Like the Catacombs
As some of you know, while I was getting ready for Mass last week, all of the lights went out in the Friary. I thought my tooth brush had blown a fuse - no such luck. When I got over to the Church, some lights worked and some didn't. We weren't sure what to do. All I knew was that we couldn't cancel Mass. I have to admit I took a lot of ribbing from the people as they walked by, “Hey Fr. Robert, you gotta pay the bill,” or my favorite, “Fr. Robert didn't you know CL&P doesn't give clergy discounts?” Finally, when the lights were restored and the Northeast Utilities repairman came to make sure everything was all right, I learned that it was not my electric tooth brush, but a poor squirrel who decided to jump on the wrong wire. I promise we gave him a proper burial and everything is back to normal.
The Envelope Please...
The other day I opened an envelope from the Archdiocese. The envelopes with a label are usually announcements. I always get a little anxious when my name is printed directly on the envelope. That usually means they need something special or we are being audited or something. I held my breath as I opened the envelope and to my surprise, it was a letter from Archbishop Mansell and check for $10,000 inside. The money is to be used to provide tuition assistance grants to needy families whose children attend St. Paul School. The funds are provided by the Annual Archbishop's Appeal.
In other words, you gave the gift and the Archbishop sent it our way. This is just another reason why I want to thank everyone who participated in the Annual Archbishop's Appeal this year. I thank you on behalf of the parish, the Archdiocese, and I want to thank you on behalf of all the families who depend on your help to help cover their tuition expenses. This year our parish gave 614 gifts to the Annual Archbishop’s Appeal. While we’re talking money and St. Paul School, here's a number that might surprise you. Because we have 196 students in grades K-8, St. Paul School saves the Town of Berlin $1,256,948.00 a year. The Berlin Public Schools have a per pupil cost of $6,413.00. If you do the math, you can see the savings. I am proud of our school and the people who make it a special place.
BHS Valedictorian and Salutatorian
If you saw the Berlin Citizen, you might have noticed that the Valedictorian and Salutatorian for Berlin High School were chosen recently. Caitlyn Budnick is the Valedictorian and Ryan Morrison was named the Salutatorian. When I check the records in our parish database, I found that both of them are registered members of St. Paul Parish, both completed our Religious Education Program and were confirmed here at St. Paul. If you know them or see them, be sure to tell them that the whole parish is proud of them.
Youth Minister Position
The first meeting of the search committee for our new Youth Minister will be next Thursday at 7:00 PM in the Parish Center. The position announcement was posted on CatholicJobs.com and just hours after it was posted, we started receiving applications. As of this writing, we have 20 applicants for the position. I promise to keep you posted, and next week I will give you a list of the members of the search committee so that you can approach them with any ideas you might have. Please keep this very important initiative in your prayers.