My Dear Parishioners of All Saints,
     Blessings from our risen Lord be with you all. Thank you and thank you for being a member of our church’s family. As you know, the heart of who we are as a church family is to love and to worship God at our Holy Masses. We are Eucharistic people who live because God is within us. We all know that only God can give us the eternal life of heaven. So, please no matter how busy you are, take your family to church so that we all can pray together, and worship together, as well as to go home with Jesus in our hearts, minds, and souls.  Jesus is waiting for you and your family at the Holy Eucharist/Mass.  Please remember to pray to Jesus daily.  Jesus loves you!
     Our second goal at All Saints is to provide Catholic education to all of God’s children so that they may grow in their Catholic faith, mature in wisdom and in love, and be educated intelligently. We want our children to grow in their faith in God, to love their parents and others, and to be smart people of the future, such as doctors, nurses, educators, public authorities, good parents, etc.…or God willing, be priests or religious sisters. Therefore, Catholic education is a treasure and priceless because it gives the best education and formation to them, intellectually and spiritually.
     Thank you to many of you who have been faithful with your stewardship of your time, talents, and treasure, especially with your time at Holy Mass and your tithe to our parish for the good of others, especially the children of God. Please help our church family with your love, prayer, and encouragement to some of our parishioners, including school parents who have not given of their stewardship to the parish. As a church family, we need everyone to support our mission with what they can. Please know that I don’t intend to turn an innocent child away from All Saints Catholic School for I know that it’s not his/her fault. Let us continue loving every child and providing to him/her an opportunity to grow in the faith and to prepare them academically for the future.
     Thankfully, we are blessed with many committed parishioners who have gone the extra mile to help/support our parish. Many people donated towards the projects that we have recently done such as the replacement of the roofs, the new LED lights in all the buildings, the costs of fixing the broken water lines in the school and gym buildings, and the costs and the trimming of the trees around our church and school, etc.… Thank you! Recently, I was so happy to hear from a parishioner who informed me that he just tithed 10% of his family’s stimulus check. I love what I have heard and seen from so many people, and I love you all because of your faith in our Lord. Best of all, I love to be with you in church. I can’t wait to celebrate Holy Masses for our first Holy Communion and Confirmation children in May.
 
In Christ Jesus, our Risen Lord.
 
Rev. Hien Nguyen, pastor

Happy Easter Everyone,
     Blessings from our risen Lord be with you all.  I pray that you and all your loved ones are blessed by our risen Lord Jesus with His heavenly blessings of life, love, joy, peace and happiness today and forever.  Yes, I do believe that everything Jesus does for us is all good on earth as it is in heaven; that’s now and forever.  May we live to know how much our God really loves us all, born and not yet born, living and deceased, regardless of our age, color, and language.  God has no partiality or limitations but perfectly loves us all the way He created us, even before we were born.  Please don’t let any darkness/evil diminish your true self before God for you are an image and likeness of God.  We are all His holy people created for eternal life; therefore, please love your life and never cease thanking God for His eternal love for us all. 
     To celebrate Easter is to celebrate God’s promise of eternal life for all of us.  God is so perfect that He will never reverse His promise to us.  All we must do is love Him like Jesus taught us:  love God with all your heart, mind and soul and love others as yourself.  Anyone who lives to love becomes more saintly every day and will inherit the perfect life of heaven with all the holy angels and saints. 
     I am looking forward to celebrating this special Easter with you and your loved ones.  It was so sad that we did not get to celebrate Easter last year.  Please bring your family to our Holy Masses as much as you can to become one with Jesus, so that we will receive all the blessings Jesus gave us on Calvary.  Also, please continue being safe for your own good and the good of others.  Wearing a mask, keeping at a distance, and washing your hands are good things to do.  Thank you for your cooperation and trying to keep everyone safe.  Your care for others is greatly appreciated.  Thank you also for journeying with me during this Lent, especially at our Holy Masses.  I could really hear your hearts full of love and faith for God in your prayer and worship.  May we all hear from Jesus Himself when our earthly life is ended, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”  Then we will say,” Amen, yes Lord, Alleluia.”
 Resurrected Lord, we love you always, Fr. Hien

