We are all aware of the power of prayer. I happen to have a first hand account as thousands of you prayed for the safe arrival of my triplets in 2011. As a result, my wife and I have three happy and healthy toddlers. I received a letter the other day which I will share with you. It really hits home with the difference that our parishioners make when praying for those on the prayer list.
My son-in-law “David” returned safely home on November 4th aboard the USS Enterprise. Please remove him from the prayer list. I would like to share what my daughter said to me after she received a copy of the bulletin when Dave’s name was first added to the list. She was crying when she called, and she said: “Mom, I was so frightened that Dave would be killed and not come back to me and the boys, but after I saw his name on the prayer list, I felt an inner peace settle over me. I know he will be okay now.” The people of St. John the Evangelist do make a difference. Thank you so much for sharing the burden and making it a little lighter.
We have “toyed” (no pun intended) with the idea of hosting a Christmas toy drive for children in Collier County the past several years but have made no headway. Thankfully, the Ladies of Charity have stepped up and offered to host a bike drive. Their goal is to provide 200+ bicycles for needy children in Immokalee. On November 17 and 18, there will be a Christmas tree in the narthex with ornaments designed to look like bicycles. The ornaments will be age appropriate indicating what type of bicycle is needed. Parishioners may drop off the bicycles at the parish office at any time before December 16. On December 15 & 16, we will have a truck on site with a banner indicating the bike drive in front of the church. You may bring your bike with you to Mass that weekend and drop it off at the truck. The bicycles will be transported to the Guadeloupe Center in Immokalee immediately following Mass on December 16 to be distributed for Christmas. You may also make a check payable to St. John the Evangelist and indicate “Bike Drive” in the memo line. I have checked prices for new bicycles at Wal-Mart and Target and found that you may purchase a bike for at little as $39.00. This is a wonderful program and will truly benefit children that would never be able to afford a new bicycle. Remember that for the older children in Immokalee, a bicycle is their sole source of transportation. Please see the advertisement in the bulletin next weekend for further details. Thank you so much for your consideration of the children in Immokalee.
After a fast and furious race to the finish, The “Lest we Forget” Veteran’s Memorial will be dedicated following Mass this Saturday morning, November 10. Although there will be some finishing work remaining, we will have the majority of the infrastructure installed. We are extremely excited to share this memorial with you to recognize the men and women who have served in the armed forces to ensure our safety.
All three flagpoles have been sold as well as three of the five benches. There are still two benches remaining as well as numerous brick pavers. Please contact me at 566.1678 if you are interested in purchasing a bench or brick paver.
The first order of replacement granite markers for the Memorial Garden arrived this past week. Take a look as you leave Mass and see the dramatic difference. We began with Section 24 (adjacent to the fountain on the West side) and then will move on to the Knights of Columbus section (Northwest corner) and continue until completed. This will be a major undertaking and the Memorial Garden will be closed from time to time while this work is being completed. The end result will be very aesthetically pleasing and worth the slight inconvenience. Thank you in advance for your understanding while we transform the Memorial Garden into a truly beautiful and spiritual space. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT – For those of you waiting in the wings, the price of a space in the Memorial Garden will increase on January 1. The new cost for a space will be $1,500.00. If you would like to take advantage of the current $1,200.00 pricing, please contact me (566.1678) at your earliest convenience.
We continue to make substantial headway with regards to the Catholic Faith Appeal. We currently are just shy of 80% of goal with two months remaining. We have less than $90,000.00 ($89,589.00 to be exact) to satisfy our goal for 2012. Remember that the CFA is the single most important component of our annual operating budget. As a reminder to our seasonal residents and visitors, please make your check payable to the Catholic Faith Appeal with St. John the Evangelist in the memo line. You may also make electronic contributions by visiting the Diocese of Venice website at www.dioceseofvenice.org. In addition, you may also make contributions of stock by contacting Deborah Shafer in the Diocese of Venice development office at 941.484.9543. Thank you for your continued support of the Catholic Faith Appeal.
In His work together,
Scott Schlossberg, MBA
General Manager