Fr. Hien's Weekly Letter 11/27/2022

My Dear Parishioners of All Saints,
     Advent is near and Christmas is coming.  First, I would like to thank God for each one of you and your loved ones.  Please know that I love you all and I always thank God for you, my parishioners, especially at Holy Masses, to remember you and to pray for you and all those from our parish who have gone to eternal life.  I am blessed to be here with you, and I hope that it's the same to you.  We will always need each other for us to have eternal life. 
     Second, it’s time again for you to complete the stewardship forms.  Please do your best to support our church and school, especially with your finances.  Please know that the parish tithes 17.5 percent of your tithe to the diocese for other necessary ministries in the diocese and in the world.  If you tithe faithfully, you are fulfilling your obligation before God.  Please tithe based on your whole family income, 10 percent is suggested.  Please use direct deposit (only once a month) if you have not done so to the parish saves from buying envelopes and shipping and handling.  Today, the parish can really need your extra financial help because of the three major projects that must be done for our school.  We are replacing the old underground steam line, and the cooling water line of the school.  The steam line alone costs $33,500 and the cooling water line is yet to know because we don't know the exact amount of work to be done underground.  Both lines are broken, and they must be replaced if we want heat or ac in the school buildings.  Thankfully our church building no longer requires these old systems for cooling and heating.  Another project that needs to be done is part of the school's roof.  They are over 30 years old, and we have been patching them to buy time.  As you all know, our school building is big and to fix the area that is most in need of attendance is about $30,000 for the materials. 
     Today, on the behalf our church’s family, including our students, I’m asking each family to tithe based on your whole family income whether it comes from your pay checks or from other benefits such as retirement, etc.… and to give an extra $1,000-$3,000 to the school so that we can pay for the projects that must be done.  If the suggested amount is not feasible, please give what you can, every dollar helps, our school children and I will be so grateful to your family.  If you can do more, it would be so nice for sadly, there will always be people asking from the church and will never give/support the church.  Yes, we have done so many church’s services, including funerals for many people who claimed to be members of the parish but they either moved away or did not give financially.  What really saddened us was that even their memorials were not given to our church or school.  We are not here to point fingers or to change anyone but to help each other to live out our Catholic faith.  Please be good Catholics with your time, talents, and invest your treasures with God in our parish and you will be so happy that you did when you do your accounting with Him.  God has given us everything just to see whether we’ll be His good and faithful stewards or not.  
     Finally, happy Advent and Merry Christmas to you all and please know that I always look forward to being with you to worship with you and to be loved by you.  May we live today sharing God’s love with one another through our joy, happiness, peace and with our stewardship way of life at All Saints.  Love you all, Fr. Hien   
PS. Please return the attached envelope with your donation and pledge form.  Thank you!