Dear SJF/OLC Pastorate Friends,
As we approach Labor Day this weekend, our thoughts begin to turn toward post summer events
and activities. Schools have reopened. Summer vacations are completed. Life, hopefully, begins to settle
into the usual rhythms of this time of year. One of the rhythms we are encouraging this year, as well, is
returning to weekly Mass. We miss you! So we invite you to come home and join us, as we are nourished
and nurtured by God’s Word and Jesus’ Body and Blood which we receive in the Eucharist.
Next Sunday, September 11th, we are welcoming Archbishop Lori to our Pastorate. The Archbishop
will be celebrating the 8:30am Mass at Our Lady of the Chesapeake and the 11:30am Mass at St. Jane
Frances. Fr. Jim and I will be concelebrating both Masses as well. I hope you will be able to join us for Mass and welcome Archbishop Lori to the “Dena.”
This is also the season when we begin our catechetical programs. One program that is essential to
our efforts to evangelize is the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, aka RCIA. Due to several
circumstances, this year’s RCIA will be held on Mondays, from 7:00pm–8:30pm at St. Jane Frances. If you were never baptized, or if you were baptized Catholic but never confirmed, or if you were baptized in
another Christian faith, and would like to join the Catholic Church, this is the program for you! Classes will begin later this month. For more information, please contact Fr. Steve or Fr. Jim.
Please continue to keep in our prayers all of our students, teachers, and staffs of our local Catholic,
private and public schools. These recent years have been very difficult for the education field, so we pray
for all who serve the needs of our students in whatever capacity. We also are preparing for our pastorate
parishes’ religious education programs to begin this month. If you have not yet registered, please do so.
Information for registering at either parish can be found on our websites: www.stjane.org or
www.olchesapeake.org. This is also the time to register your child for 1st Reconciliation, 1st Eucharist (both 2nd Grade), and Confirmation (9th – 10th Grade).
Thank you for keeping us in your daily prayers as we certainly do for each of you!
God Bless,
Father Steve
