Pastoral Council Nominations
Spring is in the air! Each spring is the time our parish replaces current members of the parish Pastoral Council whose terms are
coming to a close. The selection process takes as its model the selection of an Apostle after the death of Judas to bring their number back to twelve. The Apostles determined qualifications for the one to be chosen, then they nominated two disciples, prayed over
the names and then drew lots; and Matthias was chosen and was added to the eleven. For the next two weekends we will be taking
nominations for people to serve as Pastoral Council Representatives. Then on the Feast of Pentecost, we will be selecting those who
will serve three year terms. Please read the qualifications listed below for a Pastoral Council Representative and pray about whom
you think God is calling to serve the parish in this ministry.
SELECTION PROCESS: Nominations will be accepted either by self-nomination, or by being nominated by another person.
Nominees will be contacted to ascertain their willingness to become candidates.
Nominees/Council Members should be:

• a Confirmed Catholic, 18 years of age or older;
• a registered parishioner of GSCC for at least six months;
• a participant in the ongoing life of the parish, especially the celebration of the weekend Eucharist;
• a responsible parishioner who possesses the following characteristics:
• a desire for spiritual growth – a faith that is alive and gospel-oriented;
• an enthusiasm about the future of the parish – a balanced and open-minded outlook;
• a willingness to listen, to speak honestly, and to be respectful;
• a willingness to work as a team member and to work toward consensus;
• a willingness to make a commitment of time and talent – actively participating in council meetings, and volunteering for
• council member tasks;
• a willingness to represent the entire parish, while acting as a liaison to one of our weekend worship sites and enabling
• ongoing communications between the Pastor and the parishioners.

Two selected representatives will be randomly chosen during Mass at one of our worship sites on Pentecost, May 19th.
Current members will not be eligible for re-selection after their first term, but they can be eligible for selection again after one year off
the Parish Council. Newly selected members will begin their service during the June meeting, held this year on June 13. Meetings
are usually held on the third Thursday of the month. Normally no meetings are held in July, August, Dec., and the weeks near Easter.
Our current Pastoral Council members are: Tom Steger, Joe Gagnon, and Paul Nelson, St. Patrick/Moravia, Lori Kupiec,
St. Michael; Jim Orman, St. Patrick/Aurora; and Cathy Shields, OLOL, King Ferry. The two council members finishing their term of
service on the Pastoral Council are, Joe Gagnon and Tom Steger, St. Patrick/Moravia. Also, Nora Burroughs, SPA, is completing a
first year of service as our Youth Representative. I thank all the Council members who have served this year and I again ask all
parishioners to pray about this nomination process and submit names for nomination to the Pastoral Council.
God’s blessings and peace, Father Bill

