We are now in the final phase of “season” here in Southwest Florida. April 30th marked what I commonly refer to as the second exodus. The final exodus will take place on May 31st. Many of our seasonal residents and visitors have three month contracts on their rentals and stay only the months of January, February and March. Others extend their stay to the end of April, while some stay all the way through the end of May and beyond. To those who have returned to their summer homes or who will be leaving at the end of the month, we wish you safe travels and hope to see you again in the fall.
If you have requested tuition assistance for St. Ann, St. Elizabeth Seton or St. John Neumann and claim St. John the Evangelist as your parish of residence, please pay close attention to the following information. All families are required to first complete the FACTS financial survey online. In order to receive financial assistance from the parish of residence, families must be registered in that parish, attend Mass on a regular basis, financially support the parish using church envelopes, and participate in the life of the parish. In some cases, the subsidy requested is substantial. The finance council will review the aforementioned criteria to ensure that the family requesting assistance is in compliance.
Have you visited the Paniccia Prayer Garden recently? Simply walking by the main entrance is intoxicating with the aroma of Confederate Jasmine and Gardenia bushes in full bloom. The lattice installed in the openings of the former gazebo has really filled in with jasmine, giving a very aesthetically pleasing appearance. Upon entering the garden, you will see the statue of St. Joseph sitting atop a waterfall feature shrouded by gardenias. Color abounds in the garden with Crotons, Bougainvillea, Pink Tabebuia and many other varieties of flowering annuals. If you have a chance in the next few weeks, take advantage of the abundance of flowers in bloom and stop by to have a moment of prayer in a truly peaceful and spiritual environment.
I received an email last week regarding the special collection process. There was some confusion on the part of this parishioner as to why there was not a second collection taken for Home Missions. This is not the first inquiry I have had regarding the collection process, so I will take a moment to clear the air. We have six “second collections” annually, unless there is special occurrence such as Hurricane Sandy this past year. The six second collections are for Jamaica Outreach (4), World Mission Sunday and Seminarians. For a second collection, the basket is immediately passed again following the regular collection. All of the other envelopes you receive in your bi-monthly packets are deemed “special collections.” They are generally accompanied by a letter in the bulletin from the Bishop explaining the collection and why you are being asked to contribute. For the special collections, you may simply place that envelope in the collection basket during the regular offertory. There are 14 special collections annually ranging from the Church in Latin America to the retirement fund for the Religious.
You may have noticed that the grass in section 13 of the Memorial Garden (K of C Section) has turned a very ugly shade of brown. We have instructed our landscaper to kill the current grass in preparation for the installation of new granite markers. We have gone back and forth on how to proceed with the installation of the new markers which is why it has taken so long. We are going to have a paver company professionally install the new markers. The markers will be “mud set” which means that they will not shift with the movement of the earth. Assuming this new plan is successful; we will continue to replace all of the old markers with new markers which will also be mud set. Thank you for your patience while we transform the Memorial Garden into a beautiful final resting place.
Have you taken notice of the beautiful statue of the Pieta that sits in the Southwest corner of the Memorial Garden? This statue was originally installed as a tribute to family members of parishioners who perished on September 11, 2001. The names are engraved in the granite below the statue, however, over time the text has faded making it difficult to read. We have touched up the engraving with a black lithograph ink and the names and inscriptions are now legible.
Finally, while on the subject of the Memorial Garden – Have you purchased a spot in our magnificent garden? The all-inclusive cost is only $1,500.00 and includes the opening, closing, urn and engraved marker. This is a mere fraction of what you would pay at a traditional cemetery. If you are interested in making St. John the Evangelist your final resting place, please contact me at 566.1678 to setup an appointment to discuss.
Did you take a look at the Catholic Faith Appeal statistics in the bulletin? We are currently just shy of 60% of our goal just over 2 and a half months into the annual appeal. Thank you for your extreme generosity! Seasonal residents and visitors, please remember to make your check payable to the CFA with St. John the Evangelist in the memo line.
In His work together,
Scott Schlossberg, MBA, General Manager