Two weeks ago you saw the DVD presentation created for the Alive in Christ campaign at Saint Charles Borromeo. Last week I spoke to you about the very real needs we have in our parish, and my hopes that this would truly be a parish-wide fundraising effort, involving every family. This week, after the homily, some of our lay people will be speaking about their love of Saint Charles and their hopes for the campaign. Next week is Labor Day weekend and, like the troops in the First World War who played soccer on Christmas Day, we will take a break from campaigning. However, we are looking towards the weekend of September 12th and 13th which is what we call our Commitment Weekend. That’s when we ask you to bring your pledge cards back to church and hand them in.

Of course, before that day certain things have to happen. First, please make sure you have collected your Alive in Christ information packet from the back of the church. We will mail any uncollected packets after this weekend. Second, take time to read the information and see what we are proposing to do with the money we collect. All of what we are doing is necessary. Third, if you have any questions, come to the information meeting in Bishop Grady Hall on Thursday September 10th at 7 p.m. There will be the opportunity to see the DVD again and I will be there to answer your queries. Finally, and most importantly: please pray as a family and come to a decision about what you can give.

As I said when I spoke to you, I know nothing about the financial standing of those in the parish. Our relationship is a spiritual one and in the house of God there are no distinctions. I hope some of you will follow me in pledging $5000. I hope some of you might be able to pledge more. Above all, I hope that many, many of you will accept the highly significant sacrifice of a dollar a day for the next five years. We will reach our goal if we do this together.

We will miss you Mrs. Patricia Markusic

This week we have to say goodbye to Pat Markusic, our parish Pastoral Assistant who has taken responsibility for preparing the liturgy and for coordinating many of our ministries. Pat has always been a “rolling stone”, thriving on the challenge of going to a new place. She has worked in a good number of the parishes of Orange and Seminole Counties, as well as serving the diocese, and she is a good friend of many of our priests. Here at Saint Charles we are unique in that she has worked twice in the parish and we will certainly miss her as she moves on to Nativity, Longwood, a parish which will be new to her. As we congratulate her on this promotion we are very aware that she leaves a big gap. She has done a great job of organizing our ministries and has made many friends. Thank you, Pat, for all you have given to Saint Charles and may God bless you and your family as He leads you on a new path in the service of the Gospel.

Pat’s duties as coordinator of ministries will now be covered by Earlene Mohr, who is known to many of you. Earlene is now in “semi-retirement”, continuing to teach Math at Bishop Moore but only part time; we are grateful that she will now come next door to help us. She is currently taking part in the three-year diocesan training program for lay ministers – at the recommendation of Pat – and so she is ready to get some experience of real parish work. If you have questions about ministry, please leave messages for Earlene by calling the office number.