The Fourth Sunday of Easter on our current liturgical calendar is referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday. It was given this
title because the Gospel reading each year is taken from the tenth chapter of the Gospel of John in which Jesus refers to himself as
the Good Shepherd. “ I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.“ (Jn 10:11) Different segments of the
tenth chapter of the Gospel of John are used each year, but they all make reference to Jesus as the Good Shepherd leading his
sheep.
Since 1964, Good Shepherd Sunday, has also been designated as a World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Praying for and
promoting vocations in the church is the work of all of us who have been baptized into new life. As we hear the voice of the Good
Shepherd we are called to follow where he leads us. Pope Francis in speaking of this year’s World Day of Prayer for Vocations,
said,” Dear friends, on this day in particular, but also in the ordinary pastoral life of our communities, I ask the Church to
continue to promote vocations. May she touch the hearts of the faithful and enable each of them to discover with gratitude
God’s call in their lives, to find courage to say ‘yes’ to God.”
Each of us is being called by the Good Shepherd to new life in Him. To discover how we are to live our lives in Christ, we
need to open our hearts to Jesus and ask him to reveal his plan for us. When we do so with sincerity in our hearts, I truly believe that
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, will show us the way to follow. For myself, nearly fifty years ago, I heard the Good Shepherd calling me
to follow by entering the seminary and beginning my studies for the priesthood. But, before I entered the seminary I simply began to
ask God in prayer what He wanted me to do in my life. I began to seek what God’s will was for me. When I began seeking His will,
God helped me to discern in what direction he was leading me. On entering the seminary I remember praying, “God if you want me
to be a priest, you need to open the right doors for me, and close the wrong ones.” I believe that God answered my simple prayer in
many ways as I journeyed through my years in the seminary. On April 30th,1982, I accepted God’s will for me and was ordained to
the priesthood. I am so glad I said ‘yes’ to God’s will for my life.
We are each being call to a vocation in life, to a vocation in the Church. God wants us all to realize whatever vocation He
calls us to, we are being asked to model our lives after Jesus, and to lay down our lives in service of Him.
This Sunday, as we reflect on the Good Shepherd, whose title we have chosen for our parish, may we make a commitment
to pray for vocations, beginning with our own, that each of us may follow the Good Shepherd. I am including in this bulletin two prayers. One asking for Vocations to the Priesthood and another asking for discernment as to God’s plan for our lives. May we always
encourage each other and pray for each other, that we, in love and truth, live out our vocations in Christ.
God’s Easter blessings and peace, Father Bill

Convocation: This week on Monday through Wednesday, I will be joining Bishop Matano, the priests, and Pastoral Administrators in our Diocese for the annual Convocation. We will be meeting at the Radisson Hotel in Corning, New York.
Our keynote speaker will be Father Robert P. Imbelli. Father Imbelli, a priest of the Archdiocese of New York, studied in Rome during the years of the Second Vatican Council and was ordained there in 1965. He received his S.T.L. from the Gregorian University and his Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Yale University. Father Imbelli taught theology at Saint Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, and Maryknoll School of Theology.
He then taught at Boston College for twenty-seven years and is now Emeritus. His book, Rekindling the Christic Imagination: Theological Meditations on the New Evangelization (Liturgical Press), received a firstplace award from the Catholic Publishers Association. A volume on his work, The Center Is Jesus Christ Himself, edited by Andrew Meszaros, was published in 2021 by Catholic University of America Press. His collected essays and reviews are being published by Word on Fire Academic under the title, Christ Brings All Newness.
With the solar eclipse happening on the same day as we gather for Convocation, our schedule for this year has been adjusted: the opening and first talk will be after dinner in the evening. Hopefully, it will allow us all to get a glimpse of the eclipse in the afternoon.
I am looking forward to the opportunity to spend time with the priests and pastoral leaders in our diocese.
It is only on occasions like this that we have the chance to catch up with one another, and to pray and socialize together. When we gather it also brings to mind, the pastors and retired priests that I have lived with during my priesthood who have died. They all taught me so much and I am ever grateful that they were an important part of my life. I remember and thank, Fr. Jack O’Connor, Msgr. Les Whalen, Fr. Michael Conboy,
Fr. Gene Sweeney, Fr. George Wiant, Fr. Ray Wahl, and Fr. Jack Hedges. May they rest in peace. Please
pray for us as we gather this week. God’s blessings and peace,
Father Bill

He has Risen! Alleluia, Alleluia!

