December 15, 2019

My Dear Parishioners,
   I want to thank those who have completed their stewardship forms and returned them to us.  God bless you for your love for God and your stewardship way of life in our church and school.  Our parish leaders and I hope that everyone will do all that they can for our church and school with their time, talents and treasures.  This is my first time asking every family to complete and return their stewardship forms to us since I have been here, about 1.5 years ago.  Why is it so important to complete your stewardship forms?  It’s because you are the heart and soul of our church and school.  We need your commitment to your Catholic faith by helping us at Holy Masses, by cleaning our church and facilities, by helping with the upkeep of our buildings and grounds, by helping us form, educate and evangelize our children through their high school years, by helping us pay all necessary bills of about $1.5 million a year.  We need your hands, your heart, your skills and talents and your financial support too.  Your best gift to God in our parish is your faithful stewardship way of life.  If you cannot give much of your time and talents because you are so busy with other commitments at home or at work, then please support us with your donation.  Thank you!  Deadline to return your stewardship forms is this Sunday, December 15th.
   Parish Penance Service this Sunday, December 15th at 4pm:  We are blessed to have WAM, a special group of Catholic singers, who will be leading songs during our adoration and confession.  Adoration will start at 4pm with 70 of our confirmation students.  Please pray an Act of Contrition in church so that you will not have to pray it in the confessional.  Also, please prepare yourself well before going into the confessional.  Begin with the sign of the cross, then tell the priest how long ago your last confession was and start telling him your sins, the sins that you are most sorry for and can remember.  Please do not mention other people’s problems or world problems in the confessional because so many are waiting in line to go to confession.  Confession should be - admit that you are a sinner and mention your personal sins so that they can be forgiven.  Priest’s names will be posted: Fr. Ben Nguyen (west confessional), Fr. Doug Campbell (west sacristy), Fr. Paul Oborny (east confessional), Fr. Curtis Hecker (east entrance area), Fr. Eric Weldon (library), and Fr. Dwight Birket (choir room). Please give to Jesus the gift of your clean heart and soul at one of our Christmas Masses: Tuesday, December 24th, Christmas Eve at 4pm (English) and 6pm (Vietnamese), Christmas Day at 9:30am (English).
   Finally, please know that beginning December 29th, our 11am Sunday Masses will be in Vietnamese.  Everyone is welcome to join us.  Of course, it will fulfill your Sunday obligation.  Please pray for me as I am helping and training our Vietnamese parishioners to take care of all the liturgical ministries for our 11am Vietnamese Mass.  The more people who can serve God is the better for them and for us.  God bless you.  I would like to ask those who have been serving the liturgical ministries at our 11am Mass in the past, to please consider helping at our 4pm Saturday Mass, or Sunday at 8am and 9:30am Masses.  We can really use your help, especially bringing up the gifts at Holy Mass.  Thank you and God bless everyone, Fr. Hien