The Church of Saint Denis

Normally I like to take the month of July as my vacation time, but being that I just arrived here on July 1st it was not opportune for me to leave right away. I therefore decided to spend two weeks here to get my feet wet, and after working things out with Fr. Pat, I’m taking my vacation now. I will be back on August 6th. In the meantime, I want to thank all of you for your most warm welcome here at St. Denis Parish. You made me feel at home from the very start, and I am confident we are going to get along just fine and will work well together in the Lord’s vineyard that is Hopewell Junction.To give you a little insight into what I will give particular attention to as your pastor, one is authentic worship of the Lord at Sunday Mass. This includes attention to our music ministry, which so far has impressed me. Thankfully that seems to be already going on, so I know I can count on your support to make sure our worship of the Lord at Sunday Mass and at other times is truly reverent and from our hearts.
Secondly, a high priority for me has always been evangelization. Since our calling is to bring Christ to the nations, I give a lot of attention to the RCIA program to bring people into the Church and any other programs that will help bring back those who have stopped practicing their faith. I also have a special love of working with youth. I will be a regular presence in St. Denis & St. Columba school, and I will be present for our children in our religious education program to the best of my ability. I will give special attention to the teen club and any ministry we have to or with young adults. I have also always had a special love for our
altar servers, and I promise I will make sure our servers are the best we can offer to Christ at His altar. This of course by no means is intended to make you think that I am not interested in our many ministries to the poor, the homebound, the elderly, the sick, and any other group in the parish, all of which are important to me. I will do my best to be present for everyone. Whenever a new pastor arrives, there are some people that are afraid the “new guy” is going to change everything, and others that are hoping he will make certain changes immediately. I will spend my
initial time here observing what is taking place and getting a handle on how things are run before making any necessary changes. So for now, we’ll continue as we have been doing, and I will observe and make any changes after I seek counsel from the parishioners and staff. In the meantime, I am away in Florida visiting a priest friend there and recharging my batteries so that I can return to you in August fully ready to serve you.
May Jesus Christ be praised, now and forever!
Fr. Carrozza

Our Mass is livestreamed every Sunday at 10am.
Use the link above, click the Previous Broadcast button then swipe left or right to see the latest mass videos when we are not live. Thanks for your support !

As Catholics, we are called to embrace and care for all who are in need. We encourage you to answer the call to do more, so that no one in need is turned away. Let us all help in making the Cardinal's Annual Appeal a success.
If you wish to donate online please go to cardinalsappeal.org/donate
For more information visit the Cardinal's Appeal website at www.cardinalsappeal.org