It seems as if there is always something going on here on the parish campus. Between celebrating Masses, meeting with staff and trying to unpack and organize my office, I am slowly getting to meet people involved with some of the many groups that call St. Christopher home. I can’t tell you how impressed I am with the number and diversity of people who are striving to deepen their faith and live it out in an active way. “That Man is You” for the men of the parish, “ Walking with Purpose” for our women, Life Teen and Edge Ministries for our young people, the Children’s Liturgy of the Word Group, the Knights of Columbus, our Christian Meditation Group – these are but a few offerings available here. And when you add in our Religious Education Programs, Sacramental Ministries and the various opportunities for prayer, it is no wonder that we have six people who are seeking to join the Catholic Church and are currently participating in our RCIA sessions. I ask you to pray for them as they continue their discernment and formation, asking God to continue to lead them along the righteous path.
As we continue to grow and expand our programs, our facilities are an ongoing challenge. The registration for next year’s Preschool is already at maximum capacity, and it is a struggle to find space for the various groups that need to meet here. The Parish Leadership Team met this past week, and we are exploring various options to help provide useful space for all these needs. Between better allocation and some creative ways to use our present areas, we are hopeful that we will be able to continue to accommodate the expansion of our parish programs and ministries. 
You may not be aware of it, but our Outreach Ministry is composed of an amazing group of people who volunteer their time to help our parish make sure that we are living the Social Justice demands of being Church. Just to give you an idea of the scope of this service, during the past 2 months Outreach volunteers assisted 10 new clients and 54 others who had received food or other assistance from us in the past. A total of 62 people came during Outreach office hours, and 96 bags of food were distributed. They also prepared and delivered 225 “backpacks” of food for students who participate in the breakfast and lunch program at school, so that they would also have something to eat over the weekends. A total of $2,792.11 was used to assist people in paying bills for things like utilities, rent, etc. Recognizing that all of these funds come from the Poor Boxes at church, I thank you for your continued generosity as you express gratitude to God for the many blessings you have received. 
In light of this, and in recognition for all he does, I want to salute this week’s