Dear Friends,

I am sure many of you were surprised last Sunday to see that our music ministry has changed. The speed at which it all transpired was as much of a surprise to me as to many of you. Ike Ndolo, who has served Our Lady of Mt Carmel for many years, informed me on Sunday, Aug 8th that he would be resigning his position, effective that date. He declined to state the reasons, but I assume (and hope) that he made his decision based on what was best for him and his family.

Dear Friends,

School is back in session and parish activities are starting to pick up. We are not only returning from the normal summer lull, but also the devastating effects the pandemic has had on Church life, in general. Many have not returned to Mass because of their lingering uncertainty over the continued dangers of the virus. And there are also large numbers of Catholics who, over these past 16 months, have filled their weekends with other activities that don’t include attending Mass. Will all of them change these newly acquired habits and once again come back to Church? The answer to that question remains to be seen.