St. Mark's News & Events for Dec 7, 2008

Greetings to all of you!
Welcome Advent 2008! I can hardly believe the time has past so quickly and here we are once again at the doorstep of anticipation! You might say “anticipation for what?” Yet that is the ultimate question when it comes to who we are as Christians. The way we respond to that question, gives us a good idea of what we treasure the most. This Advent I think it’s a great idea to reflect upon what is it we most want from God. Then we anticipate that He will give us our hearts desire. (within reason of course). What an awesome God we have!

I’m sure by now with Thanksgiving over and our waistlines just a little larger, we are gearing for the Christmas Season. I know this year is going to be difficult for many out there. For those of us not greatly affected by the economy, I hope we can come together for the support of our sisters and brothers in need. Last week, the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Mark parish distributed over 1500 dinners to needy families. I get emotional every time I see them gather in the cold temperature on that Saturday morning and make the Kingdom of God come alive. This year there were hordes of helpers and I would like to thank all of you for your generosity and sacrifice for making this happen. The Word is going out to the community surrounding us that we are a caring and generous people and I know God will bless our parish for it!

Well that is all for now. Right now I’m working on eating my turkey and stuffing with all the fixings! Can anybody pass me the pumpkin pie?
Peace
Fr. David

St. Mark's News & Events for Oct. 5, 2008

Greetings to all of you!
As fall approaches I can begin to feel the nice cool air in the mornings and evenings. I’m sure it rejuvenates us to know that the summer is about to end soon! I just wish it would rejuvenate my golf swing. Anyway, speaking of golf, we will be hosting the St. Mark the Evangelist Golf Tournament which is being held at the beautiful Hunters Green C.C. on November 9, 2008. This year we have the pleasure of having Mike Alstott, retired from the Tampa Bay Bucs, as a participant! Mike has been a wonderful influence in the Tampa Bay area and we are honored to have him playing with us. So come on that day and meet Mike and get a picture taken with him. You also have a chance to “Beat the Priest” at one of the par three holes; I hear that the priest is an easy mark. Come and play and I know you will have a great time!

Next week I will be attending the Stewardship Conference in Chicago with four of our parishioners who have given of their time and talent on the Commission. We’re all going there to see how we can promote this great spiritual concept in our own parish. We hope to bring back some great ideas. Plus I enjoy Chicago immensely especially the food!!

Speaking of food, don’t forget to attend our Annual Oktoberfest presented by the Knights of Columbus. Tickets are available after all the Masses. This event always proves to be a highlight of our year. Bring the family, and especially your dancing shoes, because I’m sure you will have a great time.

Well that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift that God has given us in each other.

Peace, Fr. David

St. Mark's News & Events for Sept. 28, 2008

Greetings to all of you!

As we begin to embrace the Fall season, we look forward to more activity being generated as the cooler season comes upon us. Keep an eye out for more education programs for adults and children to enhance our knowledge and understanding of God. You will be seeing in the bulletin and in brochures information about the educational opportunities being offered here at St. Mark, and I know these studies will be dynamic and entertaining. During Lent, we will be experiencing for the first time a multi-generational mission that families will just adore! Stay tuned for more information as the times get closer.

In November we will be having our annual St. Mark Golf tournament. This year Mike Alstott, retired player from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will be on hand playing in our tournament! Again, details are forthcoming so plan on playing in our tournament this year and get to meet this amazing guy! There will also be a “Beat the Priest” hole in which you will be playing against yours truly to see who can get it closer to the pin on the green. Be forewarned, I have lots of tricks up my sleeve that you couldn’t even imagine! So come and try your luck!

Well, that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift that God had given us in each other.

Peace, Fr. David

St. Mark's News & Events for Sept. 14, 2008

Greetings to all of you!

Last week I finally got to the golf course and despite the nice day, my game was all over the place. I have been keeping my clubs in the garage and to my horror there were cobwebs on the irons. I should have taken that as an omen since I hit every kind of shot imaginable. All I have to show for it is a blister on my finger and sore bones all over my body. I didn’t realize turning 50 this year would be so dramatic! Anyway, at least I played with some great golfers from our parish and they served us well.

