WEEKEND OF SEPTEMBER 4-5, 2021

Dear Friends,

            With this first weekend of September, and the observance of Labor Day on Monday, we officially close our summer season.

            We wish God’s blessing upon all of our students, from Pre-Kindergarten through college, and their teachers, who are returning to school for this 2021-2022 academic year. This blessing is extended especially to our students who are attending our diocesan high schools and our own Blessed Trinity School.

            I can tell you that our administrators, faculty members, and facilities staff have all worked very hard to ensure that our school is clean, sanitized, and ready in every way for our students to return and for them and everyone who works in our school to be safe and happy as they begin the new school year. We are opening school in a somewhat more “normal” setting than we had over the past year and a half. All of our students, thank God, will be in their classrooms every day, with a social distancing of three feet. Everyone in school will need to wear masks, by mandate of Governor Wolf. The school building will continue to be sanitized throughout the day by our facilities staff and teachers, and everything will be done to ensure that our children remain safe and healthy in the school environment. We continue to rely on the guidance of the City of Philadelphia to help us navigate through these uncharted waters. The safety and health of everyone in our building --- students, faculty, and staff --- must be uppermost in our minds and in our decision-making. As I have said before, it seems everyone is in a different place and is of a different opinion regarding all of the COVID protocols (e.g., mask wearing and social distancing), but as the chief administrator of our school and the pastor of our parish, in conjunction with our school principal and our parish and school staffs, I need to make decisions with the best interest of everyone in mind and heart. We all appreciate everyone’s understanding in this regard.

            One of the great gifts of this COVID-19 pandemic has been the fact that we have received a large amount of grant money from the federal government for our school. In total we have received over $1.6 million dollars! With this grant money, we have been able to do many things, including:
 

• Replacing all of our students’ desks and chairs, as well as all of our teachers’ desks and chairs;
• Purchasing brand new computers for our computer lab;
• Purchasing new Chromebooks (lap-tops) and I-Pads for every child and teacher in the school;
• Purchasing Smart Boards and Smart TVs for every classroom in the school;
• Purchasing new tables and chairs for our Pre=K and Kindergarten classrooms;
• Replacing every textbook series in the school;
• Purchasing art and music supplies;
• Purchasing all the cleaning and sanitizing products we need to combat COVID.

What I mentioned is just a sampling of what we were able to purchase and acquire with this grant money. God has been very good to us, indeed!

I remind you that next Sunday, September 12, at the 9:15 Mass, we will be giving thanks to God for the 29 year ministry of Sister Bea McElrone here at Saint Timothy Parish. I invite everyone to join us as we honor Sister Bea and wish her all God’s blessings as she leaves us to be missioned to Saint Joseph’s Villa in Flourtown. There will be a reception after Mass in the hall where you will have the opportunity to greet Sister personally.

This coming Wednesday, September 8, we will resume our weekly Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Exposition takes place every Wednesday morning in the lower church, from after the 8:30 Mass until 12:00 Noon. Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is celebrated at Noon.

Because this Monday is Labor Day, our daily Mass will be celebrated at 9:00 A.M. in the lower church.
 
Know that you and those you love are daily remembered in my Mass and my prayers.

                                                                                    Love and prayers,
                                                                                    Father Olivere