The following letter was in the bulletin on Sunday, April 7, 2013

Dear Parishioners:

So many of you have asked me when we might hear about our new pastor.  I am very pleased to report that we finally have “white smoke.”  Bishop Murphy has named Monsignor Robert Clerkin as the new pastor of Saints Cyril and Methodius Parish.  Monsignor Clerkin will follow me upon my departure from the parish at the end of June. 

Monsignor Clerkin is currently the pastor of Saint Paul the Apostle in Brookville. He has been a priest for more than 30 years and is very eager to join all of you as your new pastor.  He is a very energetic and enthusiastic priest, and he is a “hands-on” kind of pastor.  I have full confidence that he is an excellent choice to be the next shepherd of this Family of the Eucharist.

 Over the next several weeks, Monsignor Clerkin may be stopping into the parish from time to time.  Please be sure to take a moment to introduce yourself and welcome him to his new home.  And please be sure to keep him in your prayers during this time of transition, for he too is leaving a place that he loves as much as I love this place.

 Welcome, Monsignor Clerkin!

 Sincerely yours in Christ,

 Fr. Lee Descoteaux

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 The following letter was in the bulletin on Sunday, March 31, 2013

 

My Dear Friends in Christ:

On behalf of all the priests and deacons as well as the entire parish staff allow me to offer you our most heart-felt wishes for a Happy and Holy Easter!  Through his death and resurrection, Jesus has revealed to us the depths of his love, and through our own baptisms we too enter into that great mystery of faith whereby we personally celebrate the triumph of Easter Sunday.  What a beautiful meditation that lies before us: through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ we are reminded over and over again that no matter what life sends our way, the Risen Lord is right here with us to see us through.  He has conquered our sinfulness, he has shattered all our fears, and he brings light into our darkest days.

What a beautiful time of year this is to also remind ourselves that we too are disciples of Jesus and his Church, much like those who were with him when he lived, died, and rose from the dead more than 2000 years ago.  He has called us to serve him in much of the same way that he called the earliest disciples.  It is my hope that during this Easter season, you come to know Jesus in a whole new way.  I also hope that you will come to a greater sense of your own call to discipleship as we continue the tireless effort of building up his Kingdom here in Deer Park and North Babylon.  What a joyous occasion it was for the disciples on that first Easter morning – but never forget that their mission did not end at the tomb.  They went forth to proclaim the message of Jesus in word and deed.  We, too, are called to that kind of discipleship – to be living witnesses to Christ in the things we say and the things we do.

If you celebrate with us here on a regular basis, I pray that the light of the Risen Christ will continue to shine in every aspect of your life.  Be the Light of the Resurrected Christ to all you meet!  You never know when you just might be the one someone has been waiting for!  And if you have been away from us for awhile, allow me to be the first to say to you: “Welcome Home!”  This is YOUR family and you are always welcome here, no questions asked!

 Jesus Christ is Risen Today!  Alleluia, Alleluia!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

I am very pleased to report to you that we are making substantial progress in our Parish Renovation Project.  As I reported to you last month, we finally received approval from the Diocese to enter into a contract with a company to replace the boilers in the Parish Center, the Rectory, and the Church.  Those boilers arrived last week and we have been installing them over the last few days.  That means that for the first time in decades, we will soon be functioning at 100% efficiency!  We still have to replace the boiler in the school, but unfortunately we need to hold off on that project until the summer.

I am also happy to report that we have completed the search process for a company who will replace the four roofs on our buildings.  I have asked Bishop Murphy to grant us permission to begin the project and I am now simply waiting for his response.  It is my hope that we can begin these projects by the beginning of May.  I am so grateful to my team of experts who helped us with the selection process: Mike Conboy, Joseph Breslawski, Charlie Parlapiano, Nick Keller, and Deacon Phil Mills.  They painstakingly read through pages and pages of fine print, they listened to countless presentations, and they asked all of the hard questions that needed to be asked.  They really did their homework in preparing themselves for these meetings and I have full confidence in their recommendation – I am certain that we have selected the right company for the job!

So far, both projects have been estimated to come in under what we have budgeted, which is excellent news!  Additionally, we have enough cash on-hand from the payments that we have all been making on our pledges so we do not have to borrow any money to complete the boiler project or the roofing project.  But, we must always remain cautiously optimistic – you never know what you will find once you start opening up roofs.  Be assured that I will keep you all informed as these projects continue moving forward.

Allow me a moment to update you on where we stand with our renovation finances.  As of last week, our figures are as follows:

TOTAL PLEDGED:	$1, 427, 558
PAID TO DATE:	$746, 839
% of CASH RECEIVED:	52%
NUMBER OF FAMILIES MAKING GIFTS:	1,024
% of GOAL REACHED:	95%
% PARTICIPATION:	17%
CAMPAIGN GOAL:	$1, 500, 000
NEEDED TO REACH GOAL:	$72, 442

 As always, I am so grateful to all of you who have worked so hard and sacrificed so much to secure the future of this parish family. It is a reminder once again that we are not simply a parish – we are a parish family, and this is our home!  Please know that you are in my prayers every day, and will especially be so during our celebration of Our Lord’s Resurrection.  If you have not yet had an opportunity to make a gift to the Renovation Project, it is my hope that you might consider doing so soon to ensure the stability of our parish for generations to come.  Pledge envelopes, of course, are available throughout the Church.

Again, many thanks for all your hard work.  Together, we really can be “Grateful for our Past” while “Looking to our Future.” 

Sincerely yours in Christ,