Announcement
Messages

Dear Parishioners & Friends, A new year is starting for our young Mission and I am extremely proud of our accomplishments so far, especially the success of our Heritage Program which has grown tremendously this year. I pray that Our Lord Jesus Christ, with the intercession of Holy Mary, continue to guide us on our road to become a parish. Over the past year, we started to function as an organized Mission. With the help of many parishioners, we have been able to setup the foundation that we need for many years to come: Our Advisory Council has greatly helped me in making sure that all our activities and events are well planned  and executed. Our Stewardship Council is operating with two main objectives: financial viability and transparency. Our 2007 books have been certified by an

independent accounting firm. The status of our operating accounts is provided in every Bulletin and any parishioner can request to review our accounts.
Our Building Fundraising Committee has gone through Phase 1 of its plan and we now have an excellent starting point on our road to have our own Church.

In parallel, our Organizations have done a tremendous job to strengthen the links between our families. We started with our Halloween party, followed by the clothes & toys drive for Lebanon’s children, the 2nd Annual family dinner, the Christmas Party, the Casino night, the Pilgrimage & picnic and to top them all our MYA’s Father’s Day Hafli. Through all these events, I have seen a huge commitment from countless members of our Community. I am very grateful to all of them.

Our Mission is a House Of God, and as such, nothing is more important to me than to see our Children going to Heritage classes every other Sunday. I am touched by their motivation and commitment to get closer to God and also build a very important link to our Heritage & Culture. Over the past year, our Mission celebrated its first First Communion ceremony, its first Baptism, its first full Holy Week celebration and more recently, its first Wedding. We also held our first funeral. These are all signs that, with His help, our House Of God is here to stay.

Our Mission organizations have again prepared several activities and events for the 2008-2009 school year. This Calendar gives you a summary view of the whole season so you can refer to it throughout the year. Additional events are still being planned and will be communicated to you in due time. If you have any questions, would like to help or participate in any event, we have included a complete up to date contact list at the end of this document.

Finally, I want to thank God because without His guidance we wouldn’t be here. I pray that your families are not deeply affected by the current financial crisis and I wish you all a very peaceful and successful school year.

Sincerely,

Father Jean Younes
Administrator
Westchester Maronite Catholic Mission September 2008

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