Dear Parishioners,

The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus-  As dutiful Jewish parents, Mary and Joseph brought their newborn son, as prescribed by law, to the temple to offer sacrifice and dedicate the child to God.  They encounter two "senior citizens,"  Simeon and Anna who were in the temple.  Simeon blessed the parents and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is     destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted, and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”  Anna gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.  Just as Simeon and Anna were privileged to see the Lord Jesus, we too are privileged in many ways.  We are faithful members of God's church;  we come here each week to experience to the love of God, to be nourished by God's Word and the Eucharist.  We leave our "temple"  nourished and enlivened, ready to bring the presence of Jesus to others. We can make a difference in our world!
Last Saturday's Jazz and Dixieland music was a big hit!  We had over 100 people attend, swinging and singing up a storm!  The event raised $2,000 for our church.  Our thanks to Dave Alexander and his band members for the generous donation of their time and great talents. Many thanks also to our bakers, the fundraising committee, and for all those who attended.

Superbowl Sunday..... did you know....

· 8 million pounds of guacamole is consumed on Super Bowl Sunday
· 14,500 tons of chips are eaten along with that guacamole
· Of the top 10 most watched American television programs of all time, nine of them are Super Bowls
· The Super Bowl is measured in Roman numerals because a football season runs over two calendar years
· Over 700,000 footballs are produced annually for official NFL use and 72 of them are used for the Super Bowl
· It is the 2nd most watched sporting event in the world. More than 100 million people worldwide watch the Super Bowl every year.       In fact, Super Bowl XLIV in 2010 unseated M*A*S*H's series finale as the most watched show in television history with over 106.5 million watchers.
· The average cost of a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl has ranged from $37,500 at Super Bowl I, to around $2.2 million at Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000, and by Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, had doubled to around $4.5 million.
· In 2020 a 30-second commercial reportedly cost between $5 million and $5.6 million.
· The NFL has a policy against holding Super Bowl games in stadiums that have a climate of less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit, unless it is an enclosed stadium
· Super Bowl XLIX (49) - Seattle Seahawks vs. the New England Patriots was the most-watched sporting event in the U.S. history. 114,442,000 people tuned in!     May the best team win !!

New to St. Margaret’s? If you have been joining us for Mass on the weekend and you enjoy our parish, we would like for you to become an “official” member of the parish. Our registration forms are available at both entrances of the church. Please take one home to fill out and return to the church.

Many thanks. God Bless You,  Fr. Paul J. Alciati