Note from the Pastor

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Dear friends, brothers and sisters in Christ,

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Happy autumn! One of the reasons we live here on the North Fork.

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We seem to be back to normal once again; however, some parishioners have not joined us at mass since Covid began. We pray for their quick return. I thought it would be a good idea to provide you with some parish updates.

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A few months have passed since the death of Bishop Wcela and there is definitely an ‘emptiness’ that will not be filled. In the rectory we miss his humming, singing and quick dry humor. The parishioners miss his excellent homilies and homebound visits. I want to thank all who pitched in and helped out during those difficult weeks in May.

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New arrivals: The diocese asked us to help them out and take Fr. Tom Tuite here as an Associate. He is a very nice guy. He also has a job with the NYS Veterans Home in Stony Brook celebrating mass and offering pastoral care 4 days a week. Perhaps you may want to invite him for lunch or dinner in the near future. We hired two new staff members for the Religious Formation Program: MaryAnn O’Connor (for the lower grades) and Ashley Boland (7th, 8th, and youth ministry). Rita Dlug has moved to part-time and will focus on Adult Faith Enrichment.

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You may read about those programs in our bulletin or on our website.

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Coming Up:

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All Saints Day – Tuesday, November 1st

A Holy Day of Obligation

Masses at: 8:00 AM, 12:00 Noon, 5:00 PM, 7:15 pm (in Spanish)

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All Souls Day‍

Masses at: 8:00 AM, 12:00 Noon, 5:00 PM, 7:15 pm (in Spanish)

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Annual Bereavement Mass - November 12th

Masses at: 12:00 Noon

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Riverhead Clergy Council Thanksgiving Prayer Service

‍HERE, Nov. 22nd In the late afternoon

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Thanksgiving Day

A concelebrated mass will be at 9:00 AM

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ADVENT begins on Sunday, November 27th

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Christmas Eve

Masses at: 4:00 PM, 6:00 PM

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Christmas Day (Morning)

Masses at: 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM; 6:00 PM (in Spanish)

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You can get our bulletin automatically emailed directly to you each week by contacting our bulletin publisher: www.jspaluch.com/subscribeor you may find it on our parish website.

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Over the past few years quite a few parishioners have died or have become homebound. Unfortunately we have lost many of our ministers and volunteers as well. The small core of wonderful volunteers, ministers and dedicated staff we are blessed to have here at St. John the Evangelist parish has helped us to be the compassionate, welcoming and faith-filled parish we are known for.  We desperately need new blood to step up and volunteer to help us out. Perhaps you can participate by: visiting the sick, visiting the bereaved, or by bringing communion to the hospital, nursing home or the homebound. Are you able to share your faith with our children at Religious Education classes or help supervise our teen-agers in the youth ministry program? Maybe you would like to assist at mass by being a lector, an usher or a Communion minister. Would you consider being a sacristan –opening up the church and setting up for mass? Perhaps there is another area not listed that you feel called to share with the parish. If so, please call me. Together we can help keep our parish a bright shining beacon of light and grace here on the Eastern End of Long Island.

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We are blessed with a wonderful array of talents and personalities who help us minister in all these areas and I want to say Thank You to each and every one of them. God has looked upon us with favor and it has made my life so much easier and joy-filled. Your involvement has energized me and our parish community as well.

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To all of our parishioners: Thank you for your generosity. Your contributions in the past, and even now, has helped us to pay off our debt, helped with major building renovations, created a ‘scholarship’ fund, and established a reserve fund for the future. This coming year will have us running a deficit budget since we had not planned on having another priest here on staff. The cafeteria kitchen has all new fixtures, we are getting new pews for the church and the rug will be replaced for free with a better one.

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I hope you can enjoy this wonderful season and may God bless you all.

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Peace,

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F r. Larry Duncklee

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