Today the Church throughout the United States celebrates Catechetical Sunday. The words of the disciples on the road to Emmaus when encountering the risen Jesus but not recognizing him, “Stay with us” is the theme for Catechetical Sunday. Catechetical Sunday also gives us the opportunity to say “thank you” to the men, women, and teens who volunteer in our faith formation programs at Our Lady of Mercy. Fr. Mark and I truly appreciate your desire and commitment to sharing our Catholic faith with our children. Guided by our Directors of Religious Education, Mary Jo Trapani, Candy Rice, and Dave Miserendino, our catechists and volunteers receive the support they need to help our children experience Jesus and become missionary disciples. Fr. Mark and I are deeply grateful for the expertize and passion Mary Jo, Candy, and Dave, along with Jean Rehmer and Jean Palasz bring to the Religious Education Program at Our Lady of Mercy.

Stay with us! That is the message I would like to get out to all our parents concerning religious education for their children. We have 1,186 children in our parish between the ages of 5 and 13 – the formative years of faith development. As I write this article, we currently have 475 children of this age group registered to attend our religious education program this fall. Where are the other 711 children??? I know that some are attending Catholic schools, but that still leaves us with a huge number of children not receiving the Good News and coming to know Jesus. We are deeply concerned!!

Parents who have not registered your children in our program, how can we help? Maybe God and church are not a priority in your life at this time. No matter the reason, we want to invite and help you to reconnect. Call me, Fr. Mark or any of the RE staff if you would like to talk. We pray that you feel God tugging at your heart. We want nothing to stand in the way of your children and you experiencing Jesus’ love and mercy. Parents, if you’ve been away from God and/or the Church, we would love to welcome you to try ALPHA. Find out more at alpha@olmercy.old.diocesanweb.org. Help your children discover the goodness of God and the joy of being a part of the family of Our Lady of Mercy. RE classes begin the week of September 23rd. Registration is still open – call the RE office. If you have something holding you back, Fr. Mark and I are more than willing to meet with you to address any issues or concerns you may have. We are here to help!! Call us! Be a part of us! Stay with us!!

Have a Blessed Week!

Fr Don