My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Last Saturday, Fr Reiser presented his third Icon of Christ in Glory with all the Saints at the 5pm Mass at St John Vianney.  Once again, we would like to thank Fr Reiser for all he has done and continues to do for St John Vianney.  Fr Reiser initiated this Icon series as a Capital Campaign for St John Vianney to help pay off the three million dollar loan that was incurred for the renovation of the Church and the building of the Narthex, Social Hall and Parish Offices in  2003.  Thanks to your generosity, our current debt is down to $780,000.  If you are able to support our Capital Campaign to help us bring down our debt, kindly contact Sue at our Parish Office.

 

Our Church has always had a preferential option for the poor.  I am grateful for the work done in supporting those in need from our community.  Proceeds from our Casino Night and BBQ Competition at St John Vianney goes towards supporting our Outreach Program at St John Vianney and proceeds from the Garage Sale at Mary Our Queen goes towards supporting our Human Needs Program at Mary Our Queen.  St John Vianney also has a food pantry that Mary Our Queen supports since we became a Family of Parishes.  As the need is greater than ever, beginning the month of November, there will be a second collection on the first Sunday of each month at our Family of Parishes that not only supports our Outreach and Human Needs Programs but also our Food Pantry.  The reason for introducing this second collection at St John Vianney is because the Outreach Program at St John Vianney has run out of funds to assist those in need since September.  Currently Mary Our Queen Human Needs funds are being used to continue to assist those in need in at our Family of Parishes.  Thank you for your support.

 

I would also like to take this time to express my gratitude to Brian and Jenna Lichter for all they have done for our Outreach Program and for scheduling our Lectors and EMHC at St John Vianney.  Brian was also a Trustee for our Parish.  Brian and Jenna are in the process of moving out of the country and have stepped down from their roles in our Parish.  We are in the midst of reorganizing how our Outreach Program will continue so that we continue to support those in need in our community.  Deacon Chris will be assuming this role but for the time being until everything is processed, Mary Parizek who leads our Human Needs Program at Mary Our Queen will help in assisting those in need.

 

On Thursday, we had a Lector and EMHC renewal for all our involved as Lector and EMHC ministry.  We also introduced a new software app that will be used for both our Parishes.  If you would like to be a Lector or EMHC at our Family of Parishes, kindly contact Deacon Chris at SJV or Renee at MOQ.

 

Please keep next Sunday November 16 free as our Tanzania Sister Parish Committee will host their Annual Fundraiser after the 11am Mass at Mary Our Queen in support of our Sister Parish in Ligera.  There will be items made by our students for sale, opportunities to sponsor a student at the Mary Our Queen Vocational Training Center as well as items needed that are listed in our Angel Tree.  At our Fundraiser, we will give an update of our Sister Parish as well as an announce the next big project for the Tanzania Sister Parish.

 

Last but not least, I am very proud of Mary Our Queen Catholic School, recently recognized as a 2025 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. This honor reflects the faith, dedication, and teamwork of our teachers, students, and families.

 

Our Catholic school is not only a place of strong academics, but a community where children grow in faith, character, and joy each day. I am especially grateful for our outstanding Preschool and Early Childhood programs, which give our youngest learners such a beautiful start.

 

If you are considering Preschool or Kindergarten for your child—or know a family who is—please join us for our Parent Information Night on Tuesday, November 18 at 6:30 PM in the Mary Our Queen School Library. It’s a wonderful opportunity to hear from our principal, meet our teachers, and experience the spirit that makes MOQ so special. See more information about this event in the bulletin.

 

Blessed week ahead,

Fr Marc