Scott Simpson

Memorial Day 2023 Blessings and Evangelization News

Hi All,

Blessings on this Memorial Day weekend to all of you. This holiday definitely kicks off the days of summer. With this being Memorial Day weekend, the Parish offices will be closed on Monday.

I wanted to let all of you know that we have hired a Director of Evangelization. His name is Dave Kennedy, and he will begin on Monday, June 12. I am so excited to have this position in our parish. I have always said that if I were to begin a new parish from the ground floor the first position I would hire is a Director of Evangelization. I am very pleased to have Dave on board, he has an incredible heart for Evangelization. The Director of Evangelization is an integral role for any parish. As the Director of Evangelization, Dave will be interacting with all aspects of the parish, both inside the walls and outside the walls. He will work with the school and faculty of the school as well. All of you will come to know him and enjoy his presence. He is on fire with the Holy Spirit and will bring that fire to the parish and school communities.

Peace and God’s Blessings,
Fr. Ron Richards

Faith Formation – 2022 to 2023 Year End Thoughts

We ended another year of memories made here at Our Lady of Refuge. The students, parents, catechists and Fr. Ron deserve special thanks for the work they did to support the parish’s faith formation on Monday evenings. For the Catechists in all their discussions, prayers and activities they put together in their class. I feel truly blessed to have the opportunity to work with such dedicated and talented people that taught the children to follow Jesus and how to carry on his ministry in the world. Each one of us needs to help each other find the connection on being active in the community to see our role in the body of Christ.

Thank You Catechists and Aides!

  • Madeline Tinskey – 1st grade
  • Janet Boyk – 2nd grade
  • Jan Mittelsteadt – 3rd grade
  • Shannon Najor – Aide – 1st grade
  • John Alban – 4th grade
  • Derek Schraffengerger – 5-6 grade
  • Amy Bachulis – 7-8 grade
  • Volunteers Subs: Sarah Schraffengerger and Stephanie Gordon

Our religious families gathered on the last day in Mary’s Garden to pray the rosary. Some of the Catechists led a decade. As we prayed, a communicant brought a red rose to Mary to put in a vase. The rose is relation to the Blessed Mother who displays such perfect love and fragrance. As we say in the Litany of Loreto, the Blessed Virgin Mary is invoked as the “Mystical Rose.” A rose delights us because of its beauty so we have Jesus and Mary in the Joyous Mysteries. Its thorns are sharp and the pricks make us think of the Sorrowful Mysteries, and its perfume is so sweet that everyone loves it, that the fragrance symbolizes the Glorious Mysteries. We need to remember that through her “yes,” she sealed our salvation. When it comes to discipleship, the Blessed Mother is the example for us to follow. Her only desire is for us to be ever closer to Jesus.

Denette Plant
Director, Religious Education
248.682.6381
re@olorcc.org

Sending Our Prayer Requests to Heaven

Many of you have stopped in our narthex and filled out small slips of paper by our Mother Mary statue with your prayer requests and then place them in the prayer jar. When our jar is full we take them and burn them while praying for your intentions to be received again. We believe that your prayer time in filling out the requests are immediately sent to Mary’s ear so that she may speak clearly our intentions directly to her Son, Our Lord, Jesus. It is a privilege for us to join you and to treat your requests with the respect they deserve. Thank you for sharing your faith with us!

First Holy Communion – May 6, 2023

Congratulations to the 52 children who received their First Holy Communion on Saturday, May 6th. These children were well prepared by Lydia Moroki and Lauren Zaintouna (teachers in the school), and Janet Boyk (catechist) for Religious Education program along with parents and relatives. May the joy of this be a reminder to all God’s great gift of self and enable all of us to face the future with renewed confidence knowing that God is with us always.

Addison Abbo
Aubrey Asmar
Vincent Ayar
Roman Bahri
Logan Balanon
Terry Bergstrom
Evelyn Coscia
Camryn Dabish
Gabriella Dabish
Avery Diaz
Chase Doughty
Luke Foumia
Gianna George
Parker Gergis
Vivian Gordon
Alexander Jarboa
Isabella Kalasho
Selena Kallabat

Mirna Karana
Brooklyn Kasgorgis
Annalise Kashat
Gabriel Kassab
Ava Knight-Elzerman
Blake Konja
Shae Konja
Sadie Kuza
Nicholas Lousia
Syler Moore
Slone Moore
Kennedy Orow
Lilly Pacholski
Maria Poota
Aviva Queamante
Emmanuel Saffo
Julia Sammut
Francis Samona

Gisele Saroki
Silas Savaya
Tristan Savaya
Dillon Semaan
Francis Shamoon
Noah Shamoun
William Sheils
Adam Shina
Isobel Sloan
Bianca Theisen
Sophia Tominna
Owen Yalda
Grayson Yaldo
Landon Yaldo
Sophia Yono
Elizabeth Zawalski

Denette Plant
Director, Religious Education
248.682.6381
re@olorcc.org

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