Dear Friends,
You should have received a copy of the Annual Report in the mail this week. If not, there are copies at the entryways to the church. Please take one. If you did not receive one by mail, then it is possible that the parish does not have an up-to-date address for you. To help us with your correct address, you could fill out a new registration form (located in the entryway to the church in the pamphlet racks) or contact the parish office. I hope you enjoy reading the report. The report is a celebration of the good things that have happened in the parish during the last fiscal year. Cabrini is a wonderful parish. I hope that you feel proud of the good things that are happening here because of your involvement with your faith journey.
We have a couple of events coming up soon that I encourage you to put into your calendar. On the weekend of November 30 – December 1, Archbishop Lucas will be with us for a pastoral visit. He will celebrate the Masses, offer the sacrament of Confirmation, and meet with parishioners to discuss our dreams and concerns about the parish. This is the weekend after Thanksgiving, so I know that some of you will be traveling. However, if you are in town, please join us for the activities. On Saturday evening, November 30, Archbishop Lucas will celebrate the 5:00 Mass and then we will have a dinner together in the school gym (spaghetti and meatballs). Following the dinner, the Archbishop will host a town hall to answer your questions and listen to your dreams about the future of our parish. On Sunday, the Archbishop will offer Confirmation at the 9:00 Mass and will preside at the 11:00 and 5:30 Masses. He will meet with the Pastoral Council following the 11:00 Mass for lunch and a more in-depth conversation about our needs and dreams. Mark your calendars so you can join us!
The other event to put in your calendar is for the feast day of Saint Frances Cabrini – November 13th. We will be showing a new movie about Frances Cabrini that evening at the Gross High School Auditorium. The director of the movie, Lucia Mauro, will be with us to introduce the movie and to answer questions afterwards. The theater seats 400, so we will be asking people to make reservations to make sure you have a spot to see the movie. This will be a great way to learn about our patron saint. Mark your calendars for this event too!
I will be away from the parish for a couple days next week, to a theology conference and for the Midwest gathering of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre. The Order is an international group of Catholics who help support Christians living in the Holy Land meet education and human needs. Most of those Christians are Palestinians or are from Jordan; because of the conflict with Israel, they are not free to travel or pursue adequate employment.
The interior work on the church will continue for another week or two. I ask for your understanding as pews are moved and your normal prayer spot may not be available. The church building is one hundred and eleven years old. It requires gentle, loving care on a regular basis. The plaster and stucco walls need repair about every ten years because of leaks and the settling of the foundation. In a certain sense, the church building is like our spiritual life. It needs constant gentle care to keep us close to God. May the interior work on the church remind us to repair the cracks and pealing areas of our spirit.
Peace,
Fr. Damian