Upon This Rock...

Upon This Rock...

Personal Thoughts and Reflections on Our New Church

NOTE: This is the first in a series of personal thoughts and reflections from members of St. Mark regarding our new church. If you would like to share your thoughts with the parish, please email them, along with a photo of your family toBulletin@stmarktampa.org

Hello fellow Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today I would like to share a personal story of one of many of God’s miracles in my life.

We all want our Church to be built and I know pledging and sacrificing is not always easy. But having the faith and trust in God is our first step.

After I had made my pledge to our capital campaign I stretched a bit as I am asking all of you to do. A few weeks had gone by and I received a call from an insurance investigator inquiring about an aunt of mine that had passed away.

I had taken care of my aunt in her later years when she had difficulty taking care of herself. My aunt never had an abundant amount of money although she did fine and lived a simple life. After she passed away I did what I could to take care of her business.

Unexpectedly I received a letter just a few days later from the insurance investigator that had called me. I opened the letter and to my surprise there was a check in the envelope, my aunt had a small insurance policy that no one knew about. The check in the envelope was for the exact amount of money that I had pledged a few weeks prior. As I looked at the check I was quiet for a moment… God does provide. Take the step and trust in our Lord. He works in marvelous ways.

May God continue to bless you and your family abundantly.

Peace,

Fr. David

“Entrust your works to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.”

- Proverbs 10:3

Speaking of the new Church

Greetings to all of you!

Before I start, I did finally get out on the golf course in Ocala with my three other brothers and despite the stifling heat and the humiliation brought upon by my brothers trying to outdo each other, I shot a great round of 82 which is pretty good for not playing in over 4 months. Now I can silence my critics and carry on with my desire to play on the pro tour when I'm 60 years old. I figure by that time, we will have the Church built and it will be able to run itself!

Speaking of the new Church, we are in full swing in making this dream a reality. Many of you have come forward in making a financial commitment to the Campaign and helping procure pledges. We are still in need of more people to make calls and write letters so if you are able to come forward, it will be deeply appreciated. PLEASE, when our volunteers call about the campaign, please respond in a reasonable time so we can keep moving forward to reach more people in our congregation. I have been deeply touched by the many families who have come forward already in making this sacrificial commitment. It only goes to show what a great community we have so if you haven't been contacted yet, I pray that God will touch your heart to commit to this significant moment in our parish life.

Last week Bishop Lynch was here to confirm 81 men and women in a beautiful ceremony celebrating the Holy Spirit. The packed Church was on fire with the Spirit including the Bishop himself who gave a heartfelt homily of service and holiness. After the Mass the Bishop mentioned to me how touched he was by the preparation of the men and women he confirmed and of course the music was outstanding! I would like to thank Mary Ann Weigel and her staff, Dr. John Paul Cappa, the choir, and musicians, and Sandra Bonilla and her staff in getting some of the adults ready for this day.

Well, that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift that God has given in each other!

Peace,

Fr. David