So here we are in the first weekend of October. Fall is a great time of the year. My favorite, really. The cool air, the colors of the changing leaves, the excitement about getting candy on the last day of the month. Who wouldn’t like this time of year?
And of course for us at St. Leo’s, it’s a time to look forward to our Parish Festival. It will take place on Friday & Saturday, October 18th & 19th. As you know it is all indoors so we don’t have to worry about inclement weather. We make a healthy profit for just two days but our main reason for the festival is the opportunity it provides to be with each other and to welcome our neighbors here. I’ll say one more time that the Raffle tickets we ask you to sell bring in the biggest profit so my sincere thanks in advance for all you are doing to get them sold. Many people have worked many, many hours in planning for these two days, and many more people will donate many hours during those days with preparation, cleanup and everything in between. Please know how grateful I am to each of you who volunteer your time and who work hard on behalf of our community. It’s what makes St. Leo so Great (see what I did there?).
Congratulations to Marcos Gonzalez who will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation during the 11am Mass. Marcos and his fiancé Stefany are from Venezuela & have only been in the States for a couple of years. They are getting married here in January 2020. We are happy to help Marcos complete his initiation into the Catholic Church and wish him and Stefany Godspeed as they prepare for their wedding.
Last weekend we heard the Gospel challenge us to be mindful of the poor. So this is a good time for me to thank you for doing just that through our Catholic Charities Annual Campaign. I just received word from the Diocese that thanks to the generosity of 252 parishioners at St. Leo’s, our parish has exceeded the goal they gave us as we are at 102.5% of our goal. I am always mindful of your concern for the poor through Catholic Charities and the St. Vincent de Paul Ministry. Thank you again for living out the gospel. th
We celebrated Michaela’s 7 birthday this past week. We had ice-cream cake and Death by Chocolate (a dessert that takes a long time to make but which fills you with sweetness...don’t let the name scare you). She received a few more toys which she plays with up and down the hall- ways of the rectory. I can do without the squeaking but for her that’s the best part. I know many of you hear her welcoming you enthusiastically to the rectory office. She’s also warning you to be kind to me as she thinks of herself as the Master(’s) Protector (see what I did there?). I’m hoping that the Pet Blessing she received with your critters this weekend will prove effective. You can check out the pictures taken of our furry friends on our website.