Happy New Year: start with prayer! When we begin in prayer, we begin in relationship to God, our identity rooted in His love, and our mission enriched by His blessing. We saw Jesus bless our parish in 2024; let’s seek Him in prayer and hope for more blessings in 2025.

      Here’s one 2025 blessing: more scholarships from our Monsignor Vince Bommarito Scholarship Fund. These scholarships help families who chose SSP school continue to afford it. In December 2024 for the coming school year, we gave every eligible family a scholarship, 53 families and $38,750 all together, 6 more families and $10,250 more than last year! 

      And thanks to ongoing support from our SSP Fish Fry and SSP Golf Tournament, and thanks to some generous year-end gifts, we’ll grow the program again next year. I believe the benefactors wish to be anonymous, but I can tell you the Monsignor Vince Bommarito Scholarship Fund received $17,500 in donations in December. Please pray for our benefactors. Spread the word about the Monsignor Vince Bommarito Scholarship Fund: every dollar received goes to a scholarship for a Catholic education in our neighborhood. 

      Finally, the new year will also bring new Christmas trees for IHM church. After more than a decade of good service, it’s time to retire those beloved trees. If you’d like either tree, just let us know before we take them down next weekend. 

God bless you!