Good morning, everyone!
 
Here are some parish updates:
 

1. A BIG thank you to Fr. Sanderson for letting me swap Masses with him this weekend. It made my drill weekend MUCH more manageable. You can watch last Sunday’s Mass with Fr. Sanderson here: https://vimeo.com/429260435

2. Here is the sign-up for the upcoming Sunday Masses (June 21 & 22): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e094fafae2fa6fd0-weekend
   1. Directions:
      • Just click the link above
      • Click “sign-up” next to the Mass you wish to attend
      • Then scroll down and click “Submit and Sign Up” at the bottom of the page
      • Then enter the number of people attending and enter your name
      • Finally, click “Sign Up Now”
      • If anyone has any problems with this, just let me know and I will try to fix it.

3. My drill weekend with the National Guard went very well! Thank you for all of your prayers and support for our Soldiers in the military.  I will be in and out this week because there are many Soldiers around the state who are conducting their 2 weeks of Annual Training. I have been asked to go around the state to check-in on them during this training. Again, thank you so much for your patience and sacrifice in this area of ministry; it is truly making a difference.  I have already started seeing people come back to Confession and Mass who had been away from the Church for many years! The picture at the bottom of this page is the Mass I had with the Soldiers on Saturday evening.

4. Please remember that all of our churches are still open during the day, so that you can pay a visit to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament anytime you want.

5. Also, please remember that most of our daily Masses/Adoration are live-streamed here: https://www.facebook.com/ourladyvt/

6. Parish project updates:

1. OLV:
   • Asbestos:
     1. I have called multiple asbestos abatement companies for quotes. The Finance Council and I have agreed to go with Levaggi Environmental inc. out of Morrisville to take care of the asbestos in the rectory basement, since they gave us the lowest quote ($4,975). They are scheduled to take care of the asbestos the week of July 20^th.
   • Mold:
     1. I have now called multiple mold remediation companies, and they are starting to get back to me. One has already agreed to get us a quote, and two others I need to call back to set up a time to have them come look at the basement. Hopefully we will get a reasonable quote on this and we can finally move forward with a healthy rectory. I will keep you updated as it goes along.
   • St. Anthony Sign:
     1. I have brought one of our old granite blocks to Green Valley Memorials to have the word, “SUNDAY” engraved into it. The makeshift plastic Sunday sign that had been in front of the church blew off in a wind storm earlier this year. I found an old slab that said, “SATURDAY”, and have simply asked them to engrave Sunday on the back of it. It will hopefully be ready by next week.
   • St. Anthony Steps:
     1. Many people have mentioned to me that the steps leading into the church are rotting. If anyone has any good ideas or contractors that we can work with to fix this, I am all ears!
   • St. Elizabeth Sign:
     1. I would like to have the sign at St. Elizabeth turned 90 degrees, so that people can read the sign while they are driving by. Any ideas for this project are welcome.

2. OLA:
   • Cemetery:
     1. The lawn has finally been mowed at our poor cemetery, praise the Lord!
     2. Green Valley Memorials is going to get me a quote on fixing some of our many headstones/graves that have moved, cracked, and fallen over.
     3. We need to trim the edges of our cemetery because the forestation around the perimeter is closing in and ruining peoples’ graves. If anyone knows someone who can do this, please send them my way.
     4. We need to tear down the old fence, and build a new one. Any ideas are welcome on this one.
     5. We need a light for the flagpole, because an American Flag should not fly at nighttime without a light on it.
     6. I would like someone to help us fix our grass problem at the cemetery—it is full of sand and weeds. The man at Green Valley Memorials told me that all of the local cemeteries have this problem, and that many have tried to fix it without success, so we will see if it is even possible.
     7. There is a grant program for the State of Vermont called Vermont Old Cemetery Association (VOCA). I am going to reach out to them to see if they can assist us in any way with these projects.
   • OLA Sign:
     1. The sign in front of the parish is rotting and in desperate need of repair. If anyone has any ideas on how to fix this or anyone who would like to tackle this project, I am, again, all ears!

7. Budget:
   1. Now, if after all of that you are wondering how we are doing with our parish budgets, I am happy to say we are doing relatively well right now.  The splitting of certain costs of this past year--and your sharing of one priest--has saved both parishes much more money than in the past. The diocese is working on our financial reports as we speak, as well as next year’s budget for each parish.  Once they finalize them and send them to me, I will be sure to send them out to everyone.

8. Thank you to all of you who have been so generous to our parishes during this time. We would truly not be able to make it through without your love, support, and charity. You are the best!  If you would like to help support the parishes in any way, you can always do so here: https://ourladyvt.org/online-giving

 
 
I think that is enough for me right now.  God bless you all, and please know of my fervent prayers for all of you.
 
In His Peace,
 
Fr. Gratton