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Dear Friends,

This Sunday is the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time. 

I continue to enjoy my vacation in Connecticut visiting my mom until the 4th of July. I will return on 5 July. Fr. Morey will cover the Daily Masses during my last few days away. My mother and I will be able to celebrate my 31st Anniversary of my ordination to the Priesthood on 2 July with Mass. This is a rare gift for me to celebrate my ordination with her.

A heartfelt thank you to Fr. Linsky, Rector of the Basilica of St. Peter, for hearing Confessions on Saturday and celebrating the Vigil Mass, Fr. O'Steen, Parochial Vicar at St. Joseph, for celebrating the 8AM Mass, and Fr. Morey, who celebrated the 10:30AM Mass on short notice last Sunday. I also want to thank Donnie Jameson for working quickly with Fr. Linsky to arrange coverage for the weekend.

Regretfully, Fr. Kirwin from Unbound was not able to join us last weekend due to the hail storms in Atlanta that canceled many flights across the Eastern United States. To learn more, call (800) 875-6564 or visit Unbound online at www.unbound.org.

This week is a First Friday and First Saturday. On Friday, 4 July, Fr. Morey will hear confessions from 10:00AM until 11:30AM. Mass will follow at 12 Noon. However, due to the holiday, there is NO ADORATION following the First Friday Mass. The Adoration Chapel is available to all adorers as usual. On First Saturday I will hear confessions from 10:00AM until 11:30AM followed by Mass at 12 Noon.

Attention new (and current) Altar Servers: There is on-going Altar Server Training available after all Masses (except after the 1:00PM Mass). We ask that all Altar Servers attend at least one of the 30 minute trainings led by our Summer Seminarian Theodore Lombardi by the weekend of 27 July. There is no training this weekend, 5-6 July, as Theodore will be at Steubenville with our Life Teen Group.

A BLESSED and SAFE 4th of JULY to all. May we celebrate the birth of our nation with gratitude to God for the many blessing we enjoy as citizens of this great country - the United States of America! Due to the holiday, the Parish Offices are closed in observance of Independence Day.

Our JULY Via Fidelis activity for the Diocesan Year of Evangelization is CHALLENGE THE CULTURE. Have you given in to cultural pressures that run contrary to the faith? Examine your conscience, then ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and work for a culture founded on the Gospel.

FERTILITY CARE: I am so pleased to announce this new ministry to the parish. As your pastor, I strongly support Natural Family Planning. The benefits to your marriage are countless. The Creighton Model Fertility Care System (CrMS) offers an empowering approach to women's reproductive health care that is safe from side-effects, life-affirming, and clinically proven.

The Creighton Model System can help you:

• Monitor and maintain your gynecological health.

• Share responsibility for fertility regulation between spouses.

• Uncover the root cause of many female health issues.

• Achieve or avoid pregnancy with a safe, clinically-proven, and morally-acceptable alternative to hormonal birth control and IVF.

Introductory Sessions are now available at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church. The first session is scheduled for Thursday, 10 July, 2025, at 6:00PM in the Mega Room, Second Floor of the Family Life Center. To learn more about the CrMS Natural Family Planning System contact: Courtney Webber, FCPI, at courtney.nfp@gmail.com or (760) 415-3465.

Catholic Appeal of South Carolina (CASC) 2025: 

(As of 27 June) 

2025 Goal: $57,941.

Total Raised to date: $117,092. 

Percent of Goal: 202%.

Pledged - not yet received: $18,158.

324 Families have made one time gifts and/or pledges. 

Participation Rate: 32% (Catholic Appeal Solicitor's Report as of 31 May 2025) 

Congratulations - we have reached our 2025 Goal for the CASC! You can learn more about the CASC and make a donation or pledge online by following this LINK. 

Bicentennial Campaign

The Diocesan Bicentennial Campaign is coming to an end at the end of December 2025. Time is running out. If you made a pledge, now is the time to check to see if your pledge has been fulfilled. Currently, after receiving confirmation that several pledges could no longer be fulfilled, there is only $21,565 in unpaid pledges to be redeemed. If you can't fulfill your pledge please let me know so that we can update our records. If you did not give to the Bicentennial Campaign but would like to do so we can still accept one time gifts -DONATE HERE! We thank all those who made one time gifts or pledges to the Bicentennial Campaign. 

Some brief reminders:

There is 8:00AM Hospitality this Sunday hosted by the 8:00AM Bakers of Fellowship. There is NO 10:30AM Hospitality.  

Phishing Scams Alert: Please be aware, you will NEVER receive an email or text from me or any of the parish staff requesting donations, gift cards, or similar items. Also, please be cautious when reading social media posts about Pope Leo. There are many memes and articles being posted that are simply false. Check out this article HERE for information on how to identify these and avoid them. 

Pray for peace in the world and for protection from storms and other natural disasters.

Peace and all good,

Fr. Dennis

PADRE'S PICK

A weekly series of videos to watch (or listen to) that I recommend for every parish household and family! This week's Word on Fire video is the first in a series of 12 videos on Pivotal Players in the Catholic Church:

PARISH FINANCIAL UPDATES

Last Sunday’s collection was $11,999! We completed Fiscal Year 2024-2025 about 4% above our projected offertory. Your generous support made this possible. We’ll share a new weekly goal for the New Fiscal Year 2025-2026 in the coming months. Your continued support is crucial to our parish mission and ministries. Thank you!

Many of our parishioners give yearly from investments that have Required Minimum Disbursements. There is a significant tax advantage when RMDs are given directly to a charity like the Church. Check with your financial advisor if you have RMDs and would like to reduce your tax burden. 

The weekly financial report is available HERE. We remain deeply grateful for your generosity. 

In the coming months we plan to host a Planned Giving Seminar that will give you information on how how to plan your estate and ensure the mission of Our Lady of the Lake far into the future! You can also visit Stewardship & Mission Advancement - South Carolina Catholic at the Diocese of Charleston's website to learn more.

Please remember that every gift to the church helps, no matter the amount. We emphasize equal sacrifice - NOT equal giving! We ask that all registered households give what they can to support the ministry of the Church. We are always THANKFUL for your generosity and support!

THANK YOU!!!

Do you give online using your credit card?  If so, our vendor now allows you the option to add the processing fee to your gift.  Please consider making this change and strengthen the power of your gift.

CHILDREN'S ENVELOPE ARTWORK

We encourage all our parish children to use their envelopes at the Sunday Morning Masses. Children can make a monetary donation or just write something on the envelope; a good deed, a prayer, artwork, etc. Father Dennis will hold a basket and invite the children to come forward at the appropriate time. If you have forgotten an envelope or need more, they are available in the Narthex. 

CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

We are continuing to work on an in house solution to the question of movable Altar Rails for our sanctuary. More information to come in the near future! To understand some of the benefits of installing movable Altar Rails at Our Lady of the Lake please read this ARTICLE.

Future plans for the fountain in front of the church are to extend the plaza in front of the church with pavers so as to include the area around the fountain. We will raise funds to complete this project by selling pavers to be inscribed with family names, in honor of, or in memorial. We are very close to finalizing pricing for the pavers.