54 members of our parish community were supposed to leave yesterday, October 21^st, at 6:00 a.m. on a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land Shrines.     However, the U.S. State Department in response to the turmoil in the Mid-East warned all American citizens to stay away from that part of the world at this time.     Thus, this Pilgrimage has been put on hold, and will most likely take place in the spring.

Let us pray for all who live in the Mid-East, especially those who live in the Land of Our Lord Jesus Christ, that they may have a true and a lasting peace.    That all, who live there, can live in harmony as brothers and sisters!

one partner cannot respect human dignity toward the other partner or toward children of this union, this certainly gives grave indication of the nullity of such a marriage.

Domestic Violence is a very insidious problem!     The victim very frequently develops a co-dependency personality, and often is made to feel responsible and deserving of the violence which is absolutely untrue.  The perpetrator often apologizes afterwards and promises never to do it again.    But this is a sickness and does not end just because of a promise.    It is a learned phenomenon and continues throughout one's life.

Domestic Violence, whether it is emotional abuse and/or verbal abuse and/or physical abuse and/or sexual abuse, is a grave disrespect and sin against human life.     No one has to put-up with such an existence as a victim.    Sometimes the perpetrator if a man uses Sacred Scripture to rationalize his abusive behavior.    However, as the Irish Bishops stated just recently and our own American Bishops stated some years past, no where in the Bible is there a justification for such behavior.    Domestic Violence can never ever be justified!    Domestic Violence is a grave disrespect and sin against human life.     

One of the worst consequences of Domestic Violence is that children who experience Domestic Violenceat home, whether the domestic violence is against them or one of their parents, learn to do the same and very frequently perpetrate and perpetuate the same abuse.

If you are a victim of Domestic Violence, please seek help!    If not for our own sake, then for your children's sake unless you want them to do the same some day, please seek help!

A whole lot of thanks and gratitude is owed to one and all worked for our very successful "Oktoberfest 2000" last weekend.     Thanks to each and every one of you, this year's Oktoberfest was really the best!

A special and most heartfelt thanks is given to all who led and worked the weekend activities.     Thanks must also be given to all those who supported our "Oktoberfest 2000" by buying the Grand Prize Tickets, and by coming out and making the weekend the success it was.    In addition, thanks are given to the local community merchants who supported us in so many ways.

Finally, a very special thank you from the depths of my heart must be given to all those who served on the "Oktoberfest 2000" Committee.     Your efforts, your sweat and tears, and your hard work, over the past six months really paid off.    God bless and reward you!

It was a community affair, a community celebration!  As a community we pulled it off!     Hats off to one and all!   May the Good Lord shower His choicest blessings and graces upon you all!

  Your brother in Christ,
   Fr. Bill