A Letter from Father Basile, Pastor To all OLC Parishioners - May 25, 2022

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, I bring you heartfelt greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It has been over two years since we relocated to the Parish Family Life Center due to the challenges we had in our education/school building, which is attached to the church building. This displacement was later found necessary because of the COVID-19 pandemic which necessitated social distancing. We followed the best available advice of the Diocese, health professionals and the state and county emergency guidelines.

As a community, we have made best efforts to remain an active and vibrant parish while observing conservative safety protocols for gathering in person and on the use of our buildings. With gradual re-entry, we were able to conduct Mass in the Parish Family Life Center, and temporarily held some of this year's Easter Services in the church sanctuary on Statesville Avenue.

Beginning, May 29, 2022, we will return to the Parish Life Center for all scheduled events and Masses. While, short-lived, the opportunity to worship in the church sanctuary gave us the opportunity to remember what it was like to be back in the sanctuary for Mass. However, we must avoid additional costs and requirements for operational and maintenance expenses; and to keep both the church and the parish life center open is not prudent at this time. More importantly, we expect to begin repairs and new construction soon which will necessarily impact services due to the proximity of the church to the school building. Our goal was to take the necessary precautions to be able to have some special events and Easter Mass in the church, and now that is over, we will be moving back into the Parish Life Center until further notice. Our focus turns to making necessary repairs, new construction and the capital campaign.

It is important to note that due to recent water damage, these repairs become even more necessary, and the more we delay the start of work in the education building and eventually in the church, the more the building gets 2 dilapidated and the more expensive it will be for us to make the repairs. Now more than ever, please continue to make your offertory contributions, as well as your capital campaign donations and pledges. Now is definitely the time!

We will continue to practice safety as we resume worship in the Parish Life Center, considering also the fact that the weather is warmer and outside events and activities are more feasible.

As a reminder and an update, we are seeking volunteers for many commissions, including the building commission, liturgical and communications commissions. Because every commission can grow with more volunteers, you will be hearing more about an upcoming calling campaign where you may receive a call to make a time and talent commitment to the church. This will help the parish meet its goals in time to develop the new parish calendar in the new fiscal year. Additionally, we are in the process of filling the open staff positions of parish secretary and maintenance worker to assist with the various requirements and obligations of the parish office. Regular financial and capital campaign updates will resume in June 2022.

We have much on our plates, and I know you are up for the challenge. "Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do. We ask you, brothers (and sisters), to respect those who are laboring among you and who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you, and to show esteem for them with special love on account of their work. Be at peace among yourselves." 1 Thessalonians 5:11-13.

May I also use this opportunity to ask for your continued prayers for me and for all of our parish and surrounding community. May God grant us the graces to continue in ministry and mission to the world around us. Be sure that you are always in my prayers.

Yours Sincerely,

Rev. Fr. Basile Sede, Pastor