Dear Beloved of Christ, 
 
With about four months under my belt, I have been able to meet with all of the staff at some point, and also to meet with the lay councils and advisors that have been set up and have been running the last years.  The thing that keeps coming up in my heart is to keep reminding everyone how much Jesus Christ loves them.  He loves us so much that he gives us his body and invites us into his family through baptism. It's funny, because I feel like a little bit of a broken record, but I also realize that parents probably feel that way too!
 
There’s a lot for us to be hopeful. We have hundreds of children in our parish school, and hundreds more involved in preparation to receive Jesus' love for them through the Sacraments.  We have many avenues of charitable work in our parish family, from St. Vincent de Paul to the food bank garden. Many parishioners tithe generously that allows for our parish staff to assist the pastor in his responsibility.  Many of last years’ accomplishments are present in this end of year report to you all, beloved of Christ.  
 
Another thing that struck me as I listened to many in our councils and other parishioners, is the recognition and space to grieve. We all have things perhaps where we need to grieve in our own personal lives. As parishioners and parishes, too, it is important that we recognize the griefs we share in common, about our parishes, about our parish family, about the state of the world. As I have heard about these from parishioners and staff, know that I carry them with me to the altar to ask the Lord to sanctify them and heal them.  In this last year I have more and more relied on and prayed with our Lady of Sorrows, Mary, who stood by her son in his time of ultimate grief.  And, as Our Lady said to Juan Diego, nearly five hundred years ago, “am I not here, I who am your mother too?”
 
From that, what gives me great hope is the Cross. When staff and lay councils gathered together, we prayed the Votive Mass of the Holy Cross, where we meditated on the great work of redemption that Jesus accomplished for us that we participate in.  The first Friday Mass of the school year we prayed with the Mass of the Sacred Heart where we heard how the Lord poured forth from his side blood and water on the Cross, the wellspring of the Church’s sacraments so that “won over by the open heart of the Savior, all might draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.”  The invitation from the Lord is an ever deepening friendship with Him.  And in this year of transition for all of us, my hope is that our time together may do just that and from that peace we can follow our Lord in this new reality of Partners in the Gospel.  
 
I am thankful to the staff of both parishes as they have navigated this transition.  I am grateful for the ways they have already collaborated to come together and build a single parish family sacramental preparation and children’s catechetical program.  Thank you especially to Gaby and Marianne for that!  I am also happy to have Mrs. Deb Dewar as our principal at our parish school this year.  Thank you especially to all of the parish school staff as you begin this new school year with eager hands and hearts.  
 
I am so grateful for all of you who have told me that you are keeping all of this in your prayers.  Please continue to do so as we navigate the next years within our Parish Family so that we all might deepen our knowledge, love, and service of Jesus Christ in his Catholic Church.
 
With the affection of Christ Jesus,
 
Fr. Lou Cunningham
Pastor, Lakewood Catholic Parish Family

• Marianne Manning took on the position of Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation,
Youth Ministry, and Sacraments after Terri Nelson’s departure.
• KyoungSuk Sheridan accepted the responsibility of being a key volunteer at funerals and weddings.
• Archbishop Etienne final parish family designations were published and distributed by the Archdiocese.
• DeAnna Bridenback was hired in a part-time position as Pastoral Assistant for Outreach.
• Bible in the Year discussion sessions by Fr. Mike Schmidt was hosted by Carole White for about 40 interested individuals.
• The Knights of Columbus hosted a St. Patrick’s Day Dinner. Attendance was beyond expected and the parish hall was packed.
• The Knights of Columbus held the cross for veneration on Good Friday.
• The Knights also sponsored the Easter Egg Hunt after the Easter Sunday Mass.
• A ministry fair was held in June encouraging parishioners to participate in
ministries commensurate with their time, talent, and treasure. A listing of all the STJB ministries follows on the last page of this report.
• On June 23rd we gathered in a picnic to bid farewell to Fr. Thomas Tran and Paul Nguyen, our seminarian.