…”Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.” On this Feast of Corpus Christi (the Body and Blood of Christ), our second reading from Saint Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians speaks powerfully of the oneness that is ours – we are one body. Many though we are, we are one. We see that unity best at the Table of the Lord. We share in the living bread and saving cup of Christ. We are one.
…We celebrate that oneness as we celebrate our 60th Anniversary. The pictures, stories and reflections started last weekend remind us of our past, our present and our future – we are one. We are brothers and sisters united in love, we are the family of God. Many thanks to our Pastoral Council who is orchestrating a year of celebrating and reflecting on the blessings of God in our lives.
…The next anniversary event is our summer festival. It really is a chance for so many of us to come together – work together — and be one together. Many of us coming together as one. Please remember to invite your neighbors, family and friends to join us. Come for great food, live music, fun games, and amazing people. All we need is you!
…We can still use help both in set up and in working some of the festival booths – especially bingo, skill games and kids games. Call the Parish Office if you have any questions or if you can help (330.460.7300). You can also find good information on our parish website.
…Join us next Sunday evening as we bring our 10th annual festival to a close with a wonderful fireworks celebration. We moved it to Sunday night so more can join in the festivities. It’s one more way for us to celebrate our anniversary year.
…This past week I had the blessing of spending some time with the Women’s Guild Board. They have served the Guild well. The Guild is growing, alive and full of life and goodness. Thanks to their goodness, you will see two ‘gifts’ from the Guild to help us celebrate our 60th. We have very special anniversary pins that are available to you. You will also see this week a large, inflatable parish logo that will be a visible reminder that we are one family of God. God bless the Guild for their goodness.
…We have a group of 41 in our mission community this week. Please keep them in your prayers as we work to serve those most in need. We are one with them in bringing help and hope and a path to a fuller life in the Lord. We also have 35 other missionaries going to the mission this coming Friday. Over these two weeks, they will lead Vacation Bible Schools and sports camps, build houses, move families into new houses and much more. May God bless their efforts. If you would like to receive the daily updates, please send me an email and I will make sure you are added to the email list (FrBob@StAmbrose.us).
…I am with our mission team this weekend and certainly will be home for our festival!! It’s great to have Fr. Adam with us at Saint Ambrose. He’s settled in and eager to get involved in our community.
…On Fr. Adam’s first day, which was our actual anniversary, we had some priests over for dinner. While dinner was taking place, there were all kinds of activities going on around the campus. The teens were doing their Tuesday night volleyball/fun night. GREAT crowd and energy. There were many meetings going on around the campus. The gardeners were tending their patches… and it was a beautiful night. The ‘guys’ could not help but comment on the vibrancy of our community. Praise God.
…Believe it or not, two of them actually asked for festival raffle tickets!!! It’s pretty clear that we are blessed with amazing prizes thanks to the good friends in our community. The raffle is an important part of our festival. You win great prizes and WE win by having the funds to continue to take care of our parish campus. You can stop by after Mass (or any time this week) at the Parish Office or the raffle booth at the festival to get or turn in your raffle tickets. Thank you for your support.
…One piece of random trivia, given all things in our world, we have just upgraded our security systems around the campus at a painful cost of $10,000. In our times, all these things are necessary to work to keep everyone safe and secure. Your support for the festival and the raffle, along with your support for our parish community, make this possible. God bless you.
…Our good friends from Saint Martin’s are hosting their annual Chicken Dinner on Sunday, July 9. Check out all the details in the bulletin. They are promoting our festival and it would be great for some of us to join them for their annual fundraiser/celebration.
…As you know we are working hard to help their community in this time of transition. We start daily Masses at St. Martin this week on Wednesday and Friday mornings at 8:00 am.
…Happy Father’s day to all of our dads, grandfathers, godfathers. It’s a blessing to celebrate and thank God for those who have helped us grow and mature in the ways of the Lord. Today’s bulletin contains a Father’s Day gift that can be used (or given) by any man. It calls out all men who are best, holy and of God. Happy Father’s Day.
