My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we enter the Third Sunday of Advent, we celebrate Gaudete Sunday, a day whose very name means “rejoice” in Latin. In the Gospel acclamation we hear Isaiah’s words: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.” Jesus echoes this message to the disciples of John the Baptist, revealing that the time of salvation is marked by the visible works God is accomplishing in and through Him.

 

This weekend, we too are invited to rejoice. In the midst of the busyness of Advent, we pause to reflect on the nearness of our Savior and on what it means to prepare the way of the Lord in our hearts and in our community.

 

During this Advent season, I have been deeply moved by the generosity and love shown within our Mary Our Queen and St. John Vianney parish community. The overwhelming response to our Family-to-Family Christmas outreach, the faith-filled participation of our Junior High students at the Advent Mass and Sunday Advent Breakfast, and the beautiful Living Nativity at St. John Vianney all reflect the heart of a parish family that lives its faith with joy. These moments of service, prayer, and community remind us what it truly means to prepare for Christ’s coming.

 

As we approach the end of the year, I want to express my gratitude for all you have done for our Family of Parishes. Through your faith, generosity, and service, we continue to carry out the mission entrusted to us by Christ.

 

Here are the current priorities within our Family of Parishes:

St. John Vianney Parish

• Continuing to pay down our parish debt, now just under $800,000
• Paying off the outstanding $300,000 loan for the church HVAC system
• Building a contingency fund to support future needs
• Growing our Parish Endowment to provide long-term stability and support

Mary Our Queen Parish

• Increasing offertory support to strengthen our mission and sustain growth in faith, service, and stewardship, which also helps provide competitive salaries and benefits for our teachers and staff
• Growing our Parish Endowment, which supports the long-term care and maintenance of our facilities
• Sustaining our Parish Educational Trust Endowment, established by Msgr. Kenny, which continues to bless our school
• Supporting the Msgr. Kenny Scholarship Fund, which provides need-based tuition assistance for parish families

Mary Our Queen was also recently awarded a matching grant of up to $200,000 through the Lavigne Foundation and the Archdiocese of Omaha. This opportunity will support important campus improvements and security upgrades, including security software, door and access-control enhancements, improved communication systems between the Parish Office and School, and the replacement of aging boilers. This grant will significantly strengthen the safety and long-term infrastructure of our parish community.

 

I continue to recover from my recent surgery. Please know of my prayers for you, and if anything requires my attention, kindly contact the Parish Office.

 

Blessed week ahead, Fr. Marc