Think back to that day when you received Communion for the very first time. It was no doubt a very special day in your life. If you were a child raised in the Catholic tradition, it was likely a time of celebration with fam- ily and friends: a time for brand new clothing, a big party, maybe even with gifts, and lots of attention paid to you because for the very first time, you were joining the family and community at the Table of the Eucharist.

The following questions and answers may help to focus on some important points of Amoris Laetitia (AL), “The Joy of Love: On Love in the Family”, the Exhortation written by Pope Francis after the two Synods of Bishops on that topic in October, 2014 and October, 2015. This is the first in a series of questions and answers. What’s new in this exhortation, Amoris Laetitia?

I was informed by Bishop McGrath that Fr. Dat will be transferred to Our Lady of Refuge Parish in San Jose as Parochial Vicar. I was also informed that Fr. Michael Gazzingan, currently Parochial Vicar at St. Frances Cabrini Parish and chaplain at Good Samaritan Hospital, will be transferred as Parochial Vicar to St. Thomas Aquinas Parish. Both assignments will become effective on July 1, 2016. We will have time to both thank Fr. Dat for his three years of service and welcome Fr. Michael in the weeks ahead.

Thanks to the thoughtful parishioner donations of used eyeglasses, we have collected 79 pairs so far, including children's eye glasses. Our goal is to pass the 99 pairs we collected a year and half ago.

This unplanned maintenance repair will be one-time $5,000 or $6,000 and confirms we need to replace the whole pipe this summer when the ISP school is closed. The cost for the entire pipe replacement will be another approximate $30,000. Lucky us!

ADA Goal: $135,000; Pledged: $149,693 Pledges: 282; Average Pledge: $531 % of Goal: 110% Potential Rebate: $14,693 It is still not too late to make a pledge or gift to this year’s ADA. Use your Visa or MasterCard, make an Electronic Funds Transfer from your checking account, or donate online at dsj.org.

The Institute for Leadership in Ministry is a 3 year course of study for lay persons. The ILM provides training and faith formation for lay leaders in the Church. We plan to continue sending lay persons to the Institute for Leadership in Ministry. If you feel called to explore this possibility, we are looking for a few qualified candidates for the new ILM academic year which begins in the fall. Please contact Fr. Matt ([email protected])for more information.

III. LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY (Continued) 41. In tropical and subtropical seas, we find coral reefs comparable to the great forests on dry land, for they shelter approximately a million species, including fish, crabs, molluscs, sponges and algae. Many of the world’s coral reefs are already barren or in a state of constant decline. “Who turned the wonderworld of the seas into underwater cemeteries bereft of colour and life?”[25] This phenomenon is due largely to pollution which reaches the sea as the result of deforestation, agricultural monocultures, industrial waste and destructive fishing methods, especially those using cyanide and dynamite.