Anyone who has any involvement in parish life knows well that May is one of the craziest months of the year. So many major activities and celebrations fall at this time of the year: graduations and the end of the school year, First Holy Communions, Confirmations, Mother’s Day, weddings, ordinations, Memorial Day and the beginning of summer, and on and on.  May is also the customary time of year for bishops to announce the clergy assignments that will become effective sometime in June.  The last several years have seen little change in the resident clergy here at I.H.M.  This is about to change and I want to take this opportunity to provide you with some of the specifics.

First of all, many of you know that I have requested a sabbatical and the Archbishop has graciously approved my request.  I have been accepted to the Hesburgh Sabbatical Program at C.T.U. (Catholic Theological Union) in Chicago.  This is a four-month program beginning in August and ending in December.  Priests of the Archdiocese are eligible for a sabbatical of 3-6 months after every seven years of ministry.  I have been a priest of the Archdiocese for nearly 28 years, the last ten of those spent here at I.H.M.  This will be my first sabbatical and I could not be more excited.

I realize that the very concept of a sabbatical is a bit foreign to many. Sabbatical programs like the Hesburgh Program are designed for priests active in the ministry.  Through a holistic approach these programs provide multiple avenues for spiritual refreshment, personal growth and ministerial renewal.  Let me add that the plan is that I will return to I.H.M. at the end of this program.

I also want to inform you that Father Juan Anzora will be moving on to his second assignment in June.  Father Juan has been with us since his ordination in 2008 and has generously served this community.  I know we all will miss him.  There will be a gathering after every Mass on his last weekend at IHM that will provide us an opportunity to thank him and wish him well as he moves on to another assignment.

Our new parochial vicar will also arrive in June and I am very happy with the priest the Archbishop plans to send to us.  I am sorry I cannot be more precise in my reporting of news about Father Juan and his successor.  The Priest Personnel Board is still trying to set the final slate and until that happens, I am not at liberty to pass on this information.

Finally, it  looks very likely that we will have a “resident” priest at I.H.M.  He, too, will be arriving in June.  He is a retired priest of the Archdiocese and will offer some services to the parish while living at the rectory.  Again, until all this is firm, I need to hold off on providing details.

Please Pray for us.

In Christ,

Father Jim Schillinger

Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory would like to honor couples married in 1952 and 1962 with an invitation to a Golden/Diamond Wedding Anniversary Mass on Saturday, October 13, 2012 at noon at Saint Brigid Catholic Church. A catered reception will follow for the anniversary couples and their families. Limited tickets are required for this special occasion, so please contact Nicole Hartman at 404-920-7626 or by e-mail at Esta dirección de correo electrónico está protegida contra robots de spam. Necesita activar JavaScript para poder verla by August 1, 2012 to place your name among the couples to receive an invitation to the Mass and reception. Additional details will be provided after you contact the Office of Formation and Discipleship.

A very generous family in our parish has offered to match any funds that we raise for permanent hard-bound hymnals, which we will use to replace the paper-bound hymnals and missalettes we are currently using.  The hard-bound hymnal that has been selected is the “Gather” Hymnal, published by GIA Publishing Company, one of the leading Catholic music publishing companies in America.

The concert/prayer that the music ministry presented on March 10, 2012 (‘Til Love Embraces All) raised over $1,300, which will be used as the beginning of our hymnal fund.  Thank you to those of you who prayed with us that night!

To donate a hymnal as a gift, or in honor of, or in memory of someone, please click on the Pay Pal buttom below, or download the form here  (please send your form and check, payable to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, by mail to the office or place it in the collection basket on Sunday).

Each hymnal that is donated in this way will have a permanent book plate in the front, remembering your loved one by name.  The cost of each hymnal is $20.00, which covers the cost of the hymnal, imprinting, and shipping charges.  For more information, contact our Director of Liturgy and Music, Mr. Jeff Bush at Esta dirección de correo electrónico está protegida contra robots de spam. Necesita activar JavaScript para poder verla ., or at 404-636-1418 ext. 247.

Archbishop Gregory invites you to join him and your fellow Catholics from across the Archdiocese to gather in joyful communion for this year’s Eucharistic Congress at the Georgia International Convention Center, June 8th and 9th. “We Though Many are One Body in Christ” is the theme, which will honor the wonderful missionary work of our Church both locally and  abroad.  Take this opportunity to reconnect with friends, spend quiet time in prayer and listen to dynamic speakers such as Bishop Kicanas,  Fr. Leo Patlinghug and Deacon Alex Jones.  If you would like to volunteer at this event, please do so on-line at http://www.archatl.com/congress/volunteer.html by April 30, 2012.

The Eucharistic Congress Kid Track is undergoing a metamorphosis this year!  On Saturday, June 9^th at the Congress, ADORE! (the Kid Track) will be introducing the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program which is much more interactive and educative than the programs in the past.  This program calls for a different configuration which necessitates a limit of 400 children in the program.  Also, this year, we are having only on-line pre-registration for the Kid Track.  THERE WILL BE NO ON-SITE REGISTRATION FOR THE KID TRACK.  If you are planning on having your children participate in ADORE! you will need to register each of them on-line at http://www.archatl.com/congress/kidtrackregistration.html.Once we reach 400 children, we will be closing registration.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Nicole Hartman at 404-920-7626 or Esta dirección de correo electrónico está protegida contra robots de spam. Necesita activar JavaScript para poder verla .

For more details about the Eucharistic Congress click here.

Donations for flowers during the Easter season can be given in memory of, or in thanksgiving for, family and friends, honoring their lives, their anniversaries or graduations or any significant life event.

If you would like to donate for flowers click on the Pay Pal button below or download the form here (please send your form and check, payable to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, by mail to the office or place it in the collection basket on Sunday).

You can make donations for flowers for the Easter season anytime between now and May 27th (the Solemnity of Pentecost), including Mother's Day, May 16th (the Six Sunday of Easter).