Pastor’s Letter: June 11, 2023

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

June 13 marks our Parish’s 60th anniversary.  What a blessing it has been because of Mgsr Kenny and our founding members of our Parish whom through humble beginnings made it possible for our Parish to become the Parish we are now.  We are planning to do a Parish wide celebration on August 26 which will coincide with our Patroness Feast Day – the Queenship of Mary.  We are forming a committee to plan our celebrations.  Please stay tuned for more details.

July 1st marks the beginning of Mary Our Queen and St John Vianney forming a Family of Parishes.  This is in light of our Archdiocese of Omaha Pastoral Planning.  Last Saturday, I met up with the Deacons of both our Parishes and explained to them the process and to gather more input.  We are currently meeting to establish protocols and best practices on how our offices will function.  We are going through all the contracts to find ways to save costs.  The plan is to combine the services in our offices so that we not only support each other but how our Parishes grow.  Please keep our Parishes in your prayers.

Now that we are in our summer months, there are several projects that we will be undertaking to upkeep and update our Parish facilities.  We will be replacing the upper-level hot water piping with a variable volume terminal unit with a heating water coil in each classroom which connects to the existing ductwork as well as installing a new HVAC unit in the Gym.  This replacement and installation will complete the replacement of the old steam piping in the school which is badly needed given the multiple leaks that we have experienced over the winter.  We will work to decommission all the old steam piping as well as remove all the equipment that is used to support it.  We will also renovate two of our classrooms with new flooring, ceiling tiles and lighting.  Other projects that will also be done in the summer include the installation of canopies for the outdoor classroom and our preschool playground as well as directional signage for our campus.

I will be leading a 12 Day Marian Shrines Pilgrimage in October 16 to 27 and would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join me in experiencing the miracles of Lourdes, Fatima and Santiago de Compostela. The highlights of the tour includes Lourdes, Basilica of St Pius X, Santander, Fatima, Barcelona, Santiago and Montserrat.  We will be visiting the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montserrat outside of Barcelona, the Grotto of Massabielle, where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette in 1858, partake in a Rosary and Candlelight Procession in Fatima where our Blessed Mother appeared to three shepherd children – Lucia Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco.  We will also visit Santiago de Compostela where the Tomb of St James was discovered, Loyola – the hometown of St Ignatius.  The brochure for the tour can be found in the Narthex or in the Parish Office.  Call the Parish Office if you need any more details.

God’s Blessings,

Fr Marc