I would like to make a very exciting announcement about an upcoming addition to our campus and more importantly, to our Veterans’ Memorial. In the grassy area (picture) immediately adjacent (east) to the existing Veterans’ Memorial, we will be creating a rose garden. The centerpiece of the rose garden will be a magnificent granite pedestal featuring all branches of the armed services. Many of you remember our prior discussion about engraving the emblems on the benches currently in place. After further discussion, it was determined that this location would not be an appropriate place to recognize the branches of our armed services. The pedestal will be in the shape of a hexagon (see picture) allowing each branch to be prominently engraved on its own panel. The granite pedestal will match the existing granite which serves as the tops for the benches surrounding the “Lest we Forget” statue. The top of the pedestal is being reserved for the wishes of the individual(s) who wish(es) to sponsor the Rose Garden. If you are interested in sponsoring the Rose Garden and having naming rights as well as the inscription of your choice on top of the pedestal, please contact me at your earliest convenience to discuss. Unfortunately, there is only one opportunity available in this situation. The cost for all of the above is $15,000.00. 
This past Sunday afternoon, we hosted a “Meet the Priests” event in the PLC ballroom. This event was our way of welcoming new parishioners to our parish family. Over 80 individuals attended including everything from young families to retirees. Fr. John, Fr. Len and Fr. Jim spent the better part of two hours mingling and getting to know the newcomers. We will continue to host these events either on a quarterly or semi-annual basis in the future.
As I have mentioned on numerous occasions, we are in the process of replacing all of the old markers in the Memorial Garden and replacing them with much nicer looking engraved granite markers. As we replace each section, we have been storing the old markers in an area behind the Parish Life Center. This area has become extremely congested, therefore, we are going to make a change. If you would like the old marker of your loved one, please contact Marcos to arrange a pickup no later than 60 days after the replacement of the marker. If the old markers are not picked up within 60 days, the granite will be thrown away and the bronze marker will be sold for scrap. Thanks for your understanding.
For the first time in my 16 years of hosting our Super Bowl party, we have officially sold out a full week in advance of the game. My hunch that the word has gotten out about our great party must be correct! Especially considering that this year’s game consists of two teams from the west. This should serve as an FYI for those interested that there will be NO tickets available at the door this year. Even if you are not able to attend our party, please consider purchasing a Super Bowl square outside of Mass this Sunday which will give you the chance to win a cash prize depending on the score of the game at the end of each quarter of play. Remember that ALL of the proceeds from this event will be used to subsidize our Youth Ministry program!
As many of you know and some most likely do not, we have hired a new employee. This new employee just so happens to be Jean-Paul Boucher (JP.) His addition to our staff was featured on the front page of the bulletin two weeks ago and is also scrolling on the home page of our website. JP has been coordinating our Altar Servers for the past six months and has displayed amazing organizational skills and developed a great rapport with the children. In his bulletin announcement, Fr. John did allude to the fact that JP has a strong Information Technology (IT) background. He did not however elaborate on the fact that JP will also be responsible for overseeing and upgrading our current technology at Saint John the Evangelist. As a result of his hire, we are able to eliminate the vendor who has been overseeing our computer server for the past 12+ years at a substantial cost. Although JP’s job description does sound quite diverse, ultimately as we move forward, a significant cost savings will be recognized as a result of his new position. In addition, our capabilities with regards to technology will increase exponentially as we will have someone in-house who is capable of making our dreams a reality. Some examples of these dreams that will come to fruition are the live streaming of Masses on our website and video blogs by Fr. John, myself and others which will be available on our website at the click of a mouse. As an aside, JP chose to accept this new position, not for financial gain but rather for love of his church. I, for one, am thrilled with his addition and look forward to seeing him flourish in his new diverse job responsibilities.
In His work together,
Scott Schlossberg, MBA
General Manager