We had an AWESOME 40-HOUR ADORATION preceding our 41st birthday OUTDOOR MASS and annual picnic. WE THANK GOD for our staff, our
clergy and all the volunteers who made these three events possible, including the Altar Guild, Marian Group, the Knights of Columbus, the Couples for Christ and our own Parish Council. God has kept pouring so many blessings on our children, youth, parents, teachers at the beginning of a new School Year!

THE 40-HOUR ANNIVERSARY ADORATION has become MORE and MORE BEAUTIFUL over the last three years. In addition, this year we experienced NEW SIGNS FROM GOD, which could be interpreted as "little” miracles.

The first SIGN from GOD happened during the 17th hour of Adoration, close to 1 pm, Friday afternoon. A "young" lady (one of our founder parishioners) called me in the Narthex: "Father, come, come and see.. it is SO BEAUTIFUL". I knew that the Adoration set-up was spectacular with over 41 candles of different sizes, so, I was not surprised by her excitement as she was looking through the glass doors ...But she was looking at an awesome spectacle of "shooting stars" falling one after another in a regular rhythm. I could not figure out what was going on. I even got concerned that there may been some small fire behind the golden curtain where the shooting stars were appearing. So, I chose to enter the church and went behind the golden curtain (right side). There was a simple explanation: our volunteers had covered the two skylights with some black plastic to provide more darkness during the daytime and had put sandbags on the side of the two covers to avoid their flying away...Lo and Behold! A gentle breeze (HOLY SPIRIT!) was lifting up with regularity one small corner of the right cover (right skylight) letting the sun coming down and then disappearing! No special fire to worry about! God was providing us His own mysterious LIGHT!

A second SIGN from GOD happened also at 1 pm the next day (Saturday, September 11) just before the conclusion of the 40 hours with BENEDICTION. I was the main celebrant. Many people had gathered in the church. I kneeled down at the foot of the altar. I put lots of incense on top of the lighted coals in the thurible (censor). I enjoyed looking at the smoke of the burning incense rising to HEAVEN. As I WAS LOOKING UP, suddenly I felt being BLINDED. I had no idea how such a BRIGHT LIGHT had appeared out of nowhere! I was totally blind for a few seconds. I felt like Saul on his way to Damascus. Maybe God wanted to WAKE ME UP to a new reality, a new CONVERSION in my journey of Faith...Later on, I discovered a simple explanation: like the day before at about the same time, a breeze (HOLY SPIRIT) had begun to blow over our roof and this time it was stronger and a corner of the left cover (left skylight) had been lifted up.  The sun at this particular time came down exactly upon my eyes as a BRIGHT NARROW BEAM .. People took pictures of that narrow Beam which appeared as a Solid Column of HEAVY INCENSE SMOKE ... A co-incidence of the sun location at 1 pm, a sudden wind, special position of opened corner of skylight and of kneeler at foot of altar? Or, rather GOD's incidence? Was God giving us a message that He loved us to spend long hours of SILENCE in ADORATION of His Son fully present in the Blessed Sacrament on the Altar? To make us feel such LOVE, GOD can choose to SURPRISE US with a SIGN, a little miracle...

At the SUNDAY OUTDOOR MASS, one could sense JOY AND LOVE with the large number of children, youth and families under four large tents. Others stayed in the shade, of trees or of the Church building. The sound system was perfect. I could hear my voice projected almost to St Charles Parkway, a great way to EVANGELIZE! I could feel a sense of HEAVEN ON EARTH at the time of the CONSECRATION: the HOLY SPIRIT descending upon our portable altar located at the foot of the LARGE OUTDOOR CROSS ...

Let us pray that our children and youth, together with their parents and teachers will be BLESSED throughout this New School Year, especially those preparing to receive their SACRAMENTS OF FIRST COMMUNION and CONFIRMATION Let us pray that our High Schoolers will participate in large numbers in our YOUTH ACTIVITIES (LIFE TEEN'S Program)! May the entire parish also focus on the goals and activities selected for OUR YEAR OF EUCHARISTIC RENEWAL that just began last Sunday (41st parish Anniversary) and will continue through our 42nd Anniversary (Sunday September 11, 2022)!

May God also bless our parish as we prepare the 10th ANNIVERSARY of our Hispanic MINISTRY 2022. OUR ENTIRE PARISH IS INVITED. BISHOP DORSONVILLE has agreed to preside this special celebration. MARK YOUR CALENDAR from 5:30 pm till 8 pm (end of 7 pm Mass following Eucharistic Procession, Rosary, blessing two of our new chapels (Our Lady of Guadalupe and Divine Mercy).

Finally, I want to thank the ushers/EMoHCs who have agreed to assist at each Mass during Communion to ensure that EVERYONE receives the BODY OF CHRIST right in front of the priest or Deacon. You are our ANGELS OF TOTAL PROTECTION OF THE BODY OF CHRIST!

One in Christ,


Fr. Alain