Dear Fellow Parishioners, This time of year is for milestones and goodbyes, with new challenges on the horizon: First Communions, Confirmations, graduations. Some graduations will lead to another local school, a college or university further from home, career training, or a new job. Graduations have a valedictory quality, hence the āvaledictorianā who delivers the farewell […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, This weekend we celebrate Motherās Day. While there are many images of loving (not to mention powerful) mothers in the Old Testament, there is also the Fourth Commandment: āHonor thy father and thy mother.ā At the most basic level, that commandment is a call to respect an inescapable fact: Our relationship with […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, At this time of year, I sign hundreds of documents: Baptismal certificates for those receiving other sacraments, First Communion and Confirmation certificates, diplomas from two schools, contracts for teachers and staff from two schools, you name it, all in addition to the usual checks, letters and Mass cards that need to be […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, First of all, I would like to thank the many people who worked so hard to make our celebrations on Palm Sunday, Holy Week, the Triduum, the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday both inspiring and memorable. This was the first Holy Week and Easter that we returned to the full pre-COVID form […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, After Lent, Holy Week and Easter, we are now at the end of Easter Week, or the octave of Easter. Itās called the āoctaveā because this Sunday is the eighth day after Easter, counting inclusively as they did in the ancient world. Those of us who are a little older can remember […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, By the time you read this, it will be the Easter Vigil or Easter morning. Over the last four days of Lent (Holy Monday through Holy Thursday) and the Triduum (Holy Thursday evening to the Easter Vigil) our cold, wet winter and early spring will begin to give way to warmer days […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, Nearly all of you have noticed the netting and scaffolding around the parish hall, which is being repainted. Since the parish hall is the parish building most exposed to sunlight on all sides, it is in most need of maintenance. The real work of the project is in the preparation, and most […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, I was happy to convey in my Easter letter that, for the first time in four years, our celebrations of Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter will be back to their pre-COVID form. The Passion Gospels will be read in parts, including the congregation. The last remnant of COVID observance ā offering […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, Last Monday night, SV hosted our Lenten Reconciliation Service. After a handful of years of COVID-suppressed demand, this service attracted more people than I have ever seen. We had 9 priests and began hearing confessions shortly after 7 p.m. and I didnāt finish until about 9:45 p.m. I understand that many people […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, I spent a good part of my day off writing this weekās āPastorās Deskā before receiving Bishop Vasaās statement on the dioceseās intention to file for bankruptcy protection. His statement is sobering to read, as it provides the frankest and fullest account of events leading up to this bankruptcy filing. Though it […]
Our parish mission statement identifies St. Vincentās as a Eucharist centered people who, as the Body of Christ, live our faith in word and deed by sharing our time, talent, and treasure to support one another and serve those in need.
This website is intended not only to provide you with the information you need about our parish but also to help us build up our life as a community and so help us in our mission. It provides a way for us to connect with each other; and we invite you to use it to share stories, to learn about whatās happening and whatās coming up, and to provide information you think we all need to hear. This site will evolve as our parish evolves; it belongs to all of us. I hope you find it helpful.
This hymn speaks to the atmosphere, design, and heart of St. Vincentās parish: there is a place here for everyone. In fact, you are not only welcomed, but needed! As we explore and expand our ideas of just what a Church community is, we recognize first that pivotal life events occur in church: weddings, baptisms, First Communion, Confirmation; but, we also find that we need community in order to be a Spirit filled Church where we praise God, share our faith, and help one another by way of fellowship, and the numerous ministries available to all parishioners. Through our stewardship, the gift of our time and talent, there is a wonderful opportunity to give and receive, to make friends, to help friends, to see how our talents are a gift from God made for sharing. We are bonded to a group of people with whom we already have at least one thing in common, and that is our faith. It is our hope that you will use this community website to build bridges and connect with one another, and see that each of us, too, is a gift from God meant to be shared.