If your eyes are watering, your throat is itching and your nose is running uncontrollably, then you can thank Mother Nature. Due to the lack of cold weather this winter, many of the trees and shrubs that bloom later in the spring are confused and now in full bloom. I have deemed this the “perfect storm” with regards to the multitudes of pollen polluting our breathable air. From Oak to Pine to the dreaded Melaleuca, many of us are being tortured. In addition, our vehicles are being covered by a thick film of yellow. This past weekend’s brief rain did very little to rid the atmosphere of this “toxin.” Let us hope that all of the flora and fauna have completed their bloom in the next week or so.
As a reminder, Saturday, March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day and we will once again be celebrating the annual St. Patrick’s Day Mass at 9:00 a.m. St. Vincent de Paul will be the recipient of the entire collection taken on St. Patrick’s Day. 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 next Friday, March 16, 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!
After nearly a year, Paul Todd is returning to St. John the Evangelist to perform a “Concert for Life” to benefit the Pro-Life ministries of Collier County. The concert will be held on Thursday, March 29 in the ballroom of the Parish Life Center. Special guests include Paul Todd, Jr., Gabriela Frei, Christie Cole and Amy Van Wyk. Tickets are available in the parish office for $25.00 per person. Please see the flyer in this bulletin for further details.
As you know, we have a very strong relationship with St. Matthew’s House. Representatives from our parish visit local grocery stores on a weekly basis, pick up non-expired food and deliver to the St. Matthew’s kitchen where the food is then prepared for the homeless in our community. Every year. St. Matthew’s House holds a golf-a-thon which has become their single largest fundraiser. Last year, this event netted over $250,000.00. In 2010, St. John the Evangelist participated in the golf-a-thon and we have been invited to do so again in 2012 on April 17. I have assembled a team to represent the parish and in the next several weeks, you will see a flyer in the bulletin with information on how you may sponsor the team. Basically, you will be asked to sponsor our team at a particular dollar amount for each hole played. You also have the option of simply sponsoring the team at a set dollar amount. Please consider sponsoring this incredible organization.
With three weeks remaining, we have not yet sold 1/3 of the 300 tickets needed for the Reverse Raffle to take place. Have you purchased your ticket? As you read my column, the raffle is only three weeks away. I certainly do not want to cancel the raffle, however, we MUST sell all 300 tickets for the event to take place. If you are waiting in the wings, I kindly ask that you purchase your ticket this week so that we may gauge interest and make any decisions accordingly. I know there are a lot of events taking place this season and there is generally a cost associated with each. This event is unlike any of the others as it is a true win-win. You assist the parish in reaching our CFA goal and enjoy a magnificent evening of entertainment with the possibility of going home with much more than you left with.
Thanks to Mark Stahlman and Stahlman Irrigation for repairing the lake fountain at the front of our campus. The fountain is now working very well and is lit at night providing a very nice aesthetic for passersby. If our dry weather persists much longer, our lake level will be so low that the fountain will be the only indicator that we have a lake.
By taking a quick glance at the collection summary you will see that we have eclipsed the 25% mark with regards to the 2012 Catholic Faith Appeal campaign. If you have yet to make a pledge for the annual appeal, please consider doing so. I am confident that 2012 will be the year that we exceed our goal and begin a new streak of success.
In His work together,
Scott Schlossberg, MBA
General Manager