Greetings as we begin another week!
As we approach the holy time of Easter, I would like to express my love and appreciation to all of you for making my experience here at St. Mark a time of joy, thanksgiving, and yes, of resurrection! We priests also struggle with being good Christian people and we experience disappointment and frustration at the way things are and feel helpless to make it better. However, the people here at St. Mark have shown me time and again the power of faith in overcoming great obstacles by your thoughtfulness and desire to make things happen. Rarely, have I seen such a great effort by so many, and for that I am so thankful to be your Pastor. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else and I look forward to even greater things in our future! Be assured of my prayers for all of you during this Holy time.
This Monday, I will have participated in a fundraiser to benefit the golf team at the University of South Florida which is my Alma Mater. I’m a little nervous since I haven’t been out in awhile and I have been partnered with Vinnie Testaverde, the former quarterback for the Bucs! I’m not sure what kind of game I’ll bring to the course, but I just am thrilled to play with a nice person such as he. I just hope I can keep control of my language as I hack it around. I’ll let you know how I do in the next column.
As of this writing, we still have a few cabins left for our trip to Europe and the Holy Land in October. If you haven’t made your mind up just yet, I would recommend you do it soon before the cabins are gone. You can reach Binnie at Tampa Palms Travel at 813-514-1507. This is a once in a lifetime trip and I promise it will be one that you will remember always. In addition, what a great opportunity to walk the land of Jesus with your parish family!
Well, that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift that God has given us in each other!
Peace,
Fr. David
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Mission/Pastoral Council
Greetings to all of you!
Next week is our annual Parish Mission with Fr. John Murray as our retreat Master. What a great gift to give yourself and your loved ones by taking advantage of this opportunity for spiritual growth. I’m looking forward to listening to his presentation. Please remember we will also will have our Parish Penance Service on Tuesday night, March 23rd, within the retreat itself. Just imagine how ready you will be for that great Easter Sacrament where we celebrate with great wonder the resurrection of Jesus Christ! I hope you will come!
No golf to report on again this week since the rains wiped away any chance to play. However, at least my grass and what flowers that were left after the freezes are beginning to come back to life. Hmm, maybe there might be a homily in there somewhere!
I have been meeting with the Pastoral Council these last few months in which we are putting together some goals and objectives for the future of St. Mark Parish. We will be having a Ministry Workshop on April 24th, in which all heads of the parish ministries will be invited to attend an informational meeting to discuss these issues. A letter will be coming from me to all ministry heads with all the details. I am so proud of what our Pastoral Council has accomplished these past years and it is looking like St. Mark will continue to be one of the premier parishes in the Diocese as we head into the future.
Well, that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift that God has given us in each other.
Peace,
Fr. David
Next week is our annual Parish Mission with Fr. John Murray as our retreat Master. What a great gift to give yourself and your loved ones by taking advantage of this opportunity for spiritual growth. I’m looking forward to listening to his presentation. Please remember we will also will have our Parish Penance Service on Tuesday night, March 23rd, within the retreat itself. Just imagine how ready you will be for that great Easter Sacrament where we celebrate with great wonder the resurrection of Jesus Christ! I hope you will come!
No golf to report on again this week since the rains wiped away any chance to play. However, at least my grass and what flowers that were left after the freezes are beginning to come back to life. Hmm, maybe there might be a homily in there somewhere!
I have been meeting with the Pastoral Council these last few months in which we are putting together some goals and objectives for the future of St. Mark Parish. We will be having a Ministry Workshop on April 24th, in which all heads of the parish ministries will be invited to attend an informational meeting to discuss these issues. A letter will be coming from me to all ministry heads with all the details. I am so proud of what our Pastoral Council has accomplished these past years and it is looking like St. Mark will continue to be one of the premier parishes in the Diocese as we head into the future.
Well, that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift that God has given us in each other.
Peace,
Fr. David
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Parish Mission/Ministries
Greetings to all of you!
Although it has been pretty cool out there for the last few weeks, I have really been enjoying the winter so far! Don’t get me wrong, I hate the cold just about as much as anybody, but for me it sure beats 90 degree weather during the summer! I guess it’s one of those Lent things where I’m trying to be more content with the happenings of my life. I just wish it would carry over to my golf game!
