Fourth Week of Lent

Greetings to all of you!

I can't believe as you read this that it's the 4th week of Lent already!  Thus far, my lent has been a good one although I've stumbled a few times. However, I'm making progress so that's what Lent is really all about.  Hope your Lent is going as well.  Just a few short weeks to go until the big day! Make Easter a meaningful one for you! 

As you can see, the dirt is all spread around for the construction of our new church!  We received notice last week that the building permit has also been issued so I'm looking forward to seeing a wall or two up by Easter! We have been deeply blessed at the swiftness of these permits and I look forward to seeing the Church going up soon.  

I was also moved by the responses of those who attended our 3-day mission with Fr. DiSianno.  He presented some wonderful insights on prayer and also the prayers of the Mass.  Although it was an incredible presentation, I just wish that more people were able to attend.  These are opportunities to experience our faith in a deeper way and be more educated in our richness and history.  Try not to let these moments go by.

Well, that is all for now.  May God continue to give you His strength and fortitude during this most holy time.

Peace,

Fr. David 

Lent Has Begun

Greetings to all of you!

 

As you read this, Lent has begun!  When I was younger, I really wasn't a real fan of lent because it simply meant that I had to "give up" something that I enjoyed and I always wondered why God would want me to do that!?  Of course, as I grew older I realized differently.  Now I always look forward to this time of year when I am reminded once again of the more important things in life.  Here's hoping that we can get to a deeper meaning of Lent this year.  Why not make a better effort at prayer this lent in our "Year of Prayer."  Believe me, it will change your life!

 

Last Saturday I participated in the "Academy Awards" ceremony put on by the Columbiettes!  Stars from all over the stage and screen from Liberace to Honey Boo Boo were on hand to sign autographs and perform for the people attending.  It was a wild ride and one that was enjoyed by all.  I thank Barbara Delman and her many helpers for putting on such a great show to help in the building of our new Church!  I can't wait to see what they have planned for next year!

 

This weekend we will be traveling to the newly renovated Cathedral for the Rite of Election!  This is always a highlight in our year when the unbaptized (Catecumens) and Candidates (those baptized in other faiths) are greeted by Bishop Lynch and "Elected" to move forward to the Easter Vigil where they will be made Catholics!  It's such an exciting time not only for them, but for us too!

 

Well, that is all for now.  May God bless you abundantly during this Holy Time.

 

Peace,

Fr. David

Golf Tournament a Success

Greetings to all of you!  

As you know, our annual golf tournament, played two weeks ago, was a tremendous success!  We raised over $25,000 for the building fund, but even more important, everyone had a great time participating in it.  We had brilliant sunshine after 3 days of rain which goes to show that God was smiling down on us!  I would like to thank our Chairman, Joe Cangi and his committee for all the hard work they put in to make this so successful.  Kudos also go to Tom Bosso for his "Taco Italiano's" which were awesome, Mark Menandez for providing the sausage,  Mike Wallace for all the wine and bruschetta along with many prizes he obtained, and Brian Kenny with Jersey Mike's Subs for providing lunch.  It truly was a community effort and my thanks go out to all of our sponsors and players.  This year I actually hit the ball well although I had an attack of the "lefts" which caused me great grief. Please ignore those people who come to Mass wearing "I beat Fr. David shirt."  They just want to rub it in!

On Valentine's day this past week we celebrated Latin Nights here in the Family Life Center.  What a wonderful evening of music!  We had great food and they danced until dawn! (Well not quite but you get the drift.)  I would like to thank Julio Dones and his committee for putting on such a first class event.  We even had a famous person from Puerto Rico grace our stage!  

Believe it or not, Lent is approaching very soon on March 5th!  As you know, we are undergoing a year of prayer following Matthew Kelly's book in which I hope all of you read.  What a great time to reinforce our prayer life!  Just saying!

Well, that is all for now.  May the Lord continue to bless you with His Love!

Peace,

Fr. David

Closed on our new Loan

Greetings to all of you!

 

Last week we took another step to the building of our new Church as we closed on the loan for the New Church in the amount of $5.75 million dollars! I know it sounds like a lot of money and, of course, it is. However, I do have tremendous faith that we will be able to pay it off in sufficient time so we will be able to celebrate with another mortgage burning party in the near future. I will have more information on the terms of the loan shortly. Thank you all once again for the sacrifices you have made and are making to make all of this a reality. Wait until you see what amazing things will come out of our great St. Mark Community!

 

As you have probably experienced, our new Construction has blocked off much of our parking area and we hope to have the rectified very soon. We will have some temporary solutions until the new planned grass parking lot is finished on the other side of the paved parking. So I ask for your continued patience as we slowly make our way. Thank you!

As you read this, I'm probably struggling on the 7th hole at Hunters Green getting the ball on the green! Say a prayer for me! I will let you know how I transpired the next time we get together. 

Well, that is all for now. May God bless you all with His great love!

