Jan 28, 2021

Greetings!

Happy Catholic Schools Week!  It will be a different, slightly subdued Catholic Schools Week, but it is something to celebrate just the same.  How fortunate we are that our students are able to continue their classes full time and in person, in a Catholic setting, where the faith is freely practiced, among friends and classmates and continuing the 92 year legacy of St. Sebastian Parish School.  Under the leadership of Mr. Rohr, he and his staff have done a phenomenal job running the school and giving our students as typical an experience as possible, safeguarding that our students’ future will not be marked by an interruption in their studies.

What I am really saying then, is we are first and foremost celebrating our own school and the wonderful people who make it up and who make it possible.  And by support, that doesn’t mean just those who are enrolled, volunteer or donate to the school, this is a mission of the parish as a whole and so I thank each and everyone of you.  For it is the parish that makes it possible.

I have been serving (for years) on a committee that is charged with finding ways to reinvigorate our Catholic schools.  Not much has been accomplished in all of those years largely due to the fact that every time we are about to move forward with a plan, we get a new bishop!  Bishop Malesic is taking the fast track.  He understands that we are at a critical juncture in the life of the diocese, particularly as schools are concerned, and so will be making an announcement (at least to the priests) this Catholic Schools Week about a proposed comprehensive plan for our schools.  Please keep our bishop, our schools and in particular our exceptional St. Sebastian Parish School in your prayers!

IN OTHER NEWS:

CANDLEMAS DAY:  February 2nd is Candlemas Day.  It is the day on which we celebrate the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple.  It occurs 40 days after Christmas and there is a much older tradition concerning the predictions about winter for the next 40 days than our current observance of Groundhog Day:

If Candlemas Day is clear and bright,

winter will have another bite.

If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain,

winter is gone and will not come again.

Traditionally candles are blessed on this day.  (Hence the name Candlemas day - not unlike Christmas day, the day Mass is celebrated for the Christ Child, or Michaelmas day, the feast of St. Michael the Archangel)  At St. Sebastian, we have been following the tradition of gathering in the narthex of the church with lighted candles for the blessing of candles and then processing into the church.  But because of current health concerns we will modify that practice this year.  But if you have candles that you would like blessed, please bring them and place them along with the church candles for the blessing.

WELCOME:  This weeks also marks welcoming of Mr. Charles Bulger into the rectory.  He is a seminarian preparing to enter into St. Mary Major Seminary in the spring.  We are fortunate to have him with us to continue the blessings of all the seminarian help we have had to assist us through this time of pandemic.  Are we blessed or what?

God bless,

Fr. Valencheck