Easter is the season of New Life. In this time of the year in our area of the world we see new life springing forth from the cold
tomb of winter as flowers bud through the reawakened earth. We see the birds returning from their southern sojourn to build their
nests; we see the lambs and other new born animals nursing at their mother’s side. The signs of new life are all around us! The greatest signs of new life of this Easter Season hopefully, are experienced within us! Jesus has died and is risen to give us new life! A ew life that He wants us to experience each day as we live with Him here on earth and as we journey to live with Him eternally in heaven. The gift of the Holy Spirit that Jesus has given us through His death and resurrection is the ever abiding gift of God’s presence that helps us to experience new life and become new creations in Christ.
During the Easter Season the gospel readings at Mass focus on the resurrection accounts of how the disciples of Jesus encountered the Risen Lord. The Easter Season is also a time when the lectionary for Mass presents us with readings from the Acts of the Apostles that tell us of the lived experience of Jesus’ followers after his death and resurrection. We as church read and reflect on the ways that the early church encountered the Risen Christ. We hear the accounts of how they were led by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the gospel message to the world. May we reflect on how they, as a community of faith, were formed by the Word of God and lead by the Holy Spirit to spread the Good News. May our reflection on the lived faith experience of the early church help us to see more clearly how we are to follow the Risen Christ each day and proclaim His love to the world.
As we journey through the Easter season, I encourage you to seek the grace of the Holy Spirit in your life. Pray that the Holy
Spirit may empower us in our daily life, to embrace the opportunities we have to share the good news with others and the strength to
carry the crosses that come our way. May we always remember we are called to be the visible presence of the Risen Christ to one
another and to the people in our world.. As we gather together each week in faith to celebrate the Eucharist, may we support each
other in prayer as the living Body of Christ.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the musicians, various liturgical ministers and all those who helped with the Holy
Week services, and the cleaning and decorating of the churches for this holy season. Your commitment and willingness to share your
talents is greatly appreciated. May you and your families be filled with Easter joy and experience the grace of the Risen Lord and the
power of the Holy Spirit helping you to become new creations in Christ.
May the Risen Christ be with you.
Happy Easter! Father Bill

This Sunday is known as Laetáre Sunday. The opening antiphon of the Mass begins, “Laetáre Jerúsalem” or, “Rejoice Jerusalem!”
At this halfway point of Lent we take a brief break in the season of penance to remind ourselves that the season of Lent exists to prepare us for the joy that awaits, a joy that we have already received: the joy of the resurrected Christ. Today the Mass vestments are rose-colored, as a sign to us that we are fast approaching Easter!
There will be a Lenten Communal Penance Service for all the churches of Auburn and Cayuga County on Monday, March 18th
at 7:00 pm at St. Mary’s Church. Several priests will be available for confession and absolution. There are also Individual times for confession this coming week at Our Lady of the Lake Church, on Tuesday, March 12, from 6:30—7:30 p.m., following the Stations of the Cross. I encourage you to receive the grace of the Sacrament of Penance before Easter. God’s blessings and peace, Father

A few months ago our bulletin company, LPI, started printing the front page of our bulletins in color. I began using more
images that had color to optimize the new format, but the images we had used in the past for the Good Shepherd were done only in black and white. For a few weeks I began using a color image of the Good Shepherd that was available from LPI, but it didn’t convey the image I had in my mind of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. So I asked Tom Steger, who this year chairs our Parish Pastoral Council, if he would be willing to paint a Good Shepherd image for the bulletin as well as paint the lake scene Welcome picture for the bulletin cover. Tom very graciously started right away working on the project. This weeks bulletin cover is the unveiling of his artistic efforts.
Thank you Tom, you did a great job, and thank you for sharing with us your artistic talents! May the Good Shepherd aways bless you and lead you to the Father’s love. God’s blessings and peace,

This Wednesday, February 14, we will begin our forty-day Lenten journey towards the celebration of our Lord’s resurrection on
Easter Sunday. The symbol of ashes that we receive on Ash Wednesday is a reminder to us of our mortality and the call to repent, to turn away from sin and the temptations that lead us to sin, and to believe the Good News. Lent is a time for us to take stock of ourselves; a time to make a personal inventory of how we are responding to the call of the Lord to live a life of holiness as children of God led by the Holy Spirit. The forty days of Lent can be a time of great personal and spiritual growth if we take the time to work on our relationships with God, and with one another. To assist you in your daily prayer during Lent, The Little Black Book, and The Word Among Us, devotional booklets are available at our churches for a freewill offering.

