Dear Friends in Christ,
As we arrive at the end of 2023, I can hardly believe that this weekend also marks six months since I arrived at Our Lady of Mercy! Time has moved so quickly that it really feels like just yesterday that I was walking down to the sacristy to celebrate Mass for the first time with you on July 1st. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know so many of you in church, in the parish groups, and at our many celebrations.
Behind the scenes, there has been a lot going on with energy efficiency upgrades to our buildings at OLM. The boilers and bathrooms in our school needed a lot of work after our previous tenant moved on, we have been upgrading our lights to LED to cut our electricity bill, and we recently had the apprentices from Local 17 (Heat and Frost Insulators) here to insulate our OLM boiler rooms. These are things that would not be immediately noticeable – but once we look at our utility bills for the year, I know we will all see the difference.
This spring, I look forward to getting started on other pending projects here in the parish. I anticipate starting the refinishing of our church pews very soon. We have made some improvements to the front doors of church – but more are coming soon. Then, we will have to talk about the Ryan Hall kitchen, which is long overdue for some improvements.
On behalf of my family, I also want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your many prayers for my father after his recent heart attack. He had a successful triple bypass surgery and is now doing very well in his recovery and rehabilitation. This was a major shock for all of us, so please know how grateful I am for all of your support.
My dad’s heart attack was also a sobering reminder of my family’s history of heart problems. I have been honored that so many people have told me that they want me to be the pastor here for a long time. I would like that too – but I need to be healthy enough to do that. With the New Year, I will be committing to a healthier way of life, so that I can serve you well for a long time. I ask you to please help me in this. Please do not be offended if I decline food or if I am not eating sometimes at our parish gatherings. After seeing what my dad has gone through in the last month, I would really like to avoid having a heart attack myself.
Wishing you and your families a very blessed New Year!
Sincerely yours in Christ Jesus,
Fr. Thomas J. Byrne