Dear Parishioners and Friends,
This weekend we conclude the Great Fifty Days of Easter with the celebration of Pentecost Sunday, the day when the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples gathered in Jerusalem, and were empowered to go out into the four corners of the earth to spread the message of Jesus Christ.
I see so many examples of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our parish! Everywhere you look, someone is putting their gifts to work on the behalf of someone else. One good example of this is the Parish Pastoral Council which was begun back in January. Your fellow parishioners, including Anne Thibeault, Dominic Basile-Vaughan, Beverly Boyle, Luke Brown, Chris Kehoe, Emily Luna, Thea Montanez, Kim Nardone, Andrew O’Toole and Marc Sherer, together with Pat Curtis and myself, have met every month to pray and discuss how we as a parish community can live out the Gospel teachings of Jesus with greater focus and commitment.
This week, the coordinators of all our ministries will gather for discussion and hearing about what’s been happening in the parish and Franciscan Center as well as what’s coming in the months ahead, including plans for the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis and the 200th anniversary of the founding of our original parish of St. Patrick.
Fr. Bill and I will be participating in another anniversary of sorts next weekend, as we celebrate 50 years since our graduation from Siena University. We have been invited to celebrate Masses for Siena’s Alumni Weekend, May 29-31.
Don’t miss a wonderful opportunity to hear our combined choirs, together with the musicians of St. Joseph Cathedral, in concert here on Saturday, June 6th, following the 4:00 PM Mass. The concert will be repeated at the Cathedral the next day before the 11:00 Mass.
Blessings on your week ahead!
Fr. Tim Shreenan, O.F.M.
Pastor
It is important that when you give to any charitable organization, you are confident that the funds received are being used wisely. Be assured that your gift to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal sup-ports the ministries and programs indicated in the 2026 Appeal literature! Organizations such as St. Anthony’s Bread for the Poor right here in our own parish received funding from the Appeal’s Vicariate Outreach Program that makes a difference in the lives of our local neighbors.
Join us, your parish community, and We Are One, by sharing your blessings with the less fortunate.
Please take a moment to watch the launch video here:
We hope you can help us meet our parish goal of $115,000. If you would like to make a gift, please mail in your pledge card. You may also visit the Archdiocesan website at www.archdioceseofhartford.org or call the Appeal Office at (800) 781-2550. Keep in mind that an early pledge will allow you to best use the monthly payment plan.
All funds contributed to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal are used exclusively for the purposes outlined in the Appeal literature, which can be found at https:// archdioceseofhartford.org/appeal/. No Appeal funds are ever used for legal fees or settlements.