Dear Parishioners:

The month of May is HOPE APPEAL month in our diocese.  This is the time selected each year for your participation in our annual appeal.  Over the years, I have seen our gifts at work first hand.  With the federal budget cuts to Medicaid and other programs for the needy, your gift to the Hope Appeal is needed now more than ever.  Please join me in making your donation or pledge.  All of the priests of our diocese received a letter asking for our support of the Hope Appeal.  The average gift from our clergy is $700.  Please give whatever you are able to pledge, payable over several months.  Your support will meet the needs of thousands of people served by the Hope Appeal agencies including Catholic Charities, youth programs, hospital chaplaincies, Catholic education, Faith Formation programs, and many more diocesan outreach programs.  I thank you in advance for your prayerful consideration of a contribution  to our Hope Appeal.
Memorial Weekend....  Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who served in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding   family gatherings, and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.
 By the late 1860’s, Americans in various towns and cities had begun holding springtime tributes to these countless fallen    soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers. In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday. We are grateful to all of our service men and women who gave their lives for our country.  May they rest in peace.
Congratulations to Deacon Matthew Thomas Lyons who will be ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, June 3rd at  Holy Cross Church in Dewitt.  Matthew studied for the priesthood at The Catholic University of America in Washington (my alma mater!)  and will be assigned to a parish immediately after ordination.  He is a cheerful, intelligent young man who will serve the people of our diocese very well.  Our prayers are with him and all of our seminarians who look forward to ordination day.
DON'T FORGET to pick up a new ministry schedule!!  They are available at the entrances to our church or online at our website: www.stmargaret-homer.org

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