It looks as though the rainy season has indeed begun! This past week we received some much needed rainfall here on campus, replenishing our lake from which we irrigate. You will notice that even with this recent precipitation, the grass parking areas are beginning to regenerate. Now all we have to do is pray for continued rainfall and no tropical systems for the next five months.
Work began this past week on the parking lot. Although we would love to re-pave the entire lot, the cost to do so is outrageous and definitely not in our meager budget. We did repair all of the damaged asphalt areas several weeks ago. Bonness, Inc. (our vendor) provides a high quality sealing product that will protect and keep our parking lot looking great for years to come. You will see in the picture (in the bulletin) the stark difference in the treated area versus the area that has yet to be treated. We have not re-sealed our lot since 1998 so this is a long overdue fix. As previously mentioned, we have also redesigned the traffic flow which will be a more user friendly pattern. Inclement weather has caused several delays this past week and we are hopeful to have the work completed by this weekend.
Ground breaking has officially taken place in the prayer garden. Work on the brick pavers began this past week and we have made several enhancements with the design to create as serene a space as possible. This involved extending the width of the garden by several feet to the east. The outline of the garden has been cut out and the pathways are being created. This coming week, we will run conduit for electrical and begin laying out the irrigation.
The new kitchen floor in the Parish life Center has been installed and equipment is now being moved back into place. This new floor is absolutely amazing and will provide an unbelievably non slip surface for all who utilize the kitchen. All of the old drywall adjacent to any wet areas has been removed and replaced with new gypsum board and reinforced with a synthetic covering. The walls and ceiling have been painted and it truly looks like a brand new kitchen.
Triplet update: Nathaniel, Ella and Mia are all now home and the Schlossberg household is total chaos. Ironically, Mia and Ella were very easy to deal with and Shelley and I foolishly thought that this triplet thing wouldn’t be that difficult at all. And then there were three! Nathaniel (Nate) has totally changed this thought process. He is VERY high maintenance and lets us know immediately when things are not to his liking. He also is gifted with great lungs and likes to use them at all hours of the night. He especially likes to wake up his sisters so that they may join in on the screaming. Due to a couple of apnea issues, Nate came home with a heart monitor. This monitor has a very loud beacon and conveniently likes to sound in the middle of the night for seemingly no reason at all. If the babies were sleeping, this alarm would surely wake them in quick time. Please see the attached picture of the three of them sleeping soundly, which happens very rarely. The great news is that all of these beautiful babies are very healthy and growing daily. Nate is now 5 pounds 6 ounces and the other girls are both over 5 pounds. Believe it or not, their actual due date was July 8th, so they are still one week away from what would have been full term for a singlet. Regardless of the sleep deprivation we are experiencing, I am well aware that we are triply blessed. My wife and I are ready for the ride of our lives with these three little miracles. Thanks yet again for your continued prayers.
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Rev. Msgr. Louis R. Piermarini on Sunday, June 26, 2011. Many of you are familiar with Monsignor Lou as he filled in at St. John the Evangelist on numerous occasions over the past year. He was the pastor of St. Roch’s Parish in Oxford, Massachusetts and set to retire at the end of June. Following his retirement, Monsignor Lou was to move to Naples and join us as a retired associate. Msgr. Piermarini was born on October 5, 1942, in Leominster, son of the late Desiderio and Lucy (Fattori) Piermarini. He graduated from Notre Dame High School in Fitchburg and in 1964 from the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN. He taught for a year in the South Bend school system, and then entered Saint Bernard Seminary in Rochester, NY, to study for the priesthood. He was ordained a priest on May 15, 1969, by Bishop Timothy Harrington in the Cathedral of Saint Paul. Monsignor Piermarini was elevated to Prelate of Honor on November 23, 1991, by then Pope John Paul II.
He served as associate pastor at St. Bernard Parish, Fitchburg, and St. Roch Parish in Oxford. He was named South County regional coordinator of religious education efforts in 1974. On September 1, 1979, he was appointed diocesan director of religious education, which he continued until 2006. Msgr. Piermarini also served at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Dudley, St. Richard of Chichester Parish in Sterling and was currently the pastor of St. Roch’s Parish in Oxford. The Funeral Mass was held Thursday, June 30 at 11:00 a.m. in Saint Roch Church 332 Main Street, Oxford. Bishop Robert J. McManus was the principal celebrant. Burial was in Saint Leo Cemetery, Leominster. Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Roch Building Community – Living Community Parish Fund 334 Main Street Oxford, MA 01540.
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