The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Fr. Francis Di Spigno, OFM,
Pastor
For the past five years, on this Solemnity, when we mark the end of our Church liturgical year, Joe Mack, the chair of the Parish Finance Council, and I, have presented to the parish the annual report on the previous fiscal year. For some untold reason, my niece did not take this into
consideration when planning her wedding for Saturday,
November 22nd. As I hope you understand, when a niece asks you to preside over her wedding, of course the answer always has to be yes. Since I am away this weekend, Joe and I will
present the report for the fiscal year July 1, 2024 – June 31, 2025, next weekend, November 30th. If you’re interested in a seek
preview, the year ended, once again, in the black. Our
fund-raising initiatives were quite successful, donations to our parish were strong, and your generosity not only allows us to pay our bills but to also have the comfort of having a little extra to start the new year. For that I am most grateful. Thank you! Next weekend Joe and I will take a closer look at the numbers to explain where the money came from and where the money was spent.
On another note, it is not uncommon for people to confess the sin of lack of patience. Another sin in the top ten, at least here on Long Beach Island, is anger when driving on the boulevard. When we put those together, it could be trouble. I will confess to you that at times both of those sins are mine, BUT, I have a request. Actually, the request comes from the Long Beach
Township Police. The police officer who was directing traffic at the exit of our parking lot last weekend spoke to me after one of the Masses. He said, “Excuse me, Father, but would mind asking the congregation to be a bit more patient when they are trying to leave the parking lot?” “Patience, after Mass?” I replied jokingly. Someone in the lobby of the church heard the conversation and immediately invoked Fr. Steve’s name and his continued plea that “Patience starts in the parking lot.” I do know the struggle of finding the balance of driving on the boulevard and holding onto my inner peace, but I echo Fr. Steve and ask if we could be a bit more patient when driving, especially when leaving the parking lot. Sadly, the police officer said that the officers have a joke among themselves about helping us out on the weekends because there are many who don’t like to follow their directions. We do not pay extra for this service, nor did we ask them to provide their assistance. I think we can all agree that when the Masses are finished they are a great help to us, especially those who are trying to make a left-hand turn. For those of us who are inclined to sin while driving, please be courteous to other drivers as well as to the police. If not, our penance could be very expensive, if not worse.
On that note and on behalf of the entire Pastoral Staff, I would like to wish all of us a Happy Thanksgiving. May it be a time to truly give God thanks for all of the gifts that we have. I thank you for your generosity of Time, Talent, and Treasure. That is what makes this parish the wonderful community that it is. Thank you! I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and I look forward to seeing you the First Week of Advent!
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