Most of the stone replacement and repair work on the bell tower is complete and we should begin to see the removal of that portion of the scaffolding within the next couple of weeks. The repairs to the stained glass which has been removed from the Rose Window are ongoing and are expected to be completed by the end of August. In the meantime, repair of the exterior wood and copper frame of the window will be happening over the next couple of weeks.

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The twenty-five sections of the stained glass window have been removed and are in process of repair and parts of the stone on the bell tower have been replaced with other parts being repaired. It is now anticipated that most of the work should be finished by the end of July.

Most of you will have received the solicitation letter in the mail to cover the cost of the repairs to the front stained glass window and the bell tower of the church building. We have raised $88,161 collected and $9,683 pledged toward a goal of $150,000. If you have not received a mailing, you may pick one up at the entrances of the church. Also, if you wish to contribute by credit card online, go to our website, www.stcolumbkillebrighton.com click on “support us today” and follow the directions.

Congratulations to Fr. Henry Shea, SJ, and Fr. Ed Casey who were ordained on June 9 (The feast of St. Columbkille!!) in New York and Scranton, respectively. As you know, they were transitional deacons with us this past year. May God continue to bless them in their priestly ministry.

Fr. James Min who has been with us for almost three years has completed his studies at Boston College for his Masters Degree in Sacred Scripture. He will be leaving us at the end of June to return to China to teach Chinese seminarians. We wish him well in his apostolate and are thankful for his calm and warm presence with us.

Another priest from China, Fr. Peter Song, will be joining us on June 23 as a priest in residence who is also studying at Boston College for a Masters Degree in Ethics. In college in China, he majored in English and taught it for several years. We look forward to his presence with us.

This weekend, we formally say goodbye to Fr. Succès. As you have read in our recent bulletins, he is transferring to Sacred Heart Parish in Roslindale. We appreciate his ministry among us, particularly with the Spanish speaking community. He will be missed. Fr. Succes will have his final weekend Mass at our parish this Sunday, June 3, at 12:45pm after which there will be a reception for him in the school. All are invited to attend. We wish him well in his new assignment and welcome him back to St. Col’s whenever the opportunity may present itself.

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The twenty-five sections of the stained glass window have been removed and are in process of repair and parts of the stone on the bell tower have been removed for replacement. It is anticipated that most of the work should be finished by the end of June/beginning of July.

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By now, most of you will have received the solicitation letter in the mail to cover the cost of the repairs to the front stained glass window and the bell tower of the church building. If you have not received a mailing, you may pick one up at the entrances of the church. Please pray about this need and how you can best help with this project.

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I am sure you could not help but notice the large scaffolding at the front of the church which goes up to the large round stained glass window. During one of our March winter storms, the outside sheathing on the window came apart and fell to the ground. Thankfully no one was hurt. The window is presently being inspected for repair and replacement of the sheathing.

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Many thanks to all who have increased their donations since we started our increased offertory campaign last November. Additionally, thanks to all who contributed thus far to our Grand Annual collection which started the first week of December. As noted in the bulletin, so far we have collected $51,846.00 in the Grand Annual Collection toward a goal of $70,000.

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This coming week, Deacon Nico Lariossa will be returning to his native Australia to complete his final months of formation prior to being ordained a priest for the Society of Jesus this Spring. We have appreciated his friendly presence among us as he completed his pastoral field education at St. Columbkille’s.

Deacon Nico belongs to the Austrailian Province of the Society of Jesus and will be serving the Church there as a priest. We wish him well and promise to keep him in our prayers during the next few months.

A Big Thank You to the members of the Hispanic Community who worked so hard last Saturday to clean the lower church and sacristy.

Our parish grand annual collection, which is the largest single source of income for our parish, continues. You should have received literature in the mail relative to the collection. Please be as generous as your means will allow. If you did not receive information in the mail there are envelopes at the bookracks at the back of the church.

Muchísimas gracias a los miembros de la comunidad hispana que trabajaron tan duro el sábado pasado para limpiar la iglesia inferior y la sacristía.

Nuestra gran colección anual parroquial, que es la mayor fuente de ingresos para nuestra parroquia, continúa. Debería haber recibido literatura por correo en relación con la colección. Por favor sea tan generoso como lo permitan sus medios. Si no recibió información por correo, hay sobres en los estantes de libros en la parte posterior de la iglesia.

I recently was informed that Cardinal Sean O’Malley has appointed me as Vicar Forane for Vicariate IV of the Central Region of the Archdiocese, effective October 1, 2017. What does this mean? A Vicar Forane has the responsibility for assisting the Cardinal and the Regional Bishop in the administration of a certain section of one of the Archdiocesan Regions. In this case, Vicariate IV of the Central Region covers Brighton, Allston, Cambridge, and Somerville. The vicar holds monthly meetings with the priests of the Vicariate to discuss various Archdiocesan issues, programs, and pastoral concerns. The Vicar at times is required to attend meetings and functions at any of the parishes and to act as an intermediary on issues when necessary. I ask for your prayers and support as I take on this additional responsibility.