Greetings to all of you!
As the weather begins to cool, my golf clubs are screaming for me to get out and hit them! Now I don’t have an excuse except the fact that my game isn’t what it used to be. However, I do need to get out there real soon and practice up for the Annual St. Mark Golf Tournament at Hunter’s Green on November 1st. This year I will be on the 7th hole for the “Beat the Priest” competition in which I try to get the ball closer to the pin than all my opponents. Unfortunately, it seems all that one has to do to win is hit the ball on the green since I’m never there anyway. However, I do remind the golfers of that LARGE lake of water to the right and those finicky “out of bounds” stakes on the left. After all, I think they need to be warned of the impending danger! So if you haven’t gotten your foursome yet, or you just want to play, we can hook you up with some great guys and gals. Come out and say you “beat” Father David and have bragging rights for the year!
Last Saturday night we enjoyed great weather as we celebrated Oktoberfest again this year! The food was great and the entertainment had us dancing and singing. Thanks to the Knights of Columbus for putting on this fun fest every year, and for the great job they did! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.
In the next few weeks you will be hearing more about St. Mark’s commitment to a Stewardship way of life. In November, we will finally help you to embrace this attitude of gratefulness to God by showing you the many ways to accomplish it. Again, Stewardship is a journey of faith and trust; I don’t think there is any better way of “falling in love with God” than this one. I pray that you will embrace it as I did many years ago! This weekend is the Stewardship Extravaganza which will highlight all the great things the parish does to further the message of Christ. I hope that you will take a few minutes to walk through it and meet some great people!
Well, that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift that God has given in each other!
Peace,
Fr. David
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Deacons/Why Go To Church
Greetings to all of you!
What a special time we experienced here last week when we welcomed Jose Moranta and Scott Paine as our new Deacons to St. Mark Parish! It is the first time in our short history that men from our parish were ordained to the Diaconate, and I can't think of two more qualified and holy men who are more deserving of this honor. They will be assisting me in a variety of liturgical and ministerial endeavors such as Marriages, Baptisms, Communion Services, educational opportunities to the parish, along with visitations to the sick, etc. I am definitely thrilled to have these men share in the ministry of our parish, and I know they will add a great deal to our parish life. Make sure you offer congratulations and prayers for them as they begin the wonderful world of ministry!
Last week the Priests of the Diocese came together for our annual convocation and we heard lectures from FatherTimothy Radcliffe, O.P., who will also be here in February of next year to close the three year Eucharistic Conference instituted back in 2007. His latest book, WHY GO TO CHURCH, is an excellent book which I would highly recommend for those of you who would like to learn some wonderful insights on the Mass. Make sure you use our web site and go through Amazon.com to find it.
I played in a charity event entitled, "Tee it up for the Troops", at McDill AFB last Friday. Despite the hot weather, we managed to finish along with a large group of other golfers participating in the event. Despite my best efforts, our team finished in the middle of the bunch due to my other team members. Razor Richie who hit razor like 80 yard drives which didn't help much with distance; while Touchy Terry had the finesse of an elephant in a glass factory; and Ma Na Ja Marty, who yelled this Italian term after all his shots. The meaning of which depends upon the stress one puts on the word, but mostly negative. As you can see I had a tough and grueling day playing under these conditions, but I made us respectable nonetheless. It also provided funds for "Fisher House", which is a place where families of injured soldiers can stay as their loved ones recover. All in all, it was a great opportunity to support our military.
Lastly, on occasion I am asked to bless a business for a particular parishioner and this week I blessed the new Careme’s Market located on Florida Avenue in Lutz. It is a delightful delicatessen/market with fine dining quality foods at a great price. It reminds me of the old Italian shopping markets up north where one can purchase all kinds of meats, cheeses, and sandwiches. There website is caremesmarket.com and phone number is 813-443-5753. Let them know Fr. David sent you.
Well, that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift that God has given us in each other.
Peace,
Fr. David
What a special time we experienced here last week when we welcomed Jose Moranta and Scott Paine as our new Deacons to St. Mark Parish! It is the first time in our short history that men from our parish were ordained to the Diaconate, and I can't think of two more qualified and holy men who are more deserving of this honor. They will be assisting me in a variety of liturgical and ministerial endeavors such as Marriages, Baptisms, Communion Services, educational opportunities to the parish, along with visitations to the sick, etc. I am definitely thrilled to have these men share in the ministry of our parish, and I know they will add a great deal to our parish life. Make sure you offer congratulations and prayers for them as they begin the wonderful world of ministry!
Last week the Priests of the Diocese came together for our annual convocation and we heard lectures from FatherTimothy Radcliffe, O.P., who will also be here in February of next year to close the three year Eucharistic Conference instituted back in 2007. His latest book, WHY GO TO CHURCH, is an excellent book which I would highly recommend for those of you who would like to learn some wonderful insights on the Mass. Make sure you use our web site and go through Amazon.com to find it.
I played in a charity event entitled, "Tee it up for the Troops", at McDill AFB last Friday. Despite the hot weather, we managed to finish along with a large group of other golfers participating in the event. Despite my best efforts, our team finished in the middle of the bunch due to my other team members. Razor Richie who hit razor like 80 yard drives which didn't help much with distance; while Touchy Terry had the finesse of an elephant in a glass factory; and Ma Na Ja Marty, who yelled this Italian term after all his shots. The meaning of which depends upon the stress one puts on the word, but mostly negative. As you can see I had a tough and grueling day playing under these conditions, but I made us respectable nonetheless. It also provided funds for "Fisher House", which is a place where families of injured soldiers can stay as their loved ones recover. All in all, it was a great opportunity to support our military.
Lastly, on occasion I am asked to bless a business for a particular parishioner and this week I blessed the new Careme’s Market located on Florida Avenue in Lutz. It is a delightful delicatessen/market with fine dining quality foods at a great price. It reminds me of the old Italian shopping markets up north where one can purchase all kinds of meats, cheeses, and sandwiches. There website is caremesmarket.com and phone number is 813-443-5753. Let them know Fr. David sent you.
Well, that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift that God has given us in each other.
Peace,
Fr. David
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