Last Weekend at Assumption
This is my last weekend at Assumption for a while. I will be out of town for the next three weekends, and then when I return we are using the new Whatcom Family Mass schedule (see philosophy here). I have put together a July Mass schedule, so if you are curious, you will have Fr. Tyler (July 06/07), me (July 13/14), Fr. Kinyanjui (a visiting priest from Kenya, July 20/21), and Fr. Thumbi (July 28/29).
New Staff Members
I do not remember if I announced her employment when it happened, but we hired Lilianna Marshall (lives in Lynden, previously worshipped at Sacred Heart) as our Director of Birth – 5th Grade Faith Formation.
Last month, we hired Anna Wittmershaus (who is also the Spanish teacher at the school) to be our Marriage Coordinator. She will work with all of our couples preparing for marriage.
Early this month, we hired Bert Bertschinger (usually a Saturday 5:00 pm parishioner) as our new Director of Facilities.
Office Overhaul
In preparation for new staff members and new priests, the staff and I have been working on an office overhaul which we will hopefully start to work on this month. The general idea is to have more combined offices, especially with many more part-time staff in our structure. We will pair this with open meeting rooms, so that staff can still meet with parishioner privately, even if that meeting no longer happens in their offices. We are still finalizing desk placement, but expect to see some changes happening over the next few months.
Meetings with Me
I have to apologize for this, but I also need to be honest about my present reality – I am not taking meetings with parishioners again until August at the earliest. In addition to being gone most of June, when I return in July I need to focus on some immediate transition items at our other county parishes (like moving bank accounts over). I will not be able to schedule meetings again until I’ve hired an Executive Assistant, and that might not happen until August.
Obviously pastoral care must continue! I would encourage you to look to our vicars come July (especially Fr. Thumbi, until Fr. Stephan arrives), as they are here specifically to provide pastoral care when the pastor is too occupied with administration.
Fr. Moore 