Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Happy 4th of July!!!

This is the day America celebrates Independence Day, a day which affords us a great opportunity to consider the freedom we enjoy today. Many great men and women have given life and treasure to purchase for us our right to liberty.  W e   must be vigilant-guarding that freedom- or we might very well find ourselves lamenting for losing that right. Let us not take it for granted!

We are aware that while independence has been gained, equality is yet to be sought for. No true freedom is achieved without equality, justice and peace. As one country we continue to work to achieve true independence, wherein every people could live without fear, no trepidation due to color, language, belief and any other form of oppression. 
But the 4th of July is not a day to worry and be filled with anxiety. So today, let us celebrate! It is a day to celebrate a country in which we are so privileged to live and the freedom we know so well. All the same, it is also a time to renew our “eternal vigilance” before everything we know is taken away from us.  Just as Jesus Christ died to give us true freedom, so many of our countrymen have died to give us the liberty that we possess and enjoy!
As we are vigilant with our freedom, we also must be extra vigilant with our health and safety and that of others. Enjoying, partying and meeting with friends and family during these days should not let us leave our guard down. The virus continues to infect and kill. There is a growing number of cases in the US, far bigger than it was during the peak in our area. So, I urge you, my dear parishioners, please observe the pandemic trifecta: Mask, Social distancing and Sanitizing.   
Our Masses this Sunday, July 5, are: 9am and 11am. The 9am Mass is live-streamed. Thanks once again to Mike Diao for sharing his gadgets and talent so that those homebound and those uncomfortable gathering indoors would be able to join us at Mass. Kindly follow Mass in your car at the parking lot. Communion will be distributed upon exit. 

A very  kind and generous couple of our parish, Tessy and Antony Xavier, has offered to donate our needed camera in church so that we can continue live-streaming not only the 9am Sunday Mass but ALL of our Masses, i.e., daily and weekends. In addition to them, others have also shared their generous help, like, Gaudy and Terry Albano, Sam and Beth Mil, and Salvador and Evelyn Dela Cruz. On behalf of the parish family, I thank you so very much for your kind hearts. This will definitely help reach to connect and to evangelize our homebound parishioners and families especially during this pandemic. May God bless you a hundredfold. Let's pray that this be installed soonest this week.

As an aid not only to our parishioners but also to the many devotees from the neighboring parishes of Saint Ann whose feast day is upcoming, the daily themes, reflections and novena prayers will be integrated at the 8am daily Masses and will be live-streamed and posted on our parish website so that they can continue to join us and fulfill their devotion to our Patroness. Since we are not able to give out printed materials during the novena-Masses, bringing your own copy to church is advisable.

I am also grateful to our present Finance Council who is on top of the Annual Financial and Pastoral Report. It is our hope that this report comes out on time this fiscal year 2019-2020. Thanks to Rose Ryan who leads this 'committee on report'.

Our food drive sponsored by the Knights of Columbus last week was a huge success. Thank you so much for your great response to the appeal. We were able to serve all of our local food banks and helped feed our needy brethren. I am very proud of our parish. Thanks for helping us help others. We never stop doing good for there is an inner joy in doing what is right. We actually feed our souls as we feed the hungry. "Blessed are the merciful for theirs is the mercy of God."
God Loves You!