My Dear Parishioners,
     Are you ready for Easter?  Yes, this holy day is very near.  Let us prepare ourselves for our risen Jesus with hearts full of love for Him.  Let us put all our trust in Jesus so that we too may rise from our death to eternal life.  He is our resurrection and life.
     As you enter Holy Masses this weekend, Palm Sunday, please be sure to take a palm with you, one per person please.  The palms will be blessed at Holy Masses for you to take them home and hang them.  Also, on Palm Sunday from 3pm-4pm, we will have guest priests available for your personal confession.  Please come and go as you please.  The names of our confessors are Fathers Garett Burns, Michael Brungardt, and Matt Siegman.  Their names will be posted by the confessionals, too.  You are to stand behind a black screen to confess.  Please allow privacy for each person.  When you are waiting in line, please keep six feet away from the person in front of you, unless you are one family.  Of course, wear a mask too.  You are to do your own act of contrition before your confession and your penance after your confession in church.  Again, please always begin your confession with the sign of the cross, then tell when your last confession was, and then your sins.  Please confess only your sins and no one else’s, whether that person is your spouse, children, siblings, parents, coworker, etc.  Be mindful too that there are many people waiting in line for their confession and it is not very comfortable to stand in line for a long time. 
     I am looking forward to celebrating Holy Week with you for we did not have one last year due to the virus.  There will be Holy Thursday Mass at 6:30pm, Good Friday Service at 6:30pm, Holy Saturday Easter Vigil Mass at 8:30pm and Easter Sunday Mass at 9am and 12noon in English, 10:30am in Vietnamese.  We are blessed to have Father Curtis Hecker celebrate the Easter Sunday noon Mass for us because I will have two baptisms at that time in our chapel.  Please pray for me and all priests, especially pastors, for we will have a lot to prepare for the Holy Week and Easter Sunday.  If you are planning to attend our Good Friday service, please do me a favor and bring your favorite rosary with a cross, or your necklace with a cross or crucifix from your home to church.  Due to Covid, no one in church will be kissing/venerating the one common crucifix like we used too. 
     Finally, if you are interested in signing up for adoration, please do so.  We need to know how many people are ready to attend perpetual adoration at this time.  If we do not have enough that are interested (75% of the spots are filled) by March 31, then we will wait for another time down the road to reopen our chapel.  Jesus loves you & I love you too, Fr. Hien

My Dear Parishioners,
     Blessings from our God be with you all.  It was so good to be with so many of you for our Holy Masses last weekend to give thanks, praise, and worship to God.  Of course, we also prayed for one another, including our deceased loved ones.  As you all know, God is good to us all the time.  May we be good to God and one another with our time, talent, and treasure.
      I would like to put in writing a few things I talked about at Mass last weekend.  First, everyone is encouraged to sign up and to spend an hour with Jesus in adoration when our chapel is reopened (we are planning to reopen our chapel for 24/7 adoration at 8pm on Holy Thursday night, unless we cannot fill most of the adoration spots.  This would indicate that many people are not comfortable enough yet to spend extra time in the chapel during this pandemic, in which case, reopening the chapel will be later in the summer.  This is understandable because even Bishop has not lifted the dispensation from Sunday obligation yet).  If you are willing, please pick a day and time that is best for you, your spouse or family to pray together in adoration.  A family that prays together will stay together on earth and in heaven.  For some reason, if you can’t be there for the whole hour, try to spend as much time as you can, even a few minutes; and if you can’t be there at all, please try to get a replacement and if that’s not possible, please don’t worry for God will still love you.  Second, you are welcome to use our hymnals in church.  We will have a musician and a cantor beginning with Holy Thursday night Mass.  Third, although Bishop has allowed the use of Holy Water fonts for people to bless themselves as they enter and exit church, I personally think that it is not safe yet to do so.  I cannot imagine a hundred people putting their fingers in one bowl before and after Masses that will keep themselves safe from the virus.  I think we need to wait a little longer for the use of Holy Water fonts.   Fourth, Easter Sunday Masses for this year due to the pandemic will be at 9am with an extra Mass at 12noon in English, (10:30am in Vietnamese, permanently).  Holy Thursday Mass and Good Friday service are at 6:30pm.  Holy Saturday Mass is at 8:30pm.  Palms will be available for everyone at Palm Sunday Masses.  Parish Penance service is at 3pm on Palm Sunday with Fathers Garett Burns, Michael Brungardt, Matt Siegman and me.  Come and go as you please. 
     Finally, I am so thankful to God and to you all for keeping us safe and healthy during this pandemic.  Let us continue to be smart and safe for our own good and the good of others.  Our lives will be short if we don’t use our common sense that is always within us.  Have you ever heard the saying, “Can’t fix stupid?” I think it’s true because I believe that God made all of us to be smart, plus everyone of us is precious, sacred and holy to God.  Love you all, Fr. Hien

