Saint Joseph Parish:
Receipts for parish purposes: $1,356.00 from the Sunday envelopes; $83.00 from the second collection (plate); $115.00 from the Dues envelopes; $55.00 from the Building Maintenance envelopes; $46.00 from the Christmas Flowers envelopes; $51.00 from the loose.
Total: $1,706.00
Receipts for non-parish purposes: - 0 -
Analysis: When one deducts from the total of the receipts for parish purposes ($1,706.00) our weekly financial obligation to the Diocese, i.e. assessments ($329.54), plus our weekly premium for property and casualty insurance ($464.00), plus our weekly subsidy to Trinity Academy ($358.17), the sum total of which is $1,151.17, one sees that $554.83 is available from this collection for operating the parish.


Saint Vincent DePaul Parish:
Receipts for parish purposes: $1,195.00 from the Sunday envelopes; $103.00 from the second collection (plate); $10.00 from the Dues envelopes;$58.00 from the Building Maintenance envelopes; $70.00 from the loose.
Total: $1,436.00.
Receipts for non-parish purposes: - 0 -
Analysis: When one deducts from the total of the receipts for parish purposes ($1,436.00) our weekly financial obligation to the Diocese, i.e. assessments ($229.38), plus our weekly premium for property and casualty insurance ($282.46), plus our weekly subsidy to Trinity Academy ($250.98), the sum total of which is $762.82, one sees that $673.18 is available from this collection for operating the parish.

Note: Normally we conclude Exposition at about 08:00 pm. However, we shall extend Exposition until Midnight this coming Friday because we think there might be some persons who would like to make the transition from 2010 to 2011 in the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament. No one is expected to spend the entire six hours in the chapel (unless you want to!). Let’s put it this way: Come when you can and leave when you must.

WE SHARE THE MAIL
Background: Two letters were received in the same envelope this past week. There was no return address, but they were mailed from Girardville. Both were typewritten and anonymous. I am printing one of the letters here exactly as it was written, without any editing.

Fri. Dec. 17, 2010

To: North Schuylkill Deanery
Kevin Gallagher, Mahanoy City
John Bambrick, Ashland
Ronald Bocian, Shenandoah
Edward Essig, Frackville
North Schuylkill Deanery,
What can be done about Edward Connelly of Girardville?
He held his parishoners captive for one hour and 18 minutes last Saturday night.
It is a regular practice of his to keep his parishoners in church beyond longer than the average time to conduct a service (40 to 45 min utes).
They areolder parishoners that can not stay in church that long.
It is coming to a point where they will have to go to another chuch or just not go.
Can something be done about this matter at thenext deanery meeting?

If I were able to reply to the writer (but I cannot because he or she gives no name), this is what I would write:

Dear Friend:
Just a few pointers:
In 2008, Bishop Cullen dissolved the North Schuylkill Deanery and the South Schuylkill Deanery and made them into one. The entire County of Schuylkill is now known as simply “Schuylkill Deanery”. So, this letter would properly be sent to Msgr. O’Connor, the Dean of Schuylkill County. He lives in Pottsville, at St. Patrick Rectory.
My surname (which was handed down to me by my father) is spelled with two “o’s”, i.e. “Connolly”. Among the “Conn” there are the “ellys” and there are the “ollys”. I am of the latter clan.
If I may take exception to something you say in your letter, it is this: I have never held anyone captive in my entire life, neither in church nor anywhere else. There are no security guards nor sentry dogs posted at the doors, nor should there be.
I wish you a Merry Christmas.
Fr. Edward B. Connolly

I am unable to share the text of the second letter (from the same anonymous writer). It started off with “What the hell are you doing?” and went downhill from there. The reason I cannot share it is this: It was a bitter denunciation of a deceased parishioner. The letter gave reasons why the writer thought that this deceased person was unworthy of being given a Catholic funeral. It criticized the fact that the pastor provided Catholic burial rites. I shuddered as I read it. It occurred to me that the writer of the letter might very well be in captivity to dark powers. May God have mercy on him or her before the curtain comes down.

Father Liebner and Father Brennan join me in wishing all of the people of Girardville and the surrounding area a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Kateri joins us in this wish.
I apologize for the abbreviated bulletin this weekend. The “holiday rush” caught up with me and I could not do a normal size bulletin in time for the Saturday evening Mass.
May God bless you and all of your dear family members.
May all of our dear family members who have died rest in God’s peace. May we be reunited with them in the Kingdom that is coming when our great Lord and Savior appears in power.
Let us all forgive one another our sins and faults, so that God may more readily forgive us ours.
God bless us every one!
With Love –
Fr. Edward B. Connolly
Pastor