As June is generally the end of a school year it is also the traditional end of a parish year. Not liturgically speaking, (that would be the Feast of Christ the King in late November and then we start the new year with the First Sunday of Advent), but practically so. Groups and organizations often take a summer break as members make their own vacation plans.
     Endings sometimes include goodbyes and that is the case for us here at St. Denis. We will be losing two people who have served our parish well. Laura Esposito, who has been the Director of our Religious Education Program for two decades, is retiring. We are grateful for her many years of dedicated service to the children and families of our parish. The impact of her time here and the lives she has touched is something that cannot be calculated because it will stay with the children into adulthood (even if they don’t realize it) and then be passed on to their children, as well as to others that they will meet in life. We wish her well as she goes on to wherever it is that God (and life) will lead her.
    We will also say goodbye to Pat Atkinson, our Music Director. Unfortunately for us, Pat’s husband has to relocate due to his job and they will be moving away from the area. Pat has brought great enthusiasm and joy to our worship services both through her beautiful voice and her ability to help others to use theirs, most notably (but not exclusive to) her work with the children’s choir and helping many of them to become cantors here at St. Denis. Our loss will certainly be the gain of a parish somewhere in Pennsylvania.
     However, with endings also come new beginnings. We are happy to welcome Lisa Coniglio as our new Coordinator of Religious Education and Kaitlyn Wechsler in the position of Music Director. Neither of these women is a stranger to us here at St. Denis. Lisa, although a parishioner at St. Kateri, has volunteered at our Vacation Bible School for many years. And Kaitlyn has played violin here for a number of our special services. We are happy and excited to welcome both of them to St. Denis and look forward to having them share their gifts with us.

Fr. Bob