Our St. Luke Finance Council met last Tuesday. They reviewed and accepted the budget reports for October from both parish and school. In these very difficult economic times, we are holding our breath hoping that offerings won’t decrease too much. You can track the giving-levels for each week by looking at the graph at the bottom of the next page. The Finance Council also recognized the drop-in-value of our investments due to the widespread bear market. But their collective wisdom is to stay the course, not shift any assets, and just ride this thing out as most other institutions are doing. We’ve been here before and we’ll be here again. It’s just the way investing goes; it’s a process, not an event.

Reports from seminary rectors tell me that our two St. Luke seminarians are doing quite well. If you would like to send them a card or note, here are their addresses: Mr. Patrick Wiler, Room 308-D, Box #60, St. Mary Seminary, 5400 Roland Ave., Baltimore, MD 21210; Mr. Robert Hersch, St. Mark Seminary, 429 E. Grandview Blvd., PO Box 10397, Erie, PA 16514-0397.

For the second year in a row, a St. Luke School student has won in the Holy Childhood Association’s Christmas Art Contest. Jillian Johannes, currently an 8th grader at St. Luke’s, entered her drawing in the 2007-2008 contest last school year. Twenty-four drawings were chosen as winners nationwide. The winning artwork will be available as e-greetings on the HCA website (www.onefamilyinmission.org) during Advent and Christmas. Also this year’s contest winners will be part of the bulletin art offered to some Catholic parishes by Liturgical Publications Inc. One grand prize winner will be the cover image for the 2008 national office Christmas card. Winners are invited to a special liturgy on December 12 at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., where the artwork is displayed. All the winning drawings can now be seen on the HCA website. Jillian’s art teacher at St. Luke’s is Gloria Garcia. Congratulations to both.

Happy Birthday to these parishioners at St. Luke’s coming up this week: Brandon Adamski, Margaret Allen, Jessica Annunziata, Christine Arnone, Kathleen Askins, Skylar Barton, Rebecca Bolmanski, Marilyn Bross, David Bruce, Kara Burger, Donna Bussard, Donald Carbone, Dianne Cicero, Angela Cipriani, Mary Cipriani, Linda Clark, Richard Cochran, Erin Cook, Shari Dodick, Beverly Dombrowski, Lawrence Dougherty, Kevin Ganz, Allyson Gieza, Mary Gold, Aria Gorski, Ryan Graeca, Paul Gross, Catherine Guerriero, Frances Hallamyer, Tina Herrmann, Kathleen Hersch, Daniel Hlopick, William Holdnack, Jeremy Hoover, Janice Hull, Barbara Jarrett, Tim Jones, Elaine Karle, John Kast, Carla Kielar, Kenneth Kruszewski, Michael Kuzma III, Rachel Lojewski, Lisa Lombardo, Carla McClure, Myron McGarry, Rose McGarry, Micala Migneault, Brad Miller, Dolores Miller, Carmen Miraszek, Katelyn Netkowicz, Eleanor Nowakowski, Dakota Palmer, Eric Place, Sophia Potalivo, Matt Reiser, Wendy Rogers, Daniel Roney, Lisa Rzepecki, Andrew Samuels, Alessandra Sank, Angela Schwab, Rebecca Shade, Jeanne Shaw, Jennifer Ann Skolnik, Jenna Smith, Michael Smith, Jeffrey Spaeder, Sean Stevenson, Thomas Stiller, Amy Trojanowski, Thomas Vercillo, Rich Wiler, Katherine Wyten, Sophie Zawadzki, Kimberly Zawistoski and Rick Zimmer.

Belated Happy Veterans Day to all our St. Luke former military personnel. Thank you for your service and let’s all keep praying for those currently enlisted.

Coming up in the Scriptures at Mass this week, on Monday as Jesus gave sight to the blind man, He gives the ability to see the Father more clearly to His faithful followers. On Tuesday, we are called to be watchful and ready to meet the Lord even though we cannot know the hour. On Wednesday, Jesus teaches us to use wisely the talents and gifts the Creator has given us. On Thursday, Jesus laments the destruction of Jerusalem and weeps because they don’t get His point, just like the many people today who still don’t get the Christian point. On Friday, we are to keep the temple of our hearts pure and holy and open to God. On Saturday, Jesus gives us the promise of resurrection after life on this earth. Next Sunday, is Christ the King.

Coming up on Magnify tonight we’ll speak with Andy Glass from the Erie County Health Department on the health gaps in Erie County. That’s on Magnify tonight from 7-8 pm on AM 1400, WJET, or anytime on magnify.libsyn.com.

It is with great pleasure that we welcome Father Tom Aleksa to our parish staff as senior associate. Father Tom has been a pastor in Erie, Bradford, Tionesta, and Tidioute, Pennsylvania. By God’s grace he has recovered successfully from some major health problems and is now returning to active ministry. I am pleased to have him aboard here in our parish. At the same time we thank and appreciate Father Glover and Father Rouch for their weekend assistance. Everyone was always pleased with their liturgies. I wish to thank Father Jerry Priscaro for his weekday help over the past year. He has surely helped keep our Mass schedules on track. Father Aleksa will start here on November 21.