Now that I have returned from my surgery and recuperation, all is pretty much back to normal. I have follow up appointments with doctors this month and will see where we go from here.

  I would like to say a word of thanks to all of you who remembered me during this time with cards, enrollments, personal   and even Edible Arrangements! Mary Ellen, our parish nurse, generously made sure I received my personal mail in a timely fashion. My only instructions were no bills please!! Thanks also to all the parish staff who kept the fires burning while I was away.

   A special thanks to Fr. Ren Tocci who filled in for me while I was away. As I have heard you also appreciated his presence and his ministry over these few weeks. One of the greatest burdens in this kind of situation is finding someone available to cover when sickness strikes. Fr. Andy who so generously covers for me lost his mother on the Monday of Holy Week so he was obviously not available. In the end the archdiocese set us up with Fr. Ren. And I am grateful for his willingness to help.

   This weekend (Saturday) we celebrated the first of two First Communions for our parish. All these little ones have been preparing in so many different ways and now the big day is upon them. We pray that they realize that this is just the first time they can welcome Jesus into their hearts and that they will return over and over again throughout their lives to be nourished with this Bread of Life.

Congratulations to all of them and their parents and catechists who have prepared them so well.