Next week we will have Fr. John Murray here to give a parish mission as we prepare for Holy Week coming the week after. Just a side note: Fr. Murray is the brother of our Youth Minister Mary Ann Weigel! So if you know Mary Ann, you will agree that this is going to be one heck of a retreat!
The Knights keep breaking all kinds of records for their Fish Frys during Lent. Last week they sold over 553 dinners not to mention all the free dinners they fed me! Anyway, keep it coming guys!
Coming in the latter part of April, our Pastoral Council will be holding a workshop for all the leaders of our parish ministries. In it we will explain the purpose of the Council in addition to some goals and objectives we feel we need to accomplish in the coming years. I hope all the leaders will be able to come to it! More information will be forthcoming. I’m so proud of all our ministries as we all take ownership of our great parish!
Well, that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift of each other!
Peace,
Fr. David
Although it has been pretty cool out there for the last few weeks, I have really been enjoying the winter so far! Don’t get me wrong, I hate the cold just about as much as anybody, but for me it sure beats 90 degree weather during the summer! I guess it’s one of those Lent things where I’m trying to be more content with the happenings of my life. I just wish it would carry over to my golf game!
Next week we will have Fr. John Murray here to give a parish mission as we prepare for Holy Week coming the week after. Just a side note: Fr. Murray is the brother of our Youth Minister Mary Ann Weigel! So if you know Mary Ann, you will agree that this is going to be one heck of a retreat!
The Knights keep breaking all kinds of records for their Fish Frys during Lent. Last week they sold over 553 dinners not to mention all the free dinners they fed me! Anyway, keep it coming guys!
Coming in the latter part of April, our Pastoral Council will be holding a workshop for all the leaders of our parish ministries. In it we will explain the purpose of the Council in addition to some goals and objectives we feel we need to accomplish in the coming years. I hope all the leaders will be able to come to it! More information will be forthcoming. I’m so proud of all our ministries as we all take ownership of our great parish!
Well, that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift of each other!
Peace,
Fr. David
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Easter Season
Greetings to all of you!
Since Lent has started we have been going from one function to another in preparation for the Easter celebration. Last Saturday a group of parishioners and I attended a dinner for the benefit of Catholic Education. Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop from New York gave an uplifting presentation on the importance of Catholic Education and the great leaders it has produced. I also found out that he is a NY Yankee fan, (well he should be), which surprised me since he was from St. Louis. Anyway, I was thrilled that so many of our own were there to represent St. Mark and there were over 540 people in attendance. Bishop Lynch was also there despite his illness and he is looking better and better as the days and months go on.
The following Sunday, our Catechumens and Candidates traveled to St. Jude Cathedral for the Rite of Election and were welcomed by Bishop Lynch in a packed Cathedral. This year there were over 1,060 Catechumens and Candidates from around the Diocese who are looking to enter full communion with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. I was proud to see a good number of participants from our own St. Mark who will be coming into the Church this year. I’m sure they were overjoyed meeting the Bishop for the first time. Continue to pray for them as they take the additional steps in the coming months.
As the days get a little warmer, I’m hoping to get out to the Links real soon. My oldest brother, Joe, has been trash talking with me for a month now thinking he can outscore me due to the golf lessons he has been taking. However, one can never overlook the power of intimidation and persuasion when it comes to this crazy game. My poor brother continues to get intimidated by my twin brother and me whenever we play. Hopefully, I can let you know how the game turned out when we play next time.
Well, that is all for now. I hope your Lent is going well thus far and I pray that you will continue to enjoy the gift that God has given us in each other.
Peace,
Fr. David
Since Lent has started we have been going from one function to another in preparation for the Easter celebration. Last Saturday a group of parishioners and I attended a dinner for the benefit of Catholic Education. Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop from New York gave an uplifting presentation on the importance of Catholic Education and the great leaders it has produced. I also found out that he is a NY Yankee fan, (well he should be), which surprised me since he was from St. Louis. Anyway, I was thrilled that so many of our own were there to represent St. Mark and there were over 540 people in attendance. Bishop Lynch was also there despite his illness and he is looking better and better as the days and months go on.
The following Sunday, our Catechumens and Candidates traveled to St. Jude Cathedral for the Rite of Election and were welcomed by Bishop Lynch in a packed Cathedral. This year there were over 1,060 Catechumens and Candidates from around the Diocese who are looking to enter full communion with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. I was proud to see a good number of participants from our own St. Mark who will be coming into the Church this year. I’m sure they were overjoyed meeting the Bishop for the first time. Continue to pray for them as they take the additional steps in the coming months.