I encourage you to make some personal decisions as to how you might grow in your faith and in your relationship to God during Lent. Some things to consider doing during Lent might be: participating in a weekday Mass, spending some time each day in personal prayer, visiting the church and praying before the Blessed Sacrament, taking time as a family to reflect on Bible stories or readings, praying the Stations of the Cross, pray the rosary daily for peace in our world, pray together as a family or as a couple, learning more about injustices in the world and what you can do to address them, reaching out to a person in need, visiting a housebound parishioner or neighbor, participating in Operation Rice Bowl. First, pray about what personal decisions you can commit to during Lent, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you to discipline yourself to do them. You might find that the discipline of Lent will fill your lives with many blessings, and your hearts with peace. A schedule of Lenten events is enclosed in this bulletin.

CRS Rice Bowl is once again our parish Lenten alms giving program. This Catholic Relief Services Lenten program helps
people in developing countries to break the cycle of poverty by developing skills and means to provide for their families. Experience how families around the world live, work and play in a series of short Stories of Hope at www.crsricebowl.org. CRS Rice Bowl is Catholic Relief Services’ Lenten faith-in-action program. It offers opportunities for your family to engage daily with the spiritual pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. During the 40 days of Lent, we will encounter the stories about our global family in Uganda, El Salvador, and Indonesia. We’ll learn how hard-working families are overcoming challenges to build a better life and provide their children with the opportunity to attend school and purse their dreams. I’m excited to take this journey with our parish community, and to connect the prayer and reflections of each of the families in our global community of faith. I hope you will take home a CRS Rice Bowl, located in the church vestibules and at the parish office.

Catholic Ministries Appeal Update We are very close to reaching our parish goal. As of February 5, 100 parishioner households of Good Shepherd Catholic Community have pledged or given $37,908 or 92.46% of our parish goal of $41,000. I extend a special thanks to all those who have given or made pledges to our annual appeal. Your gift helps make possible the many ministries of outreach and parish support that are funded by the CMA. If you have not yet given this year’s appeal, please consider doing so today in support of our Diocesan Ministries. Let’s reach our parish goal by Easter. Have a blessed and prayerful Lent.
God’s blessings and peace, Father Bill

The weather the past three weeks has been a challenge. Between the frigid cold, the snow, and the wind causing drifts, it
hasn’t been fun driving! Thought I was headed into a ditch on one trip coming out of Locke. Thank God I got the car under control. I have noticed that Mass attendance has been down this month, mainly I believe due to the weather, but I have heard that many families are also dealing with illnesses. Please be pray that those who are sick may quickly recover. Hopefully, the winter weather will end soon. This coming Friday is Ground Hogs Day, February 2nd. The tradition goes if when the groundhog comes out of his hole on that day and sees his shadow, we are in for six more weeks of winter! Let’s pray that Friday is a cloudy day so that his shadow doesn’t appear! Chances are though, whether he sees his shadow or not, we likely will have six more weeks of winter.
February 2nd on the church calendar, is the Feast day of the Presentation of the Lord, it is also called Candlemas, A day that
traditionally candles are blessed. This year it falls on First Friday and we will have a procession with lit candles as we begin the First Friday Mass at 9:00 am at Our Lady of the Lake Church in King Ferry. Saturday, is the Feast of Saint Blaise, the tradition of blessing throats takes place on that day. We will be calling on the intercession of St. Blaise and blessing throats at the Masses next weekend .
I seem to remember that when I was a boy the blessing took place with lighted candles. I am glad we no longer do so; I would rather have a sore throat than third degree burns!
I remember years ago when I was celebrating Easter Sunday Mass at St. John the Evangelist Church in Port Byron, we decided to have the servers carry lighted candles in the procession to begin Mass.. We were lining up to begin Mass when suddenly the
Altar girl’s bangs caught on fire! Fortunately, her skin didn’t get burned as we quickly stopped the sizzling banks from doing further damage. Since then I am extra glad we don’t use lighted candles for the St. Blaise day blessing.
God’s Blessings and peace, Father Bill

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity “You shall love the Lord your God… and your neighbor as yourself.”

The annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins, Thursday, January 18 and ends, Thursday January 25. The theme chosen for 2024 is, “You shall love the Lord your God… and your neighbor as yourself.”( Luke 10:27) Our world has seen so much warfare in recent times as nations fight against their neighbors, and our country has seen so much political division that causes unrest in our nation. Our streets and schools continue to be plagued with senseless gun violence that calls out for justice for all people. These continued tensions in the human family call out for healing, unity, justice and peace. As we reflect on the theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, “You shall love the Lord your God… and your neighbor as yourself,” may we not only pray for unity our faith communities, but also for our families, our country, and our world.
The churches of Union Springs have gathered in daily prayer and reflection sessions in observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, for over forty years. Covid stopped the gatherings for prayer for a couple of years, but last year we began meeting again for prayer and reflection during the Week of Prayer but with an abbreviated schedule. This year we will do likewise.
     On Friday, January 19,at 7:00 p.m., there will be a session at St. Michael Church, in Union Springs, led by Henry MacDonald. The Scripture readings for that gathering are Luke 10:27, Deuteronomy 10:12-13, and Psalm 133.
     On Sunday, January 21, at the Trinity United Church of Christ, on Main Street, Union Springs, there will be a dish –to- pass meal at 6:00 p.m., followed by a 7:00pm prayer service with a reflection offered by Fr. Bill Moorby.
     On Monday, January 22, Pastor Hall will lead the prayer and reflection session at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Union Springs, at 2:00 p.m. The readings for prayer and reflection that day are Luke 10:34; Joel 2:23-27; and Psalm 104:14-15, 27-30..
All parishioners are invited to participate. Please bring a Bible with you to the prayer and reflection sessions.

If you cannot make the gatherings, please pray for unity that we may all be one in God ‘s love. Also, a Daily Scripture and Prayer Guide for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be available in our churches. You are encouraged to use them at home for personal prayer during the week or to gather as a family or with friends at home to prayerfully reflect throughout the week.
Tomorrow, January 15th, we honor Martin Luther King, Jr., a man who devoted his life to bring about equality by peaceful means and to stop the injustices experienced by persons of color in our society. May we pray for the necessary changes needed in our minds and hearts, as well as in the laws and systems in our society that facilitate discrimination and injustice. May we see others as our neighbors and all people as children of God.

God’s blessings and peace, Father Bill 

As we celebrate in this joyful time of the Octave of Christmas on this Feast of the Holy Family, our hearts are filled with hope as we
enter the New Year. But in the midst of joy, the sadness of death is experienced by some families. A first Christmas after the death of
a loved one is often difficult for family and close friends. I ask you to pray for the relatives and friends who have died during 2023. The
following is a list of the funerals we celebrated in our parishes and those who were buried in our cemeteries. Please pray for their
souls and for their families and friends. Pray also for all the loved ones of our parishioners who died in 2023 whose funerals and burials
were in other places. May they rest in Peace.

St. Michael Church
John Kula
Ron Erickson
Barbara Smith
Johan Lehtonen
Glenn Bundy

St. Patrick Church, Moravia St. Patrick Cemetery, Moravia
Florence Blake
Bernard Hein
Kenneth Steger
Joan Meyers

Our Lady of the Lake, Cemetery
Marcia Jean Helbig
Agnes Zavaski
Carol Ann Reeves

St. Bernard Cemetery
Joan Heffernan
Marian P. Hickey
William J. Ravas, Jr
Thomas Ryan
Anita Ryan

Our Lady of the Lake, Church
Veronica Baird
Robert Franklin
Pauline Lippincott

St. Patrick Church, Aurora – St. Patrick Cemetery, Aurora
Francis Piechuta
Kevin VanOrman
Bernard Shaw
Gary Finch

