Sad to Announce
I am sad to announce that Annie Molleda, our Director of our Religious Education Program, will be leaving us in December. Annie and her family will be relocating to Florida. For the last several years Annie has been in charge of one of the largest Religious Education programs in the state. She has definitely left our program in a very strong position for the future. She is very organized, has a heart of gold and is loved by the children she has been called to serve. We wish Annie and her family well as they begin a new life together. Our loss is sure to be someone else’s gain. After a lot of consultation, we have decided to split the DRE job into two part-time positions. One person will manage the confirmation program and the other person will manage grades 1-8. If you are interested in applying for either of these positions, more information will follow in future bulletins.
Sexting
Every month the priests and several staff members here at St. Paul complete online Virtus training to help us better protect the wellbeing of the young people of our parish.. After each training module we even take an online test to make sure we understood the material. Some of these training exercises are very important and current and I have asked for permission to reproduce some of them in our bulletin. I think getting the word out on things like sexting will go a long way in helping us keep our children safe. This week we are starting an article on sexting which will continue next week.
Faith in the Future
The Capital Campaign is underway and we are certainly encouraged about the first donations coming in. As is always the case, the success of our campaign depends on not only the amount of individual gifts, but also the level of participation. Please consider making a sacrificial gift to the campaign. The need is great.
Mass on the Mountain
On October 27, we will be taking our 9th Grade confirmation class (all 120 of them) to the top of Talcott Mountain to celebrate Mass and spend some time together. It is indeed a beautiful site and from the top of the Talcott Tower you can see New Haven, Hartford and Springfield. Moments like this are so important in the religious formation of our young people. Parents, Students, and Catechists, mark your calendars. See you on the top of Talcott. More information will follow.
Get Ready, here it comes…
Dear Religious Education Families, This year, in addition to our normal means of keeping you informed about changes to the Religious Education Program, we will also be using a program called School Reach, which is similar to the notification system used by the Berlin Public Schools. In the event of a weather closing or important program change, you will receive a phone call, text and email notifying you about the change. God forbid if there was ever an emergency during one of our sessions, you would also be notified. Being notified by School Reach is kind of like being called by the President of the United States. All of a sudden your cell phone will ring, then your wife’s cell phone will ring, then your house phone will ring, then if you have texting, your phones will start to ding with new text messages. The safety of our children is our highest priority. Sometimes parents have not heard about program closings and have simply dropped off their children when Religious Education was cancelled, even though the building was completely dark. It is because of moments like this that we feel the necessity of instituting a program like School Reach.
Trunk O’ Treat is coming up
Be sure to sign up and bring your kids and grandkids.
If you don’t know how to work the computer, simply write your name and the number of kids or grandkids who are coming on paper, throw it in the collection basket or drop it off at the parish center. This is a perfect event for grandparents and grandchildren. The parking lot is filled with decorated cars and people handing out candy. The kids simply go from car to car and say trick or treat. You don’t have to walk far with them and you don’t have to worry about crossing the streets… See you there!