Fr. John's Reflection

As We Celebrate the Feast of the Holy  Family, We Celebrate Our Parish Family in Imitation of Them . . .
 
Thanksgiving Bread
During our Celebration of Bethlehem meaning “House of Bread”, our linked parish                  communities offered bread to begin our  celebrating of the Holy Season as we thanked God for all of our family and friends and blessings and graces received. From our “Houses of Bread” at the Basilica and St. John’s, we provided blessed bread to share at our Thanksgiving meals. We thank Steve & Patricia Yatzkanic and Barb Carucci for helping to provide and obtain our breads to share.
 
Homebound
Thank you to the 2024 Confirmation Class for your donations to the elderly and homebound!
 
Christmas
Bazaar 
We as a family came together to bring in many gifts so affordable treasures could be found by those in the surrounding communities. We thank Vickie Veno, her brother, Joe Muniga, Lori Lombardo, and Cheryl Shembeda, who spearheaded other volunteers to help this first time linked parish community project to have a successful beginning. Those items that remained were donated to our local St. Vincent de Paul store on State Street.
 
Christmas
Decorating
Our inside and outside of our Basilica, St. John’s and Sacred Heart   Oratory worship sites were beautifully decorated to welcome the New Born King as well as the faces of Christ in all who visited our sacred grounds. We thank Mary Ann Loskey, Theresa Budzinski, Carol Moses, Ann Clarke, Gloria Dzuroff, Jennifer and Jim Black, Barb and Benny Carucci, Cookie and Philippe Yates, Cygan family and their volunteers for all their hard work to help send a message of Christmas to all who came to enter, visit and pray at our churches.
 
Jesse Tree     
St. John’s had an overwhelming response to their annual Jesse Tree Advent gift giving in its 11th year of operation. Thank you to Janine  Scholla and Jean Abdo who managed and coordinated the annual program where the majority of your donations were distributed through Catholic Charities and this year the St. Gianna Molla Center were recipients of a portion of the gifts given to those in need.
 
Annual Christmas Dinner
We thank Mary Cygan coordinating the annual event that serves anyone requesting a dinner in our surrounding communities including our first responders. We thank her and the many volunteers for their hard work and efforts that went into serving Christmas Dinner to over 1,000  individuals. All received a delicious meal and were able to celebrate in their homes this beautiful Day of giving by the gifts made by various vendors and parish and community contributions. You have touched a multitude of hearts allowing many to be fed through physical and spiritual nourishment.

Thank You to all for the sharing of yourselves so God’s Presence could be shared by the Many!
 
Blessed Christmas Season and New Year!