Letter from the Pastor
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September 4, 2022A childhood friend’s grandfather use to tell us summer is over on July 4th! We thought the poor old fella was losing it. Now I think he was right! After the fireworks are done, the summer seems to fly by. When August arrives, it goes even faster. However fast summer goes, it is important to find some leisure time, a time for re-creation. I hope that you had the chance to do just that.
Vacations are important, almost a necessity today in the hectic lives many people live. We live in such a feverish state that there is little time or space for silence and reflection. We need “down-time,” a time to do nothing, but sit and wonder and wander away in our thoughts. We need a time to pray and reflect on our relationship with God and with one another. We also need to be in contact with Mother Nature, be it the beach and ocean, or the mountains to rediscover and experience the beauty of God’s creation. It is necessary to remind ourselves we are part of nature; we too are created beings by God. And all things including our life are a gift from God the Creator.
So these next few days or weeks, if you can, take a ride to the beach, or Bear Mountain or one of the lakes in the area. Go along the Hudson River in Piermont, or Haverstraw. The Hudson River is majestic. Rockland County is such a beautiful place. I am still discovering the many beautiful parks and areas.
You don’t have to go too far from your house to see the Beauty of God.
Enjoy these last few days of summer, even if it’s past July 4th.
Renovation News
This past week was a week for making the Church floor as level as possible. Some of the wood was warped over the years, with little “dips”in the floor. With the help of laser markings and the experience of great carpenters, they did it. The floor is now readied for the new tile floor. Everything is here. The Portuguese tile is being installed. On top of the 1931 subfloor, there is another floor of tongue and groove plywood, then paper, mesh, mud, concrete and tile. All of that raises the floor about an inch and a half. We will be standing higher to God now!
The pews are almost finished. The new wooden baptistery and the new wooden pedestal for the tabernacle are being fabricated, along with the new wooden altar rail, incorporating the old gates from the original altar rail.
The wood for the sanctuary floor has arrived and is being acclimated to its new environment. The new wood floor for the sanctuary will begin this week. Our beautiful altar was moved back a few feet to give more space in front of the altar. We are still on schedule to begin painting next week, which should take about two or three weeks, which will get us to the end of September.
Once again, I really want to thank you for your understanding in having Mass downstairs. I want to thank especially the weekday Mass goers. The workers stop their work right before Mass begins, so your moments of quiet prayer before Mass aren’t interrupted by banging, nail guns and compressors. We are halfway through: one month down, one to go.
There are pictures on the website if you want to see the work being done. After all this is finished we will have a true celebration. I also want to place a plaque in the Church to mark this 2022 renovation and the generous contributions of our parishioners to this Campaign.
If you haven’t contributed and wish to do so, please give me a call. All the money received will go to the restricted account for Renew and Rebuild reserved only for our church.