My Dear Parishioners,
     Are you ready for the Spring season?  Please remember to set your clocks forward this Saturday night so that you will be ready for Holy Mass on time on Sunday, March 14th.  Spring is here and it’s time for many of us who love to be outside to clean our yards, to prepare our gardens and even to take care/to do maintenance on our homes/sheds/mowers, etc...  I love Springtime because bugs are not yet here and of course it is not humid or hot either.  Please enjoy your God-given life each day with Him and with each other.  Yes, being outside can connect you with God our Lord and creator of heaven and earth.
     The best place to be in life is to be with God in church to give thanks, praise, and worship to God with one another.  Please make every effort to attend Holy Mass, because the Eucharist is the taste of heaven.  It is Jesus, God, that we receive.  Love Him for He loves us.  If you cannot love Holy Mass, the Holy Eucharist, then you are lacking so much within you.  Remember, that your soul thirsts for Jesus only. 
     As Catholics, we are Eucharistic people who receive Jesus regularly at Holy Mass.  We must learn to love Holy Mass, to be with Jesus in silence outside of Mass times, as well as to visit Jesus in Holy Adoration.  I hope that we can start adoration soon.  We are waiting for Bishop to relax the pandemic restrictions.  It seems that the pandemic is dying down.  For the meantime during Lent, please try to pray the Stations of the Cross either at home or in church or in our chapel. 
     Besides being in church, one of my favorite places to be with God is outside.  I can see so much of God’s work in His creation and His life-giving source to all living plants, animals, and human beings.  I personally do not like to read books or to spend too much time with electronics.  Mainly because I can’t learn too much from them.  My happiness and my source of life come from God and not from people’s personal ideas, beliefs, and doctrines that are not of God.  I have seen too many smart people who ended up unhappy with themselves and others.  It seems that they are lost without much meaning in life, and lonely in isolation.  Of course, not all book readers and movie lovers are this way for many have become saints; however, all of them centered their readings, writings, and beliefs on God and not on anyone else, including him/herself.  Pride is a serious/deadly sin, versus being humble before God, which is a blessing to one’s soul.  Be like a child before God, and you will always be in good hands.  Believe only in God and trust only the teaching of the church. 
I choose to live simply and happily everyday for God has been so good to me, Fr. Hien      

My Dear Parishioners,
     How are you doing?  Have you received your COVID-19 vaccine yet?  As of last Saturday, many employees and priests of the diocese have received their shots.  I am scheduled for this Saturday, March 6th for my first shot and the second shot three weeks later.  I hope that I will not have any reaction to the vaccine because I need to be able to celebrate Holy Masses.  If I look half-drunk during Mass, please know that I do not drink and if I sound moody, please know that would not be my true self.  So far, many people have taken the vaccine, and many people have not of their own free will, that is the beauty of living in America, people can make their own decision for their health.  As a priest who encounters so many people every day, it is best for me to take my annual flu shot, and now the COVID-19 shot, too.  I don’t mind a small cut, but I hate needles.  I also understand that taking the shots have no guarantee that I will not get sick on my own or from someone who was sick; however, I hope that my sickness will not be too severe or deadly.  Recently, I have been helping with funerals at St. Anthony’s because Father there has been sick with COVID-19.  Thankfully, Father is back home from the hospital.  Let us continue praying for those who are sick, especially with COVID-19.  
     Are you ready for the Spring season?  It is coming, so please remember to forward your clock one hour on Saturday night, March 13th.  Again, please come to church early so that our church’s doors will not lock you out.  This is for the safety of everyone at Holy Mass.  Please turn off or mute your electronic devices in church so that it will not disturb others.  Personally, I can take a crying child over a phone going off in church.  A cry of a child in church can be a reminder to us that a precious human being is with us; therefore, God is with us as much as He is with that child, but a phone going off in church is a disturbance to the holiness and sacredness in church.  PLEASE TURN OFF OR MUTE YOUR PHONE.  Personally, I always have my cell phone on mute/vibrate mode, in this way I will know who is calling me and I can decide to respond or not without disturbing anyone.  This might be a good method for those who tend to forget to turn off or mute their phone before entering church.  God bless you with His joy, peace, happiness and good health, Fr. Hien

