Holy Cross' seventh grade students will soon visit Covenant House of New Jersey to see and hear firsthand the plight of homelessness among young people in our area.
Congratulations to our Class moms for organizing the trip and recruiting the enthusiasm among parents and students alike.
We will report on the impact the trip has on our students after their trip next week.
Holy Cross parish's June 50/50 Raffle stands so far at $ 1,060 - pretty respectable for the first weekend.
Tickets are on sale after all the masses and in the parish center for June's raffle until the winning ticket is selected on July 1st.
There will be monthly 50/50' s for July and August as well.
Purchase of a $20 ticket will help support the religious programs of our school and parish.
We had a little unanticipated excitement in the Parish Office and School today when a plugged up downspout backed up onto the roof over the Pre-K classroom and short circuited the fire alarm system during our most recent downpour.
Order was quickly restored and luckily everyone got to wait in the gym until the fire department gave the all clear.
Thanks to our school principal and teachers and our students for their commendable behavior during the rain delay and to our maintenance staff for unclogging our drain. Rumson's Fire Department is always there when you need them.
Do you think we should begin building an ark alongside the church?
Our outdoor votive candle holders have finally arrrived after a an incorrect delivery of a non-waterproof type. We surely do need the waterproof variety these days!
The candles will burn day and night and will help show that we are in temporary refuge from our usual place of worship. The statue of Mary which stood by the side of the chapel building has been relocated to keep watch on the votive stand and intercede for our prayers.
The votive candles are available through the Parish Office and are replenished each week.
Restoration of our St. Helena/True Cross Window has been subscribed. Meantime, our good old St. Anthony and St. Alphosus windows need rescuing from storage if they are to be returned to the new church. Their restoration memorial costs are $7000 each.
All of the saints windows from St. Francis are now ours; those for which we receive memorials will be installed in the new church.
Available saints are: St. Francis of Assisi, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Patrick, St. Bridget, St. Clare, St. Louis, St. Lawrence O'Toole, St. Columkill, St. Kieran, St. Ita, Sacred Heart of Jesus.
So far the following stained glass windows have been reserved:
Blessed Virgin Mary with Child
St. Laserian
St. Teresa of the Little Flower
The Ascension and Resurrection Windows
The Rose Window Lamb of Victory
All the proper transportation permits have arrived for the construction trailer to be located at Holy Cross on Wednesday morning. The numbers from the pared down project cost look good, so we should be up and running shortly after that.
It's hard to believe the academic year has flown by and the time at Holy Cross School has ended for our graduating class of 2013. This year's graduates were lauded by both principal and pastor at the commencement exercises for the respect they showed their teachers and each other. Their attentiveness and prayerfulness at worship could always be counted on. Their leadership will be missed, but we are confident they will continue to contribute to our parish community and their new schools as well.
It's also hard to believe we're only two quick weeks away from concluding the academic year for the entire student body, especially since our principal, Mr. Bill Belluzzi began his tenure at Holy Cross School only 9 months ago. While I was thanking Mr. Beluzzii at graduation for his tremendous contributions to our school, I was heartened to see the entire school faculty lead a standing ovation.
My personal prayers and best wishes for the graduates and their families and my thanks for their supportive enthusiasm for Holy Cross School and parish.
This year more than ever, Holy Cross will depend on the consistent generosity of our parishioners to sustain us over the summer months.
If your summer plans take you away from Holy Cross for all or part of the summer months, consider enrolling in our online giving program. Not only does it free you from remembering to write a check, but it helps us with a consistent and predictable offertory collection despite the weather or holiday schedule.
It's simple to enroll and to select donation options or to discontinue electronic giving for any reason.
Holy Cross Parish Online Offertory Giving Program
Our altar server supervisors Mrs. Kabash and Ms. Symington are in the process of training new altar servers for our weekend masses.
There is always room for more young boys and girls to serve the Lord by assisting at the Mass. Boys and girls 3rd grade and older are eligible to serve. We are fortunate to have several young men in high school who elect to serve mass during their high school years. These servers wear a cassock and surplice at mass.
Consider learning the Latin mass too, we need servers for our Sunday 7 PM Latin mass.
Holy Cross will be holding a monthly 50-50 raffle for each of the months of June, July and August. Tickets are $ 20 each. The drawing will be held each month under the supervision of the Collection Counting Team. You need not be present to win.
Tickets will be on sale after all the masses and in the parish office. Proceeds support the religious programs in our parish and school.
As of yesterday, our construction trailer was waiting for an over size load transportation permit.
It's big!!
We've updated the list of church memorials to indicate those memorials which have been pledged. Thank you to the generous donors who have made these improvements possible.
Donations for the remaining memorials will help defray the purchase of the stained glass windows and other liturgical furnishings for the new church. Stained glass windows, brass candlesticks, our new altar, interior and exterior statues are still available for memorials.
Several modifications to the architect's plan have been made to conform to our budget. Most of these are substitutions of materials, e.g. asphalt shingles vs. slate tile, ceramic tile for marble, etc. One of the items placed on the "optional" list but not cancelled until the last minute is the in-ground ice and snow melt system for the handicapped ramp and front walkways. You will note it is stricken through on the revised brochure. One parish is which I served had such a system; it was such a relief to know that no black ice or accumulations of snow would endanger parishioners.
The link to the updated memorial brochure is in the right column of the blog.
Two community groups will be using Holy Cross' parking lot on Saturday, June 8th.
Well, not the construction trailer (which is awaiting oversized vehicle transportation permit) but the dumpsters arrived today for the first phase of the church project.
They're not glamorous, but they're necessary.
Meantime the value engineering and redesigns go forward. Should be a final resolution by Friday.
We've begun to assemble the names for the Memorial Wall of those who have completed pledges for the church construction and work out some ideas for the memorial itself. Look for a preliminary design soon.
The memorial brochure has been updated to exclude some memorials already reserved. Check the online link to the right, or pick up a copy of the brochure at one of our masses on the weekend, or in the chapel.
Just a few days more of patience...everyone is working very diligently to finalize a plan of quality and beauty at a guaranteed maximal price we can afford.
when the pastor has a stack of diplomas on his desk for signatures.
when you see graduation gowns hanging in the 8th grade classroom.
when final exams are almost finally complete.
when you really are glad the new wing is air conditioned.
Everyone is getting excited about graduation next week. Congratulations to our 8th graders and their parents.