As the days get a little warmer, I’m hoping to get out to the Links real soon. My oldest brother, Joe, has been trash talking with me for a month now thinking he can outscore me due to the golf lessons he has been taking. However, one can never overlook the power of intimidation and persuasion when it comes to this crazy game. My poor brother continues to get intimidated by my twin brother and me whenever we play. Hopefully, I can let you know how the game turned out when we play next time.
Well, that is all for now. I hope your Lent is going well thus far and I pray that you will continue to enjoy the gift that God has given us in each other.
Peace,
Fr. David
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
APA/Small Christian Communities/Cruise
Greetings to all of you!
This weekend is an important one for St. Mark Parish as we begin the Annual Pastoral Appeal (APA) again for the year 2010. I say it’s important in that we have been given the responsibility by Christ to go and comfort the poor, the broken hearted, and make disciples of all people. The APA does that and more for the people of the Diocese of St. Petersburg and our parish of St. Mark has always been generous! I thank you for last year’s record giving to this appeal in the amount of $180,000 and I ask and pray that you will be as generous with this year’s appeal. God will bless your generosity!
Also coming up during Lent is the gathering of Small Christian Communities in which the Scriptures are read and life experiences are spoken about. It truly is an enriching experience, and I promise it will deepen this great mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection. Sign up is available after all the Masses, and time is limited so I hope you will be able to take advantage of this opportunity.
As some of you may know, in October we will be cruising the Mediterranean once again, but this time making stops in Israel, walking in the footsteps of Jesus and continuing on to the great city of Alexandria, with additional stops in Greece and Turkey. If you’re interested in going, information is available on our website or you can call the office for details. We have only 20 cabins reserved and they’re going fast so sign up soon before they’re sold out.
Well, that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift that God has giving us in each other.
Peace,
Fr. David
This weekend is an important one for St. Mark Parish as we begin the Annual Pastoral Appeal (APA) again for the year 2010. I say it’s important in that we have been given the responsibility by Christ to go and comfort the poor, the broken hearted, and make disciples of all people. The APA does that and more for the people of the Diocese of St. Petersburg and our parish of St. Mark has always been generous! I thank you for last year’s record giving to this appeal in the amount of $180,000 and I ask and pray that you will be as generous with this year’s appeal. God will bless your generosity!
Also coming up during Lent is the gathering of Small Christian Communities in which the Scriptures are read and life experiences are spoken about. It truly is an enriching experience, and I promise it will deepen this great mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection. Sign up is available after all the Masses, and time is limited so I hope you will be able to take advantage of this opportunity.
As some of you may know, in October we will be cruising the Mediterranean once again, but this time making stops in Israel, walking in the footsteps of Jesus and continuing on to the great city of Alexandria, with additional stops in Greece and Turkey. If you’re interested in going, information is available on our website or you can call the office for details. We have only 20 cabins reserved and they’re going fast so sign up soon before they’re sold out.
Well, that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift that God has giving us in each other.
Peace,
Fr. David
Friday, January 22, 2010
Haiti/CRHP/RCIA
Greetings to all of you!
I’m sure by now that everyone has been inundated with requests for help to the people of Haiti, and it truly is an inspiring outpouring of love and support that people from around the world are offering this devastated country. We began collecting here at the Church last week and we will continue to do so this week. So if you want to be sure your offerings go to the right place, we will make that happen. All the Diocesan collections for Haiti go through the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program established by the Catholic Church to support the poor and suffering. Thank you to all who have contributed to this fund and we continue to pray for the people of Haiti.
Last week, men from our parish experienced another Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP), and again lives are being changed! I heard some powerful presentations, and many were moved by the experience. I’m so proud of Team 4 for putting together another great retreat, and I pray for the men of CRHP 5 as they continue their journey in deepening their relationship to Christ! The Women’s CRHP is next and it, too, promises more miracles!
I visited last Thursday with the people of the RCIA who are taking steps to learn more of the Catholic Church, and hopefully, become full-fledged Catholics at the Easter Vigil. I was touched at their attentiveness and their desire to learn more about our faith! Their questions were very thought provoking, and I’m thrilled that they are looking forward to coming into our parish family. We are honored to have them with us!
