10/02/2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Glory be to Jesus Christ!
I would like to ask everyone to please stay for a parish meeting following the Divine Liturgy this Sunday. The meeting will take place in the church, following the dismissal. I realize there are several things also taking place on Sunday—the FORCC Banquet, Church School, Coffee Hour, etc.—but I am asking that all after-Liturgy activities be paused until the conclusion of the meeting, and would like the parish children to be in attendance as well.
As we continue to grieve the loss of our beloved Nina Kosowski, we are also beginning to realize just how much she did for our parish. Nina quietly carried many responsibilities, often taking care of things that many of us may not have even realized needed to be done. Her passing leaves not only a tremendous hole in our hearts, but also a number of responsibilities that now need to be shared by the rest of us.
At our meeting, I would like us to talk together about the future of our parish, how we can navigate this transition, and how we can make sure that the many things Nina cared about continue. This is not simply a meeting to make a list of jobs and find people to fill them. It is an opportunity for us to come together as a parish family and ask ourselves, “What can I do to help?”
None of us can replace Nina—and we shouldn’t try to. But we can honor her memory by stepping forward and doing our part to care for the parish she loved so much.
There are many different ways to help, and not every responsibility requires a major commitment. Some things may take a little time each week or month; others may involve helping occasionally or working together with someone else. We can find ways for everyone to contribute according to their abilities and circumstances.
While we will talk about the many things that need to be done and begin thinking about how we can share them in the future, we will not be assigning responsibilities at this meeting. This is about beginning a conversation and helping all of us see that the care of our parish cannot rest on the shoulders of just one or two people. This is our parish. Its future doesn’t belong to one person or to a small handful of people. It belongs to all of us.
So please make every effort to stay after Liturgy this Sunday. I truly believe this is an important conversation for all of us, and I hope we can approach it not with anxiety about everything that needs to be done, but with gratitude for what Nina gave to our parish and with hope for what we can accomplish together.
Thank you, and I look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday.
With great love in Christ,
Fr. Patrick
