This Sunday afternoon at two and at five, we will be celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation with Fr. Brian Kiely. Last year Fr. Kiely was also the priest who came for confirmation and was a very engaging and dynamic homilist.   I suspect he will be again this year!
   Our students have been preparing for this important step in their faith life. Confirmation as you know is the third and final Sacrament of Initiation in our faith. Confirmation literally make firm and strong what was begun in Baptism and was celebrated in First Eucharist. A confirmed catholic is a fully initiated member of the church.
   It is for that reason that a sponsor for the sacrament of Baptism and/or Confirmation must be a full-fledged, confirmed member of the church. As a sponsor they represent the church to the candidate and the candidate to the church.
   Please keep these young people in your prayers this weekend and in the future. May this step be the beginning of a more adult relationship with God and His church.
   On a more mundane note, our Grand Annual Collection continues. I am grateful to all who have contributed so far. To date we have received $18,118.00. Your generosity and support are amazing.
   Our church painting as you can tell is now complete and it looks wonderful. We are also in the process of having the damage from last winter repaired in the rectory on all three floors. This is covered by our insurance policy and is also being done by the company that painted the outside of the church. We will be in good shape as we enter into the winter of 2015/16!!!!