This is a great time of year for sports fans as the college and professional football season starts, and the baseball playoff season gets underway. It seems like there will be an extra load of couch potatoes during the next few months, and I’m sure some of the spouses will be in a cranky mood. However, we have some wonderful adult education courses going to be taught, and I hope you will take advantage of some of those. Who knows, it may even rub off on your couch potato spouse! Anyway, good luck to all the teams, especially the Rays, Giants, and Bucs!

Well, that is all for now. I hope you continue to continue to enjoy the gift that God has given us in each other!

Peace, Fr. David

St. Mark's News & Events for Sept, 7, 2008

Greetings to all of you!

Last week I had the pleasure of traveling to Boston, Massachusetts to get away from the heat of Florida, but also I wanted to take the historical tour of which Boston is well known. I had been reading a book called the “Mayflower” so this tour was especially exciting for me as I tried to picture the early settlers and their struggles to make it in the New World. The weather was outstanding and I was able to visit the graves of our early ancestors who made America what it is today. There was even a “ghost tour” that was available which visited famous sights like where the Boston Strangler committed his crimes and other cemeteries that appear to be haunted. I was a little curious about going and I was all set to board the bus but at the last minute I got too scared and decided to have a brownie sundae instead. At least it wouldn’t give me nightmares!

This past Thursday night members of all the subcommittees of the Steering Committee met to get a view of the elevations of our new Church. Architect, Alberto Portela, did a great job of explaining the height elevations and the structure of what the outside of the Church will look like. I think everyone was pleased about the design and I sensed much positive energy and excitement in the look of the new Church. Now comes the detail part in which we need to pick colors and design patterns for inside and outside of the Church. Being decorating-challenged, I would rather do brain surgery! Anyway, those of you who have the knack for all of that and who would like to serve on either the Art and Environment or the Building Committees should notify the office and we will make sure to use your input. Keep praying for the success of this endeavor because I know God is hearing your prayers.

Well that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift that God had given us in each other.

Peace, Fr. David

St. Mark's News & Events for August 24, 2008

Greetings to all of you!
This past week our architect and I had to meet with the Board of Commissioners of Hillsborough County to gain approval for a height variance for our new Church. It seems that anything over 32 feet in height needs permission from the County to build. Since the drawings called for a structure that would be close to 49 ½ feet in height, we needed their approval, thus the need for the visit. I found the process very interesting as we sat there waiting our turn hearing the various petitions that come before the Board and marveled at the efficiency and decorum of the Board themselves. When it came to our turn, the commissioners were unanimous in their approval for our request. The chairman, Ken Hagen, gave St. Mark a wonderful tribute as he thanked us for our contribution to the area around us. He explained to the rest of the Board members how fortunate New Tampa is by our presence in the neighborhood. It looks like we are making a name for ourselves after all and practicing what we preach!

I also attended a meeting of the women who put on the first CHRP weekend in our parish. Now that they have bonded together and have participated in the conversion process they were on fire and asked “what now?” Well, these great ladies came together and began to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show them other ways they can build the Kingdom. As the meeting progressed many different ministries were presented and they were asked to prayerfully respond to God’s call. I can hardly wait to see how we as a Church will continue to grow as these men and women bring the fire of the weekend to our everyday lives!

As you may have noticed when you walk into the Narthex area of the Church, we have painted the walls and we will be painting some biblical quotes along the ceiling area to remind us of who we are and what our mission is for our Church. I hope you notice it and if some of you are like me, you may not have even realized anything changed! Anyway, I hope you like it.

Well, that is all for now.
Continue to enjoy the gift of God in each other.

Peace, Fr. David

St. Mark's News & Events for August 17, 2008

Greetings to all of you!
Well, with summer vacations coming to a close and the kids heading back to school, we at St. Mark are continuing to plan for the coming months. It seems that a parish really never goes on vacation because there are always things to accomplish and ministries to direct in one way or another. I thank the good Lord everyday for our wonderful staff who continue to provide the service that I cannot do alone. They help to maintain our church on a daily basis and support each other when one is sick or on vacation. Let them know how appreciated they are from time to time because without them I wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything!

