On behalf of the clergy and staff of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. 2012 was a year of many changes and many great accomplishments! 2013 looks to be even better. Are you glad the holidays are over? Although the Christmas Season recognizes a very important occurrence in the birth of Jesus Christ, it is difficult to maintain any type of normalcy during this time with all of the extracurricular activities taking place. For those who have been traveling (and possibly stranded) over this hectic period and for those who may be arriving in Naples for the first time this season, welcome back. We look forward to an incredibly fun and spiritual filled 2013 at St. John the Evangelist.
I am always eager to convey positive news to our parish family. Well do I have some great news for you! As of December 27, we had exceeded our 2012 Catholic Faith Appeal goal. In addition, we had in excess of $10,000.00 yet to be recorded, which will come directly back to the parish free of assessment. This is the earliest we have ever reached goal. As a matter of fact, in the years we were successful, there was plenty of scrambling at the last minute to reach goal. At this same point last year, we were still $55,000.00 shy of our goal. Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to the 2012 Catholic Faith Appeal. Whether it was a $5.00 or 5,000.00 gift, the power of volume worked in our favor. Let us hope that we have begun a new streak that will have no end. This is the last you will hear from me regarding the CFA until February.
Have you seen the engraved brick pavers at the foot of the “Lest we Forget” Veterans Memorial? The first batch of pavers was installed prior to Christmas and look great. If you are interested in purchasing one to honor or memorialize a loved one, please contact me at your earliest convenience. The cost is $150.00 per brick paver. The granite benches will hopefully have been completed by the time you read my column. We were waiting for the final donor to return from up north in order to engrave. Thank you for your patience.
Have you taken a trip to the “Horse Races” at Gulfstream Park with our parish? Bob Valentine (parishioner and horse racing aficionado) has been coordinating these outings for the past four years. This is a great way to spend the day away from home and an even better chance to win a buck or two hundred. This is also a great opportunity to meet and socialize with your fellow parishioners. The first trip of the season will take place in late January (exact date not yet confirmed.) The bus leaves the Parish Life Center promptly at 10:30 a.m. and Bob asks that you be onsite by 10:00 a.m. After you enjoy juice and snacks on the trip over, you will be treated to a full buffet in the clubhouse, a complimentary program and a $2 betting voucher. The last race is at approximately 5:00 p.m. which should put you back at St. John at approximately 7:30 p.m. Kathy Valentine will serve cocktails on the return trip, while Bob assists in tending bar. The maximum number of seats available on the bus is 50. Please see the advertisement in next week’s bulletin for further details.
The Super Bowl is fast approaching. On February 3 we will host the 15th Annual Super Bowl Party in the PLC Ballroom. The cost remains $25 per person and includes an all you can eat buffet, beer, wine and soda. There will also be numerous games of chance available during the game. For those who attended last year, you can attest that the viewing experience on our new AV system was second to none. Please see the ad in this week’s bulletin. Tickets will be available this coming Monday, January 7 in the parish office.
Speaking of our new (one year old) AV system in the ballroom; did you know that this $55,000.00 state of the art system was gifted to St. John the Evangelist by the NCWA (Naples Council on World Affairs?) The NCWA hosts eight speaking engagements annually in our ballroom. The only caveat with their gift is that the system be available for their use on these eight dates. Thank you to the NCWA for your very generous gift.
Lighting update:
The lighting saga continues as we tweak the installation. We are in the process of installing dimmer packs to control all of the lighting via our Ipad. This was not included on the initial proposal, however, it was determined that to effectively control all fixtures, this was a necessary addition. We hope to have the dimmer packs installed next week and the project should finally be completed.
In His work together,
Scott Schlossberg, MBA
General Manager