From the desk of Monsignor Bride
We now enter into our second week of stewardship month in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish.
Last week, in the letter to each parishioner and in the special bulletin insert flyer, we set forth the goal for this, the 2006 Stewardship Appeal in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish.
I fully realize that for many this is difficult. Many of our parishioners are on fixed income. Their income does not increase and so any addition is a real sacrifice.  To them I say ‘thank you for your generosity’.  ”Do what you can!”  The Lord knows of your generosity and he will bless your best efforts.
There is no other path for us to take than to ask for this increase.  Our Medical insurance premium is up over $200. a month.  The auto insurance on the car the parish owns is up about $100. a month.  Our Property and Liability insurance is up about $150. a month. How can we possibly pay these bills, if we do not have an increase in our weekly support system?  There is simply no other way. These above mentioned figures do not take into account the increased energy cost which we, like everyone of you, have experienced in the past year. As the energy cost went up, our parish energy collection went down.  Thus, we in Our Lady of Perpetual Help got hit twice because of energy cost increase.
There simply is no choice but to request this increase in the Offertory.
In this Sunday’s bulletin for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (November 12) we have inserted a special blue Stewardship Flyer. I wish to address what is written on that flyer.
As of this date – November 2006 – we have 428 families registered in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish. Only 311 receive weekly envelopes.  After several months, if we discover that a particular family is NOT using the envelopes, we remove that name from the envelope list.  We have to pay for each family on the list, for each mailing of the envelope packet to the individual family unit.  Thus, when that unit does not use the envelope, we remove it because again we get hit twice.
Of the 311 family units that do receive envelopes, only 211 families are using the envelopes at this present time.  We have not removed any names from the list during this autumn season of 2006, because we knew that our Stewardship November Appeal was coming and we are hopeful that a large percentage of those 100 families will start using the envelopes because of this appeal.
The most painful statistic is that of 428 registered families, only 211 family units are using the envelope system.  That means that 49.4% of 428 families are substantively supporting Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish.  The rock foundation of our financial system is found in the envelope system.  Some will say they support the parish without using the envelope system. Let me show you these statistics. About 10% of any weekly collection is loose money, meaning not a check and not in any envelope,  Stewardship means every parishioner doing his/her fair share to support the work of the Lord in each parish.  Please help us by doing your fair share.                                    

                                                      Monsignor Bride
                 

Outside the Parish
The Academy of the Holy Family in Baltic will have their Entrance Exam for 8th grade girls on Saturday, November 18th from 9 to 12 Noon.  Testing Fee is $10.00.  Please call (860) 822-9272 for further information.
Fifth Annual Christmas Fair by the Sea at St. Edmund’s Retreat, Enders Island, Mystic, CT on Saturday, November 25, 2006 from 9 AM to 4:30 PM.  For further information, please call 860-536-0565 or email executiveoffices@endersisland.com
Hospice Southeastern Connecticut is offering a FREE grief support group at two locations for anyone coping with loss over the holidays.  1) Thursdays, November 16 & December 28, 2006 at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, 365 Montauk Ave., New London (Conference Room #3) from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
2) Thursdays, November 16 & December 28, 2006 at Hospice Southeastern Connecticut, 179 Gallivan Lane, Uncasville, CT from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The flu season is almost here.  For information about where you can get your shot, call the American Lung Association of Connecticut’s statewide Flu Hotline toll free at 1-888-NO-TO-FLU (668-6358) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday during October, November and December. 

TO BALTIMORE!
Monsignor Bride will travel to Baltimore on Wednesday of this week. He will attend the special ceremony of Gregory Jednaki’s ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY FOR THE DIACONATE AND PRIESTHOOD at St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore at 4:00 P.M.  This is the final step of approval for a candidate who is about to be approved by the Church for Ordination to the Diaconate (and subsequently) to the Priesthood. Msgr. Bride will return to the rectory Friday afternoon.

                                        
                 Announced Masses

Monday, November 13th        St. Frances Xavier Cabrini                         
7:30 A.M. Stanley & Alice Klicas   (M/M Edward Tuneski)
Tuesday,  November 14th    32nd   week in Ordinary Time                                               
7:30 A.M.  The  Faithful Departed --- Souls in Purgatory
Wednesday,  November 15th   32nd   week in Ordinary Time                                                                       
7:30 A.M.  For the intentions of Jack and Angela  Watson.
Thursday,  November 16th         St. Margaret of Scotland              
7:30 A.M.  The   Faithful Departed --- Souls in Purgatory
Friday,  November 17th     St. Elizabeth of Hungary                                                  
 7:30 A.M.  Parishioners of OLPH