Dear Parishioners, Back to Ordinary Time we go. This winter chapter between Christmas and Lent is brief, and usually a little less pastorally demanding around the parish than other times of the year. This deep-winter lull allows for us to do needed planning and preparing for the coming year – like a farmer who is ordering seeds in preparation for the growing season. One thing we now need to factor into this planning is that our Pastoral Life Coordinator, Bob McDermott, has decided to take a position that opened up with the Diocese of Portland as the new Director of Safe Environment. It has been a pleasure to work with Bob since I arrived here in Portland, and his calming demeanor and generous efforts will be greatly missed here on staff, even though he assures me he will remain an active parishioner. Bob will remain on staff until the end of January, and I encourage you to please stop him when you see him and thank him for his service to our parishes. In considering how to proceed forward, the staff and I have been in discussions that will continue with the pastoral council in the days ahead. Of particular importance to me is to ensure that we are bringing adequate pastoral resources to bear in service of the many linguistic and ethnic communities of the parish, elderly and shut ins, and youth and young adults. I will be updating you next week as to the decisions that we make regarding staffing to meet these needs. I plan to begin advertising the position or positions this month, with the goal of filling them by the beginning of Lent. Please pray to St. Joseph, patron saint of workers, as we go about this process. A note that we continue our search for a full time Director of Pastoral Communications. We have had a few inquiries, and I think some promising leads. In today’s work environment these things take time, we will wait until we find the right person for this critical position. In the meantime, I am so grateful for our current staff for their dedication and service. We are blessed to have a great staff in our parishes. I hope that you and your families are staying warm and finding time to catch up, plan, pray, and relax during these winter months. In Christ, Fr. Seamus