes on the weekend. But, I felt so comfortable with Fr. Morris here that I thought, “Why not?” Well, then we found out why not! All of a sudden, I am the only priest here with no-one on deck to take the Saturday Masses and confession schedule!

I was beginning the process of praying about this and calling on priest friends when, Lo and Behold, Fr. Joe Robinson called and asked if he could come to St. Sebastian to do a retreat in the rectory and if I didn’t mind could he take the Saturday Mass! (This was before he knew Fr. Morris was leaving.) Is that cool or what? God is so awesome! So, Fr. Joe Robinson will be the celebrant for the 8:00am and 4:30pm Masses and will be on for confession at 9:30am on Saturday, November 13th. Also, Fr. Cameron Popik from St. Hilary will be hearing confessions on Friday, November 12th from 4:00 to 5:00. I will have returned after that to take on the rest of the weekend schedule.

God bless,

Fr. Valencheck