1. Our two-bit collection this weekend is the final Rice Bowl Collection. This collection helps support Catholic Relief Services which is one of the major agencies helping the refugees from Kosovo. Your help is deeply appreciated. To directly help Kosovo refugees you may write and check to Holy Family and put "Kosovo" in the memo.

2. Thank you for your donations last Sunday to Rice Bowl. $3468 were given at all Masses.

3. The Boiler Replacement Fund Raising Dance sponsored by our Knight of Columbus will be Saturday evening, May 1st. Please see the bulletin for how to purchase your tickets.

4. Baptism preparation classes will begin Monday, April 19. These classes are for parents with young children or who are expecting the birth of a child.

5. This Sunday is Bundle Sunday. The St. Vincent de Paul truck will be next to the school until 1:30 p.m.

6. Follow-up activities for our newly confirmed: Volleyball game and cookout at Lincoln Park next Sunday at 10 a.m. On the Weekend of April 24-25 there will be a presentation by RADIX. Other youth are welcome to attend. Please call the rectory office.

7. Knights of Columbus breakfast after Masses on Sunday morning.

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These past couple of weeks we have had some wonderful celebrations of Christian initiation. At our Easter Vigil it was beautiful to see once again so many adults and children being incorporated into Christ and his Church by profession of faith and baptism. On Easter Sunday itself Fr. Gallagher baptized, confirmed and gave first communion to some sixteen young people.

The following Saturday a lovely group of children received their First Holy Communion. I am grateful to Sr. Mary Clare and her team for the good work they did in preparing the children as well as their sponsors and parents for that sacred moment. Saturday evening Archbishop Brunett was here for the confirmation of forty-one young people from our parish. We look forward to their participation in the life of our parish and we assure them of our prayers and support as they face the challenges of living their faith as adults.

If I mentioned all the groups and individuals who were involved in these celebrations, it would fill the entire bulletin. Suffice it to say we have a great parish where so many people give of themselves not for recognition but out love of God and neighbor. We are going to be calling on that generosity in the coming weeks as we face the financial problems caused by our boiler going out and other maintenance needs. Greg McNabb, Pastoral Associate for Administration, will be explaining our situation in greater detail. Because of this we need your support for the Annual Catholic Appeal not only to be able to assist Archbishop Brunett but to meet some very concrete needs right in our parish. Your support makes all the difference.