Fr. Simon's Letter - May 4, 2025

Back in the day, when I made my First Communion, the date depended on the availability of the bishop. I received my First Communion and confirmation on October 24. Here at Queen of All Saints, First Communion and confirmation usually take place in the spring. Have you ever wondered why it is so? Is it because of the better weather, allowing more people to stand outside church and take pictures? Is it because the altar is filled with beautiful and fragrant blossoms? Is it because we are close to the end of the school year, and these two sacraments come at the culmination of months of preparation in religious education? Or is it even that, finally, there is “room on the schedule” at church, with Lent and Easter now out of the way?
 
It’s probably a little of all of these. But may I suggest the possibility that there’s a more relevant reason we see so many First Communion and confirmation liturgies in April, May and June. Yes, it’s true, we have just come through Lent, Holy Week, and Easter; in fact, we are still in the Easter season. What better time in the liturgical year for young people to receive First Communion than when Holy Thursday is so fresh in our memory? It was on that very special night in Holy Week when we commemorated Christ giving us his body and blood as food for the Church’s journey until the end of time. 
 
And what better time to confer the sacrament of confirmation, when our young people receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, than in the weeks leading up to Pentecost, the great feast that marks the birth of the Church itself? Indeed, along with baptism, we might well think of these sacraments as “the Easter sacraments,” as they are so rooted in events in the life of Our Lord and the Church that took place in those days after his resurrection.
So, for the 105 who are receiving and celebrating First Communion and the 100 who received confirmation at this time, congratulations! You are entering more deeply into what it means to be a Christian, for you are partaking in these life-giving encounters Christ left for us. If you are able to celebrate these “milestones” with some sort of party, and if people give you gifts on this occasion, great! They are indeed causes for joy and celebration. But think of the gifts and parties as symbols of the eternal gifts from almighty God and the heavenly banquet to which he invites us. Nourished and strengthened by these Easter sacraments, we could not be more gifted as individuals, as families, as a parish, and as a Church!
 
In about two weeks, we will gather as a community once again, under a majestic white tent, on a sprawling green field, to celebrate the spirit of community that binds us together. We give thanks to God for bringing us together as one family, and we remember and thank all those generous benefactors who have sustained this great parish in the past and who continue to support it in the present. Together we raise funds to support the many ministries and activities of the parish that are essential to our vitality for generations to come. Yes! UPP is back on the field!!!
 
The UPP, the United Parish Program, is our one and only fundraiser. The UPP aims to bring together the many and varied organizations in the parish and work as one toward a common goal: to build up the body of Christ and to care for and support the sacramental, educational and ministerial needs of the members. It is therefore vital that every member of the parish community participates in this united endeavor.
 
So I appeal to each family in the parish – and we have 2,900 families – to join in and participate and support the UPP. There are many ways to participate other than simply buying a ticket and attending. You could be a sponsor, take out an advertisement in the event booklet, offer an item for auction, buy some raffle tickets, or help one of the many committees preparing for the event. Our goal is to raise $275,000 in order to be able to continue to support the parish activities. That’s a lot of money but we can do it with the participation and support of every single family in the parish; you can even donate online.
 
All of this would not be possible without the leadership and vision of our UPP team. I am deeply grateful to Kristin Henry and Katie Mackenzie our UPP chairs for this year; Katie Conarchy and Liz Piper our co-chairs, as well as Laurie Vlasic, who are coordinating this year’s UPP; and the many volunteers on several different committees, working hard to make this day both memorable and successful. It is through their hard work, and your generosity and support, that we will achieve our goal. I look forward to seeing you on May 16, for our gala night as we continue Building Our Future!!
 
Blessings!!
 
- Fr. Simon