Although we have had an extended cool spell recently with temperatures in the 60s during the day and 40s at night, it looks as though we will receive a break just in time for Family Fun & Ministry Day this Sunday. If the forecast holds, we will be treated to high temperatures on Sunday approaching 80 degrees under sunny skies. That is a far cry from the high temperature of 58 degrees last Sunday. As a matter of fact, while I write my column, the Mid-Atlantic States are being ravaged by a late season winter storm which will eventually dump upwards of 18″ of snow on New England. We sincerely look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday for a truly magnificent event.
It is that time of year again that the beautiful Tabebuia begins its annual bloom. Alt
hough I wish it would last longer, the bright yellow bloom is incredibly vibrant and a sure signal of the beginning of spring. Again this year, the Tabebuia bloom is a bit premature due to a very warm January; however the recent cool spell may have slowed the process giving us an extra week or two to appreciate the splendor of this tree. By the way, we have three yellow Tabebuia and one pink on campus.
As of this past Wednesday, we have sold 350 tickets for the St. Patrick’s Day party to be held on St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday, March 17 in the PLC Ballroom. We are capping attendance at 400, therefore, if you have not purchased your ticket, I strongly encourage you to do so quickly. There will be performances during the evening by the Harp & Thistle band and our very own Irish Dancing troupe, “Tir Na Nog.”
During the busy season months, parishioners sometimes end up sitting in the cry room due to space limitations in the sanctuary. While everyone is welcome in the cry room, please respect the parents with children that are seated there with no other options. The cry room is called the cry room for a reason. You will encounter crying children! If you are looking for peace and quiet during Mass, this is not the place for you. If you insist on sitting in the cry room, please do not take out your frustrations on the little ones.
Paul Todd and friends will host a concert for the benefit of the Jamaica Outreach Program on Friday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m. The theme of the concert will be “The Great American Songbook” and will feature Paul Todd, Paul Todd, Jr., our very own Gabriela Frei, Christie Cole and Amy Van Wyk. This show was performed twice last month to sold out crowds and is sure to please. This will also be a great opportunity for those who have not seen Paul perform in quite some time the opportunity to do so. Tickets are $20 per person and will be available outside of Mass or in the parish office next week. Please see a flyer in next week’s bulletin.
As a reminder, Sunday, March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day. Because St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, we will be celebrating the annual St. Patrick’s Day Mass at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 16. St. Vincent de Paul will be the recipient of the entire collection taken on during this Mass. As you know, our St. Vincent de Paul Society assists needy families within our parish boundaries and sometimes beyond. Many families in our parish and community are in need of help in the way of rental assistance, utilities, fuel and even the basic necessities such as groceries. Through the generosity of your donations, St. Vincent de Paul is able to provide for these families. In addition, the funds raised through our parish St. Patrick’s Day party on March 17 will be used to benefit the St. Vincent De Paul Society here at St. John the Evangelist. Between both events last year, we raised in excess of $18,000.00 to assist families in need. Following Mass, the St. Vincent de Paul Society will once again serve Irish coffee and pastries in the ballroom of the PLC. Entertainment will be provided by the Black Velvet Band, which is composed of members of our very own St. John the Evangelist parish. Don’t forget to wear your green!
Have you stopped by the “Lest we Forget” Veteran’s Memorial recently? We are nearly complete with this project that began in October. Four of the five benches have finally been engraved, the mahogany tree that interfered with the flags has been removed, the parking spot that detracted from the memorial has been turned into landscape, a Cocoplum hedge has been planted and the flags have now been up lit. We still have to place travertine on the four benches and engrave the final bench and we will be finished. You may still purchase engraved pavers at the base of the statue for only $150.00 each. Ideally, we would like to sell out the entire center of the memorial. If you would like to purchase one, please contact me at 566.1678.
In His work together,
Scott Schlossberg, MBA
General Manager