My Dear Parishioners,
     Blessings from our Lord be with you all.  I pray that you are well and COVID-19-free and enjoying this spiritual time, the holy season of Lent, to grow in deeper relationship with God the Father, just like Jesus in His 40 days in the desert.  Let us never forget that God is nearer to us than we are to ourselves; therefore, please never give up on doing what is good but always pray hard for the salvation of all souls, and do as much as you possibly can with almsgiving.  Lent is also the perfect time for us to overcome the many temptations in life; it is possible only when we accept the divine grace from God to help us.  Trust in God and He will never fail you.  God’s grace is always there for you, just grab it with your heart. 
     Stations of The Cross pamphlets are available in the foyer for anyone to use in English & Vietnamese.  You can pray it by yourself or with your family whenever is best for you or you can join our All Saints school children at 2:30pm every Friday.  Please do whatever you can to not get sick or give your virus to others.  Again, never underestimate the deadly virus and that you might have had it for days before you realize it.  Wear a mask and use hand sanitizer.  Please keep at least six feet away from people, including me if you don’t wear a mask.  I can’t afford to get sick nor do I want others to get sick.  Recently I talked to a parishioner with COVID.  He said that the virus was so terrible that he would never wish it on anyone.  So, please don’t take this virus lightly. 
     Recently our Vietnamese parishioners celebrated their Lunar New Year.  Unfortunately, the day we celebrated the New Year Mass was one of those extremely cold days with much snow outside.  We were blessed with many people at the Holy Mass and we made the best out of the day.  It was fun, but it could have been more fun if we had not had so much snow outside and the extreme cold weather.  A special thank you to some parishioners who made the Vietnamese New Year sticky rice cakes and sold them as donations, to help our parish pay towards the recent tree cutting and trimming, and the costs towards the two times that the water line broke by the school and the gym.  These unfortunate expenses were close to $20,000.  They raised $7,000 for it.  Thank you for your donations for the good of our church and school. 
     Looking ahead, please make plans to attend our children’s First Communion, on Saturday, May 1st at 4pm and Confirmation on Saturday, May 22nd at 4pm.  Our parish penance service with guest priests will be Palm Sunday, March 28th at 3pm in church.  Come and go as you please.  Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.  Only Jesus can save us, Fr. Hien

My Dear Parishioners,
     How are you doing after so many days of super-extreme cold weather?  Wow, it was so cold, beyond my expectations, and I am sure it was beyond yours too.  Thankfully, nothing too bad went wrong during this time both at church or school, such as the water lines breaking, or the steam lines, or broken trees, etc...  Today, I pray that you are well and healthy and COVID-free.  Let everything that is happening in life be a reminder to us that only God is perfect and that only being with God in heaven will we be with that “perfect” peace, joy, happiness, and everlasting life.  To be in heaven with God is our goal in life.  Yes, even during the cold days, I had to babysit my fish and quail.  Extra oxygen for the fish in the pond and extra shelter with heat, unfrozen food, and warm water for the quail every day.  We all must be responsible for what we have, especially to take good care of each other and the salvation of everyone’s soul. 
     40 days of Lent are here, a perfect time for us to increase our daily prayer with thankful hearts and penitent spirits.  It is also a time for us to remind ourselves of the importance of being generous before God with our tithe so that the church can continue our mission of education to our children and helping those in need.  Please know that fifteen percent of your contribution to the parish is sent to the diocese for so many other needs, including supporting the Catholic High Schools and feeding the poor throughout the world.  Please know that when you tithe to the parish you are fulfilling your tithe.  You are doing almsgiving before God for the good of others.  10 percent of your family income is the tithe that the bible asks of us.  If you have tithed less than that, then Lent is the time for you to catch up by giving to a charity or to those who are in need locally or overseas.  Let us be responsible for what we have, including the education of our children.  It costs the parish about $5,000 to educate one child at All Saints and it costs the diocese $6,850 per high school student; however, the parish pays only $3,700 per All Saints’ student.  Thank you for your stewardship that is benefiting our children.
     As a pastor, I am so glad that we are helping our children know and grow in our Catholic faith.  May they continue growing in wisdom and in love for themselves, their siblings-parents-extended family members and above all—for God.  Thank you to everyone who attended our Ash Wednesday Masses, let us repent and believe in the Gospel, Fr. Hien

