Welcome
back to all our parishioners who have been away. I hope all of you enjoyed the
beautiful weather this Summer. It has
been a very different and trying Summer for me. This new illness crept up on me
very quickly and I did not see it coming. Since there have been many rumors
about what happened to me and the real cause of my illness and absence from
work, I decided that you should hear it from me directly. Suddenly, during the
8 AM Mass on Monday morning, June 22, I could not stand, speak or function and
began to sweat profusely and shake uncontrollably, at the same time. Because my hemoglobin level was at 57, and,
after many tests at Trillium, it was determined that I had been bleeding
internally for months and, since it was so slow, did not notice it. A reason
has never been found but the doctors suggested that it could have been too many
blood thinners. It was also determined that my gall bladder had become infected
and the infection spread to my liver and kidneys. It took several weeks on an
antibiotic drip/pump to clear it up. A drainage tube was inserted into my gall
bladder on July 4th and remains there as I write this note. By the time you see
this letter I will have had my surgery on September 9th at Oakville/Trafalgar
Memorial Hospital. My surgeon is going
to try to remove my gall bladder by laparoscopic surgery, if possible. If not,
it will be the old fashion way of cutting. I am hoping and praying that it can
be the former way since recuperation after laparoscopic surgery is about 2
weeks but it is 2 months if the other method is necessary. The drainage tube
should be out as well and hopefully, I will be back to work by the end of the
month pending the method/success of the operation. Please continue to pray for
me.
I
want to thank all of you who have been able to contribute to the Family of
Faith Campaign. As of today, September 4th, we are at 250,000.00 dollars!! This
is wonderful. There are still a couple of weeks to go and then we will have
Commitment Sunday when all of us are asked to pledge something, if we haven’t
already. I am confident that we will reach our goal of 495,000.00 dollars and
realize some funds back into the parish. Thank-you to all those who have been
volunteering and running the campaign in my absence. The campaign could not
have happened without you. The most important priority for us is the formation
of a new youth group. I will be hiring a youth director as soon as the funds
become available.
You
will have noticed that the outside upper floor of the rectory is being waterproofed
and repaired on the Atwater side of the building. Once this is completed and
the funds become available, we will begin fixing the inside wall of my room
which is on the verge of caving in due to water damage. You will have also
noticed that the dead ash trees have been removed. I would like to thank THOR
TREE REMOVAL for their fast and efficient work. I would highly recommend this
company to anyone. The total cost of the tree removal was 10,000.00 dollars. We
also realized 60 dollars from the fire wood that was left from the downed
trees.
School
has begun once again and I hope that our students, teachers, principals and
vice-principals experienced a great first week. We wish all those in our
schools a wonderful and fruitful year of learning. I will be getting together
with our principals and vice-principals for a meeting regarding school Masses
and the various celebrations that take place between our parish and our schools
as soon as I am recovered from my latest surgery.
Please
remember that our Harvest Bazaar will be held on October 3rd. We are still in
need of new or gently used items for Grandma’s Attic which can be left at the
office. The bakers and helpers sheets are at all of the entrances of the church
again this Sunday. Please sign up if you are able to help and/or bake. Many
hands will make light work.
Thank-you to Andy and Michael Krampelj and
parents for tending our gardens and making them beautiful all summer!!!
Saturday morning Mass at 9:15 will resume in
October after I am back to work full time.
Confirmation
for those in GRADE 8 ONLY will begin with registration on October 5th at 7 PM.
Please make sure that at least one parent attends this meeting to register your
child. Registration is one day only. Reminders will be in the bulletin and in
the September school newsletter.
Thank-you
for all your prayers, cards, food deliveries and good wishes during this time!
I appreciate it all.
Fr. Phil
