Catholic education is above all a question of communicating Christ,of helping to form Christ in the lives of others.”(John Paul II) I must apologize for omitting information about our weekly ‘Dollar Collections’and how it benefits our parish. Our emphasis on the Dollar Collection combined with the children’s offering supports our heating and cooling costs.We try to be frugal with our utilities whether in the midst of winter or the heat and humidity of summer. In addition, for the past year we have taken out ten percent of the total Dollar Collection each month, offering it to charities who do God’s work through their respective outreach efforts. In the past year we have provided support to Mary’s Choice (for struggling young mothers), our local Salvation Army, Dismis (Catholic outreach to prisoners), the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (following the devastating fire), the Special Olympics, Romero House (inAmes), Catholic Relief Services (our international Catholic outreach to the struggling), Red Cloud Indian School (Jesuit school in Pine Indian Reservation), & Catholic Charities. Each week it varies around $150 for organizations who offer hope and dignity to those in our midst who struggle. In much the same way, the Social Justice Committee that began several years ago at St. Malachy’s church continues to meet regularly and support local outreach programs,and individuals who are in need within our community.Annually they host a “WinterWarmth/GivingTree” collection for Greater Love Ministries.This past December 53 gift cards were given and overa $1,000 raised for coats, hats, gloves and general support for outreach purposes.They hosta blood drive twice a year, host a Madrid Ministerial Lenten luncheon, reach out to the homebound of the church with cards and seasonal gifts, send cards to the bereaved families,and give timely support to the Romero House, Martha’s House of Hope, One Heart Catholic Mission, March for Life, and causes that arise during the year. Additionally, their mission is to make parishioners aware of those who struggle within our community and beyond through correspondence in the bulletin and parish website. In the last several years, St. Malachy’s has given a percentage to Greater Love, Huxley,and Slater food pantries. All such outreach within our parish,alongside the generosity of individual parishioners who quietly support the needs of individuals and charities, reflects the mission of our Catholic faith. Pope Leo calls us as Catholics to be attentive and open “to the beautyof charity and the social dimension of compassion. Being a neighbor is not determined by physical or social proximity but by the decision to love.We live immersed in a culture of speed, immediacy, and haste—a culture of ‘discard’ and indifference that prevents us from pausing along the way and drawing near to acknowledge the needs and suffering that surround us.” God Bless, Fr. Tim FYI:What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness." ("Travels with Charley”- John Steinbeck)