Lastly, since the Giants are out of the playoffs, I’m rooting for the Jets to go all the way! It’s going to be hard fought, the guys in Green will prevail, God willing!
Well, that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift that God has given us in each other.
Peace,
Fr. David
I’m sure by now that everyone has been inundated with requests for help to the people of Haiti, and it truly is an inspiring outpouring of love and support that people from around the world are offering this devastated country. We began collecting here at the Church last week and we will continue to do so this week. So if you want to be sure your offerings go to the right place, we will make that happen. All the Diocesan collections for Haiti go through the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program established by the Catholic Church to support the poor and suffering. Thank you to all who have contributed to this fund and we continue to pray for the people of Haiti.
Last week, men from our parish experienced another Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP), and again lives are being changed! I heard some powerful presentations, and many were moved by the experience. I’m so proud of Team 4 for putting together another great retreat, and I pray for the men of CRHP 5 as they continue their journey in deepening their relationship to Christ! The Women’s CRHP is next and it, too, promises more miracles!
I visited last Thursday with the people of the RCIA who are taking steps to learn more of the Catholic Church, and hopefully, become full-fledged Catholics at the Easter Vigil. I was touched at their attentiveness and their desire to learn more about our faith! Their questions were very thought provoking, and I’m thrilled that they are looking forward to coming into our parish family. We are honored to have them with us!
Lastly, since the Giants are out of the playoffs, I’m rooting for the Jets to go all the way! It’s going to be hard fought, the guys in Green will prevail, God willing!
Well, that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift that God has given us in each other.
Peace,
Fr. David
Monday, January 11, 2010
Christmas Season/Upcoming Events
Greetings to all of you!
It seems like forever since I have been able to write to you due to the bulletin holiday schedule, and now I hope we can get back to a more normal one. Again, this year we had another wonderful Christmas at St. Mark. I appreciate all those who made this wondrous event so memorable. There are so many people behind the scenes that make it all happen, and I am so thankful for all their support and hard work. What a great way to end the year!
As we look forward to 2010, I pray that we will have an even greater year as we move forward here at St. Mark. We are currently laying down plans to raise funds for a new church beginning with a Capital Campaign in January of 2011, which I am looking forward to getting started. Our Pastoral Council is involved in some strategic planning that will tweak the way we do things here in a variety of ways. My hope and prayer for 2010 is that our parish family will continue to deepen their relationship with God through our embracement of the Stewardship way of life. Keep an eye out for some wonderful adult and child educational opportunities and, of course, spiritual retreats and programs. All in all, it looks like another life-giving year at St. Mark, and I hope you take advantage of some or all of them.
In October of this year, we are looking to do another Parish Cruise around the Mediterranean beginning in Rome and making stops in Jerusalem, Alexandria Egypt, Ephesus, Athens, and more. Keep tuned to the parish bulletin and our web-site for further information. It promises to be another great adventure!
Well, that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift that God has given us in each other.
Peace,
Fr. David
It seems like forever since I have been able to write to you due to the bulletin holiday schedule, and now I hope we can get back to a more normal one. Again, this year we had another wonderful Christmas at St. Mark. I appreciate all those who made this wondrous event so memorable. There are so many people behind the scenes that make it all happen, and I am so thankful for all their support and hard work. What a great way to end the year!
As we look forward to 2010, I pray that we will have an even greater year as we move forward here at St. Mark. We are currently laying down plans to raise funds for a new church beginning with a Capital Campaign in January of 2011, which I am looking forward to getting started. Our Pastoral Council is involved in some strategic planning that will tweak the way we do things here in a variety of ways. My hope and prayer for 2010 is that our parish family will continue to deepen their relationship with God through our embracement of the Stewardship way of life. Keep an eye out for some wonderful adult and child educational opportunities and, of course, spiritual retreats and programs. All in all, it looks like another life-giving year at St. Mark, and I hope you take advantage of some or all of them.
In October of this year, we are looking to do another Parish Cruise around the Mediterranean beginning in Rome and making stops in Jerusalem, Alexandria Egypt, Ephesus, Athens, and more. Keep tuned to the parish bulletin and our web-site for further information. It promises to be another great adventure!
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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