From Fr. Barnabas
January 2023
 

Dear Parishioners of St Aloysius Parish

 

       I would like to wish you all a happy new year and I would like to thank all of you for allowing me serve as your pastor.   In this letter I would like to give an update on the many things that we have going on in the parish in this upcoming year.

     First, the parish is in very good financial shape with our checking and savings account adding up to around $150,000 which is very, very good.  This includes around $35,000 in the parish maintenance fund.  The Parish has an air conditioner that is older that could need to be replaced sometime this spring.  The cost is around $10,000, we have the funds to replace the conditioner.

     Once we replace the air conditioner it would be good if we replaced the flooring tiles at the parish entrance and in the education wing as well.  The finance counsel and myself think it would be best to do this once the air conditioner is replaced and the building fund is built back up-the expected cost of the flooring is around $25,000, so again I ask you again to contribute to the maintenance fund, as you can, over the next year.

     Now for the subject that has perhaps been on the minds of most parishioners and that is the work being done in the sanctuary.  I have been in conversation with Tonya Holthaus and the beautification committee on updating the sanctuary and together we have come up with some plans that Archdiocese has approved.  All of you have noticed that we have replaced the doors in the sanctuary so that they now open correctly and having been painted white they are less distracting as well.

     The beautification committee and I would also like to put two angel statues into the sanctuary as well.  The idea is to put the two angels on a shelf above each door and the statues we have chosen would be looking down at the altar.  As you are aware the angels join us in our prayers and Eucharistic celebration at each mass and with all the angels and saints we sing “holy, holy, holy.”     Having these angels in the sanctuary would be a great reminder of the connection between heaven and earth for all of us.  I have made pictures of the angels we have chosen available for you on the back table.  The altar candle holders we currently have are very old and are beginning to come apart and as such do need to be replaced the committee and myself have looked at some brass candle holders that we believe will look very nice and complement the sanctuary very well.  There are pictures of those candle holders available on the back table as well.

     The entire project I have described above is estimated around $12,400 and $5,400 has already been raised leaving $7000 dollars left to be raised for the project.  I think it would be best if I established a special fund that people can contribute to if they like the above proposal.  Of course, if the additional $7,000 dollars needed is never raised, I will take it to mean that you all think Fr. Barnabas has lost his mind and I should leave the sanctuary alone.  You will find envelopes in your pews marked “Angels in the Sanctuary Fund” if you would like to contribute. 

      The other two brown doors in front of the church also need replaced and the replacement doors have already been purchased.  These doors when replaced will at first be painted white and depending on how it looks they may be painted a different color at a later time.

     Finally,  the beautification committee are not diving into this without some expert assistance to make sure it all works well together and the result is a more beautiful church.  At the end of March Michael Linenberger will come and look at the changes we are making and provide suggestion for the whole project.  Mr. Linenberger is an expert in this area and did the painting on the inside of the Basilica of the Plains in Victoria Kansas, so we will be in good hands.

     The US. Bishops have decided that the year of 2023 should focus on the Real Presence in the Eucharistic and Eucharistic amazement.  This is still in the planning stages but I plan on providing additional time for Eucharistic adoration, educational videos, and teaching on the Eucharist in the upcoming year.  The Lord in Heaven does indeed come to us on the altar under the appearance of bread and wine at the consecration of every Mass and in doing so is adored by all his angels and saints. 

God bless you all and have a great new year

 

Fr.Barnabas Eichor, ofm.Cap