SJB's 50th Anniversary

Dear Friends in Christ,

During the past several months our 50th Anniversary Committee has been meeting to plan and execute the events of our parish’s 50th Anniversary. We are a community of faith and so these events are divided into two categories, community-building and spiritual. Of the community building events, we have already had some movie nights and other events are planned for the next several months.

This weekend we are holding one of our spiritual events, the consecration of our parish family to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Let me explain briefly what this means. Mary is the mother of Jesus who is God, the only-begotten Son of the Father. Therefore the One who is son of Mary is also the Son of God because He is one Person. Therefore the Council of Ephesus in 431AD declared Mary to be the Mother of God. With such an exalted position Mary is greatly favored by God. We recall that the angel called her “full of grace”. The intimate relationship Mary has with God makes her especially capable of helping us. Even though she is now in heaven body and soul, she continues to be watchful over the children Jesus entrusted to her as He died on the cross. We can think of the great Marian apparitions over the past centuries, Guadalupe, Lourdes, Fatima. Mary’s message in these different places is one of maternal care and a call to prayer and penance. She has shown herself a true Mother who looks after her children and leads them directly to her Son.

St. Maximilian Kolbe was a Franciscan priest from Poland who died a martyr of charity in the concentration camp of Auschwitz in 1941. St. Maximilian was a true spiritual son of Mary Immaculate and promoted devotion to her through the “Militia Immaculatae” which he founded
in 1917. Through communities called “cities or villages of the Immaculate” he consecrated entire groups of people to Mary as her disciples. The mission of these groups, which exist in all parts of the world, is to assist Mary in spreading the Gospel for the salvation of souls. One of the ways to achieve this is through consecration to Mary. Consecration makes us dedicated disciples of Mary who leads us to Jesus and forms Jesus in us through her powerful intercession. In this way we become apostles sent out to lead more people to Christ and advance the triumph of the Sacred Heart on earth.

May our parish consecration to Mary bear much fruit for the greater glory of God and for our salvation.

Sincerely yours in Christ and His Mother,

Fr. Hildebrand

Pastoral Services Appeal for 2009

Dear Friends in Christ,

Our Pastoral Services Appeal for 2009 continues to be very successful. We have surpassed our $80,000 goal and have been receiving rebates for a few weeks. I have sent thank you cards to all the addresses we have. However, since we may miss someone, please accept our sincere thanks for your gifts and know that the rebates are being put to good use (See bullet points below).

More good news on the parish finances: Our Parish Festival 2009 is the best in recorded history! This year’s festival netted over $75,000! Congratulations to all who worked hard to make this event so successful. Many people from our parish gave of their time and talents over the three day period. People enjoyed the great food, rides, and entertainment. It was a family event which built community among our parishioners.

Thanks to your support of the festival our parish debt will be greatly reduced. Once the debt is paid, we will be able to move forward with projects to improve and expand our overtaxed facilities.

Meanwhile, during the summer some improvements have been made. Here is a list of them:

• New wood fencing along rectory wall to provide outdoor lunch and gathering area for staff and guests,
• Remodel of rectory front office to accommodate third office station,
• Remodel of former youth ministry office to make a new hall meeting room for different groups (including youth),
• Remodel of some rooms in the convent (this was long overdue) including the convent chapel and dining room, Installation of new cabinets in school classrooms.
  

May the Lord reward you for your continued support of our parish.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand

SJB Project's Progress

Dear Friends in Christ,

This week I am happy to report more progress on our stained glass windows. Conrad Schmitt Studios has begun cutting the colored glass that will go in to making these magnificent “sermons in stone”. Today I would like to share with you more about the themes in two other windows.

St. Patrick Window

St. Patrick, patron of the Irish, represents the first major ethnic group in the history of the parish, and indirectly, all those of white European ancestry. This window is the primary “dedication” window of the stained glass donor – dedicated to the memory of Msgr. Daniel Brennan who brought him into the Church. He is donating all the windows in the Church in gratitude for what this Irish priest of our parish did for him.

St. Patrick will be wearing the vesture of a bishop – mitre, crosier, ring (with a green chasuble and the white pallium covered with crosses hanging over the chasuble. He will also be shown administering the Sacrament of Confirmation to the donor, who is kneeling at his feet.
St. Juan Diego Window

St. Juan Diego represents another large cultural group in the history of the parish, the Mexican and/or Latin American community. He is known as the one to whom Our Lady appeared in 1531 and who received the miraculous image on his cloak or tilma. In the window he will be holding the tilma in front of him with roses spilling out and showing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. St. Juan Diego was on his way to seek the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick for his uncle who was seriously ill when Our Lady appeared to him.

Therefore, included in this window is a flask of the oil of the sick to remind us of the importance of this Sacrament in the Church.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand