Dear Parishioners,
The summer seems to be flying right by! I sincerely hope that many of you have or will have the opportunity to take a few days of rest and relaxation. September will be here as soon as you know it. I myself had the opportunity to do some traveling with two of my priest friends along with taking days during the week to catch up on well needed rest. Father Franklin will return from Europe this weekend. I look forward to having him back at home. As he returns, I will be leaving for Germany on Monday for a pilgrimage to Oberammergau. I along with 36 other pilgrims will be visiting the churches and shrines in Austria, Prague, Vienna and Berlin. The culmination of the pilgrimage is of course the Passion Play in Oberammergau. In your kindness I ask that you pray for us in our travels and please be assured of my prayers for you at these holy places. Last week, I had the unfortunate task of informing you of the small fire that occurred at Our Lady of Victory Church. As I said last week, thank God, no one was hurt and there was minor damage done, all of which can be replaced through insurance. Unfortunately, there was an accelerant that was poured onto the candle stands, which caused it to go up in flames. We are blessed to have three very beautiful churches that make up our parish. My primary concern will always be the safety of you, God’s holy people. Each of our churches are, God’s house. All are welcomed to pray in God’s house, but we must also be aware of the reality that we live in. I ask you to be aware of your surroundings and if you see something that is out of place or out of the ordinary, please say something. It is important that we care for God’s house and ultimately care for each other. I pray that the Lord will continue to shower his abundant blessings upon all of us here at St. Martin de Porres Parish as we give witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ here in Bedford Stuyvesant.
School of Faith Formation Registration
New registration and re-registration forms are now available for the upcoming academic year for our parish school of Faith Formation (Sunday school). Students preparing to receive First Holy Communion and Confirmation must be registered in our parish school of Faith Formation. Registration forms are available online via our parish website. The registration fee is $55. For more information you may contact Ms. Michelle Joseph our Director of Faith Formation.
Annual Catholic Appeal
I once again want to thank all of you who have made a pledge to this year’s Annual Catholic Appeal. As you know, monies that are raised through the appeal go to help support the work of the Diocese of Brooklyn, such as Catholic Charities, Catholic Migration Services and Vocations to the Priesthood. Each parish is assigned a goal to raise throughout the year. Or goal here at St. Martin de Porres is $63,586. We have pledged to date $35,252. The key to having a successful campaign is 100% participation. If every family in our parish made a pledge, we would definitely make our goal and even go over it. Any monies that are received over the goal comes directly back to the parish. If you have not yet made a pledge, please consider doing so. Thank you all for you your generosity.
Wishing you a peaceful and joyful week,
Father Alonzo Q. Cox