On occasion we get calls from a concerned parishioner regarding someone who may be ill or in the hospital and are in need of a priestly visit. Although I never hesitate to visit our parishioners who are ill or in the hospital, I am not allowed to visit anyone unless someone in the family requests it, due to privacy laws. I realize that friends are well meaning, but I would ask that you tell the family member to call the parish with the request when it arises. Thanks for your understanding.

As you know we have completed the floor plan for the new church and the Steering Committee, along with their subcommittees, came together to review the design. Since it received positive reviews, we went ahead and began designing the outside of the Church itself. Toward the end of the August, we hope to present that design to the subcommittees and get their thoughts and concerns. Hopefully, we will be able to present the entire schematic to our Church community very soon. I’m getting more excited as the Church begins to take shape. Keep us all in your prayers.

Well, that is all for now. We pray for all the children who will be starting school in a couple of short weeks!

Peace, Fr. David

St. Mark's News & Events for August 10, 2008

Greetings to all of you!
It is with deep gratitude to God that I announce that Jeanne Heintzel has been honored with the St. Jude Medal award winner for this year 2008! This award is given each year to a person who has consistently lived the Gospel message of service to their fellow Christians. Jeanne is currently the chairwoman of our Hospitality Committee, but has been involved in many functions in our parish. She has taught religious education, been a Reader, Eucharistic Minister, member of the SMARTS group, and on and on. She has always been right there to help no matter what event is going on in our parish. She will be awarded this beautiful medal on Sunday, November 23, 2008 at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle. Congratulations to you Jeanne! We are so proud of you!

Last week we also had a wonderfully successful Vacation Bible School camp in which 125 children participated with dozens of teenagers and adults helping out in the program. The children had a great time and I was able to attend the closing ceremonies where they sang and “gyrated” to the music. It was a hoot! Thanks to all of those who made this week so successful.

Also, last week we presented the floor plan of our new church to the subcommittees that had been working with the Steering Committee this past year. We took all their suggestions and tried to incorporate many of their comments in the design. All were very pleased with what they saw and I hope to show the plan to the rest of the parish in the near future.

Due to the continuous rain, I have not been able to get out on the golf course in awhile. At least that’s my story and I’m sticking with it! However, my clubs are screaming to take them out very soon and I hope to do so whenever the sun comes out.

Well, that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift that God has given to us in each other.

Peace, Fr. David

St. Mark's News & Events for August 3, 2008

Greetings to all of you!

It is with deep gratitude to God that I announce that Jeanne Heintzel has been honored with the St. Jude Medal award winner for this year 2008! This award is given each year to a person who has consistently lived the Gospel message of service to their fellow Christians. Jeanne is currently the chairwoman of our Hospitality Committee, but has been involved in many functions in our parish. She has taught religious education, been a Reader, Eucharistic Minister, member of the SMARTS group, and on and on. She has always been right there to help no matter what event is going on in our parish. She will be awarded this beautiful medal on Sunday, November 23, 2008 at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle. Congratulations to you Jeanne! We are so proud of you!

Last week we also had a wonderfully successful Vacation Bible School camp in which 125 children participated with dozens of teenagers and adults helping out in the program. The children had a great time and I was able to attend the closing ceremonies where they sang and “gyrated” to the music. It was a hoot! Thanks to all of those who made this week so successful.

Also, last week we presented the floor plan of our new church to the subcommittees that had been working with the Steering Committee this past year. We took all their suggestions and tried to incorporate many of their comments in the design. All were very pleased with what they saw and I hope to show the plan to the rest of the parish in the near future.

Due to the continuous rain, I have not been able to get out on the golf course in awhile. At least that’s my story and I’m sticking with it! However, my clubs are screaming to take them out very soon and I hope to do so whenever the sun comes out.

Well, that is all for now. Continue to enjoy the gift that God has given to us in each other.

Peace, Fr. David