Peace,

Fr. David

Ground Breaking Ceremony

Greetings to all of you!

Last Saturday was one of the most important days in our short history as we celebrated the ground breaking ceremony for our new Church!  Over 600 people came to witness this historic event and everyone was overwhelmed by the joyful atmosphere arranged by Chairperson Nancy Larson and her very creative and hard working committee.  We had a trumpets, drum players, a parade, singers from the Latin and Anglo communities, and children ambassadors who were on hand to encase special rocks into our foundation.  Priests and laity from here and afar who have had some history with St. Mark were on hand to witness this event.  Hopefully we will get the pictures up on our website for all of you to see very soon.  Now we begin!  Keep praying for our new building and all those who will be working on it.  In 12-14 months, we hope to have the dedication!

Next weekend is our Annual St. Mark Golf tournament and if you haven't signed up yet, please do! We hope to do very well so we can add to our Building Fund account for the new Church.  I'm starting to sharpen up my skills so I can at least swing the club on the "Beat the Priest" hole. Hopefully, I won't be giving away too many balls and tee shirts!

On February 2nd another important event will be happening regarding our parish.  Sr. Clare (formerly known as Deanna Paine, daughter of Deacon Scott and Carol Paine) will be taking her simple vows in the Community of the Epiphany in Myakka City, Florida. With these vows she leaves the novitiate and takes the next step in becoming a fully professed member of her community.  We congratulate Sr. Clare on this important event in her life!  

Last but not least, you may have noticed individuals carrying signs on St. Mark property asking for money.  Please, DO NOT give them anything since these are professional beggars who simply wish to take advantage of the goodness of people from St. Mark and elsewhere, especially on Mass weekends.   We have a St. Vincent de Paul society that can help them if they wish to take advantage of this opportunity.  However, they never do!  So please, don't feel guilty passing them by and if you give them money, they will keep coming back with more beggars.  

That's all for now.  May God bless us as we move forward to our new Church!

Peace,

Fr. David

Golf for Charity Event

Greetings to all of you!

Well, I finally got the golf clubs out last week and played in a charity event for the University of Tampa baseball team who recently made a trip to Cuba for some exhibition games. My nephew used to play for them which is the reason why I went, plus my brother was paying! Anyway, I saw this gentleman at the registration desk who had an athletic build and looked the part of a former athlete. I joked to him that he must have played some baseball in his lifetime. I asked, "did you play baseball when you were in college?" He said he did. I then asked if he got a chance to play in the minor leagues to which he responded, "yes." I asked him did he ever play in the major leagues? He responded laughingly that he did. "Oh", I said, "what team did you play for?" A big smile came across his face and told me he played for the Tampa Bay Rays. "Oh", I said, getting a little more embarrassed as the questioning went on. Then I asked him what his name was and he said, "Fred McGriff" I immediately excused myself and walked away as I heard laughter coming from behind me. My brother yelled at me for not realizing that this is one of the great players the Rays ever had! At least my golf game was somewhat respectable!

Speaking of which, our golf tournament is coming upon us and if you haven't gotten your name in or your foresome picked out, you will be missing out on a great day! Not only will you be able to "Beat the Priest" on the seventh hole, but you will be able to enjoy a sumptuous sausage and pepper sandwich along with a glass of great red wine taken directly from my wine cellar! I had to give away too many "I beat Fr. David" tee shirts last year so I'm practicing a little harder, so you better bring your "A" game! I guarantee that you will have lots of fun so sign up before it fills up.

Last week was another opportunity to meet some of the women who participated in Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP). It never ceases to amaze me how blessed we are to have people of such caliber in our parish. This week is the men's retreat which I'm anxious to write about next week.

Well, that is all for now. May God bless you in this Year of Prayer!

 
Peace,

　

 
 Fr. David

We should be in for a great year!

Greetings to all of you!

As you read this it is the new year 2014 and if it begins the way 2013 ended, we should be in for a great year! We experienced another outstanding Christmas with over six thousand people attending Masses during this Holy Time. It sure felt very festive and I am so thankful to all those people who played a large part in making this all happen. The Liturgy Committee was flawless in planning and executing all these events. Without these unsung heroes, none of this would have ever gotten off the ground.

On another note, I wish to thank all of you for the ways you acknowledged the passing of my brother Joseph. My family was deeply moved by your concern and especially those who were able to make the long trek to Lecanto to be present for his funeral. My deepest gratitude goes out to all of you from St. Mark. It just goes to show what a true family we really are!

 

Another exciting event will be happening in January as we break ground on our new Church! This is truly going to be an interesting year as the structure begins to go up and we hope to have it finished in 12-14 months. Watch the bulletin for details as we celebrate this historic event.

 

Well, that is all for now. The golf clubs are looking at me wondering when I'm going to take them out and I promised it will be soon! On another note, the Annual St. Mark Golf tournament is coming up in February so I better get in shape to play. Now if I only can remember how to hit the ball!

Peace,

Fr. David