…”Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” The Gospel, as we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension, proclaims the work that all of us share – we are called to bring Christ to all the nations and to each person. As we do this important work, Christ will be our help and strength. It’s also the same gift we can give to each person we bring to the Lord. Christ is our help and our strength now and always. Who is someone you know that needs Christ and His Light in their lives? Go….and invite them to come to the Lord.
…There were many great moments for our community last weekend. The Healing Service last Saturday brought so many to our community to find the healing grace of God. There are testimonies of people being healed by the Lord. In addition to the healing service, there were many events (Women’s Guild Spring Tea, Community Meal, coffee and doughnuts, K of C dinner/show for Special Ed program, Planting Day, and more). In all these events, which brought hundreds and hundreds together, you could ‘feel’ the sense of goodness in each gathering – a sense of community, family and welcome. You could feel the care and thoughtfulness and sense of friendship shared. We are so very, very blessed.
…This weekend we welcome (now) Father Matt Jordan back to Saint Ambrose for a Mass of Thanksgiving at the 12 noon Mass. He and his classmates were ordained as priests last Friday. You can see in Father Matt the joy that comes from serving the Lord. Please pray for him as he is sent into the world to ‘Go and make disciples.’
…I had the opportunity to welcome Father Adam Zajac to Saint Ambrose this past week. He moves in on June 13 (providentially… the 60th anniversary of Saint Ambrose Parish). He comes to us after four years of ordination. He’s been at Holy Angels in Bainbridge. He will be a welcome addition to our parish (and also a great help as we continue to support and serve the good people at Saint Martin in Valley City).
…Last week I received very bittersweet news for our parish community. For the past several years, our wonderful music minister, Tom Bonezzi, has been discerning God’s call in his life to priesthood and religious life. This is truly wonderful for him and our Church. As he has helped us sing so often, he truly wants to ‘lay it down’ for the Lord. That’s the good news. This past week he shared with me that after nine years it is time for him to step away from his role here at Saint Ambrose so he can prepare to respond to his vocation call. He will be with us until August 13. We will certainly have an opportunity to thank him. Mostly, let’s pray for him in this important time. We will always be his parish family and will look forward to seeing him eventually returning for a Mass of Thanksgiving as he makes his ‘yes’ to the Lord.
…Many thanks to all the people who brought in children’s vitamins for the kids in our mission community. There will be 65 kids who will have vitamins when we go down in June. If you want to help, drop off non-gummy vitamins at the Church or Parish Office any time. This will go a long way to address the malnutrition issues of the 400 kids in our communities.
…As we ‘kick off’ the summer season with Memorial Day, please make plans to join us at the summer festival, Vacation Bible School in July, the outdoor Mass and Movie Night on Saturday, July 8 and The FEST on Sunday, August 6 (amazing line up of artists….www.theFEST.us).
…Today’s bulletin includes lots of information about our Summer Festival. We had a great planning meeting this past week. There’s good energy around our 10th anniversary summer festival. Even more, there’s a good sense that this is our parish – our festival – our opportunity to work together for the good of our community. It’s also a great way to continue this weekend’s Gospel – as so many people come to visit and experience the goodness of our community. We need your help in three ways:
- We need lots of help/volunteers.
- We need your support for the raffle. Every ticket is profit and gives you/your family and friends a chance to win the best prizes.
- We are adding a new ‘booth’ to the festival called a wine pull. We are looking for ‘good wine’ to give away as gifts. If you can help, call Michele at 330.460.7324
…All the proceeds of our Summer Festival and raffle will help us maintain our campus and parking lots and have the funds to develop the renovation plan for our Church. Thank you for your support.
…All the events of this past week keep me mindful of the fragile peace that exists in our world. All of us need to pray and work as instruments of God’s peace and a better world. On this Memorial Day weekend, we remember all who have lost their lives in service to our country. They gave their lives for the freedom and liberty we enjoy today. We honor them with our prayers. We also remember and pray for all of our Veterans and those currently serving our country. May God bless them for their service and keep them safe…now and always.
…Please join me in praying for members of our parish family who are currently serving in the military. A few years ago we started a prayer list of active military members in our parish. This weekend is a good reminder that we need to update this list regularly so that we can pray for these members of our parish family by name. We know of two good men – Ryan Sumner and Brad Renfro – currently serving; do you have loved ones we don’t know about? Please Email their names to Michele at MSumner@StAmbrose.us so that we can get them on the list. We plan on publishing these names regularly in the weekly bulletin so that we can hold these brave men and women close to the Lord in prayer.
…God bless you this Memorial Day weekend, and always.
