Dear Parish Family, 
I'm pleased to announce that seminarian Anthony Donatelli has been assigned as a summer intern to St. Mary and St. Patrick Parish this summer! Anthony will be entering 5th Theology, his final year of seminary formation as he prepares for ordination to the Transitional Diaconate and Priesthood. His home parish is St. Mary's in Hudson. He is assigned here from May 21 through August 11. He will be living with me and Fr. Fabian and will be involved in various ministries throughout the summer, assisting at our Masses, getting to know the people of the parish, and taking time to pray and discern the Lord's call for him. I first met Anthony the summer before he entered the seminary when I was assigned as Parochial Vicar at St. Mary's in Hudson in 2018. Anthony is a man after our Lord's heart. I know you will appreciate his prayerfulness, joy, and warmth. Please pray for him as he prepares to come to St. Mary's and St. Patrick's, and read his bio in today's bulletin. Anthony will introduce himself at our Masses in a few weeks upon his arrival.
 
New St. Mary Rectory Update and Sponsorships
I have been working with our chosen builder, Payne & Payne, on design options for the new rectory at St. Mary Parish the past few weeks. I've learned more about LVP, door hardware, and cabinetry this past month than most of you care to hear about, so I'll keep it brief. At any rate, I'm really excited to roll out the final design plans later this Spring, and will keep you posted as plans develop and provide some visuals. It's still hard for me to believe the new rectory is happening! The conversation about a new rectory started about 7 years ago when Fr. Redmond was pastor. Funds were raised through the St. Mary Parish Heart of a Shepherd campaign and other donations that, along with the future sale of the current St. Mary’s rectory, will fully fund the construction.
 
The new rectory will have four suites for a Pastor, Parochial Vicar, retired priest, and seminarian or guest priest. As you can tell, the seminary cannot wait for the new rectory to be built to begin to send us seminarians! We will make some sacrifices to make the living arrangements work for this Summer, but the new rectory will be a huge blessing for the priests and seminarians who live there and for the people of St. Mary and St. Patrick Parishes who will benefit directly from their ministry. Visit https://stmarychardon.org/new-rectory-project for more details and updates.
 
While the construction of the new rectory is already fully funded, I invite you to consider some wonderful rectory sponsorship opportunities that will help cover some ancillary costs of the rectory beyond construction. Whether it's sponsoring a stained-glass window, dedicating a room, or having an inscription on a chapel prayer plaque in honor or in memory of a loved one, there are many opportunities through these sponsorships to further your family's legacy and support our priests serving at St. Patrick's. Please reach out to me if you would like to meet to discuss various sponsorships and gifts. Sponsorships are limited and will be given on a first come first served basis, so please don't wait to let me know if you are interested. Thank you for your support and prayers for this exciting rectory build!
 
Parish Council Nominations
Remember to fill out a nomination form for Parish Council if you are interested in serving or if you would like to nominate someone else from the parish you think has the gifts to represent the parish well. I consult with Parish Council on major parish initiatives and as a sounding board for suggestions, thoughts, and ideas that come my way. Members of Parish Council are representative of the various ages and ministries at the parish, are active parishioners, and are supportive of the faith and morals of the Catholic Church. Nomination forms are available in the pews and near the suggestion box in the back of church this weekend. If selected for membership, the nominee would commit to serving on Parish Council for three years, attend 6 Wednesday evening meetings each year, be responsive to email communications, and maintain confidentiality. Nomination forms need to be submitted in the suggestion box or to the parish office by Wednesday, May 1.

I am yours in Christ,
Fr. Scott Goodfellow