This past Advent we had 22 of our parishioners who attended the Small Group Leader Training participate in a small group for the first time! We hope with that experience that they will be able to lead or co-lead small groups in Lent. With their leadership, we will be able to offer more small group ministry offerings and Gather to Witness Christ more clearly in our lives. I am grateful for their yes. I hosted a group of 8 men from the parish for 4 weeks to reflect and prepare for Christmas. It was truly edifying to see the men open up and grow together in relationship with each other and, most importantly, with the Lord. I look forward to seeing how the Holy Spirit will continue to bear fruit in our parish!
Looking ahead to the first half of 2024, we will celebrate our First Confession with over 50 students on January 27th. We will have a waffle breakfast to kick off Catholic Schools Week on January 28th. We plan to complete our Restore to Gather Campaign on February 2nd. Thank you to all who have turned in their pledges. If you have not, please do so to help us reach our goal of having $5 million pledged by February. In February we have our annual Wines to Wishes School Fundraiser, which is always a fun event. Ash Wednesday kicks off Lent on February 14th and we plan to launch several new small groups to journey together through that season. Holy Week is March 24-March 31st. We are planning an all-parish retreat on the weekend of April 12-14th on site. Watch for more information about that new opportunity. We hope to begin some of the work in the church in April and work in the school in May. The exact timeline is still being worked out and we will keep you updated as it progresses.
Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever! We look forward to 2024 knowing that the Lord goes with us and His love and mercy are unchanging!