My Dear Parishioners,
     How are you doing?  Blessings from our Lord be with you all.  Please join me in thanking God for a cousin of mine who was ordained a transitional deacon on Thursday, February 4th in Vietnam with ten other men.  These men will be ordained to the priesthood this coming July.  These men have been studying for the priesthood since they were in high school, close to twenty years ago.  I am hoping that I will be able to attend my cousin’s priesthood ordination in Vietnam this summer.  Sadly, I doubt that I will be able to travel due to COVID-19 restrictions, etc.…. Let us see what God has in mind for me this summer.  Let us continue praying for those who are sick with COVID-19 throughout the whole world and for the end of the pandemic. 
     This weekend is Valentine’s weekend, let us pray for every couple, especially those who have been married for a long time.  May their true love lead them to daily happiness and the blessing of eternal life together in heaven when their earthly life is ended.  We were created and given life to be together on earth as it will be in heaven.  Let us love one another as God loves us, unconditionally and all the time.  Happy Valentine’s everyone!
     Last week, we celebrated Catholic schools week.  I want to say on behalf of our All Saints Catholic school children and our children attending Catholic High Schools, THANK YOU to anyone who has been praying and supporting our children with your stewardship to our parish, especially your financial support.  You are making a difference in the hearts, minds, and souls of our children.  They will forever be grateful to you for your love. 
     Please join me for our Ash Wednesday Holy Masses on Wednesday, February 17th, at 8am & 12noon with our All Saints children and at 6:30pm Vietnamese/English.  To be safe from COVID-19 for everyone, there will be no distribution of ashes nor Stations of the Cross during Lent.  Stations of the Cross booklets will be available for personal devotion only.  Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence (no meat with only one full meal, and two smaller meals).  Fridays during Lent are days of abstinence (no meat).  Happy Lunar New year, year of the ox, to everyone, especially the Vietnamese in our parish, Fr. Hien

My Dear Parishioners,
    Blessings from our Lord be with you and with our beloved deceased family, friends and parishioners.  Sadly, two more of our parishioners passed to eternal life recently.  First, Myrna Straub, a long-time parishioner, passed to eternal life on Sunday, January 17.  Her funeral was held in our church on Tuesday, January 26.  Second, Janet Duke, our parishioner and beloved teacher, suddenly passed to eternal life on Sunday, January 17.  She was a faithful parishioner and a lifelong teacher at All Saints Catholic School.  Everyone who knew her, including myself, loved her.  She was a gentle person who lived to serve our Lord in our children at All Saints Catholic School.  There was nothing that she would not do for anyone.  Janet was a very special person who was well loved by so many people, especially her many students for 30 years.  Let us thank God for Janet’s love for our church and school.  May she and our deceased parishioners rest in peace eternally for she was faithful and true to Jesus on earth with her time, talent, and treasure.  To thank God for Janet, we held a special all school Mass for her last Friday.  Soon, we will have something at the school as a memorial for Janet’s lifelong service to All Saints Catholic School.
     Since September 2020, we have had two grades attending daily Mass per day.  So far, our students and staff have been doing very well; we will start having four grades attend daily Mass per day beginning this week.  We are also planning to have our 8th graders read the readings and petitions when they attend Mass.  We are so blessed to have daily Mass in a large church, where it is safe for everyone.  Please continue using hand sanitizer before and after Mass.  Everyone is invited to join our children and all the angels and saints thanking and praising God at Holy Mass.  Life is short unless you have Jesus in you, Fr. Hien