This week is National Vocation Awareness Week . It is a time when we are called to pray for and promote vocations in the
church. I personally was called to serve in the church as a priest, and I believe that there are many young people who are being called
by the Lord to the priesthood, and other young people are being called to the consecrated life as Sisters and Brothers in the church.
The journey to a vocation varies greatly from person to person, but many aspects of their journey are the same. An openness to God’s
plan for ones life, the prayerful support and encouragement from the people in our life, and a willingness to seek and follow the lead of
the Holy Spirit by listening in prayer and reflecting on the events we experience, are all aspects of the discernment process.
A few years ago I shared my journey at a Magnificat Breakfast in Rochester. That talk is available as a podcast and the link can
be found on our parish website, or can be reached online at https://content.blubrry.com/magnificat/MM-196-WilliamMoorby.mp3
I encourage you to listen to it. Sharing ones journey I believe helps one to grow in faith. 

God’s blessings and peace, Father Bill

In an insert in the bulletin today is a financial report for Good Shepherd Catholic Community. The fiscal year for our parish runs from July 1 to June 30. There are two reports included in the bulletin insert; one is a Balance Statement and the second is a statement of Revenues and Expenditures (sometimes called an Income Statement). The Balance Sheet report shows where we stood at the close of the fiscal
year 2022/23. The Total Assets are all the money held by the parish in various accounts, and the Total Liabilities on the Balance Sheet are all the accounts that we have a responsibility to pay in the future. The Fund Balance is the Total Assets minus the Total Liabilities.
The Statement of Revenue and Expenditures includes the actual amounts of money we took in and paid out in the fiscal year (fy) ending 6/30/23. The Net Operating Revenue does not include Changes in Investment Market Value or the Affiliated Organizations like the Altar Rosary Societies, nor does it include the expenses for major building repairs or purchases. They are considered Capital Purchases that are over
and above our day-to-day operating costs, and are listed under Non-Operating Revenues and Expenditures. The Net Revenue includes all the money we took in and paid out during the year, whether they were Operating or Non-Operating. During the fiscal year 2022/23 we had a Net Operating surplus of $35,545.
We had budgeted a surplus of $28,491 to help offset $30,000 that we budgeted for Capital Expenditures for the year, a Non-Operating Expense. We actually spent $44,095 this year on capital improvements since in the prior year we did not use monies budgeted for capital improvements. The major projects were the painting of the interior of St. Patrick Church, Moravia, and a new roof on the parish house in Moravia.
We did receive $40,880 in Employee Retention Credit this year, and a $25,273 change in the market value of our investments in the Communis Fund. These funds helped us offset an expense for the Channeling Injunction we paid in the bankruptcy process the Diocese is going through. The Channeling Injunction protects the parish from future claims. The bankruptcy process is still ongoing but hopefully an agreement will be reached soon to bring about a final settlement for the injured parties. Please pray for healing and strength for all who were abused. Because of the additional expense for the Channeling Injunction, the Total Net Revenue for the fiscal year was a deficit of $57,054. But we were able to pay for it without having to take monies out of the investment funds.
For the fiscal year 2022/23 that ended June 30, 2023, the average weekly offering from our regular collections was $5,166. The 2023/2024 budget calls for an average weekly offering from our regular collections of $5,230 or a $64 increase in the parish weekly offering. So far in the first quarter of the 2023/2024 fiscal year, with the help of our summer parishioners, and our two holiday weekend fuel collections, we
have averaged $5,762. Hopefully, we will continue to meet our budgeted amount as our number of parishioners grows less in the winter months. I thank you all for your continuous generous support of the parish.
You will also notice in this report the amounts of the second collections that are taken up during the year. The totals listed are the amounts our parish contributed to the National and Diocesan collections this past fiscal year.
The final Catholic Ministry Appeal (CMA) report for the 2022/2023 Appeal for Good Shepherd
was: 104 gifts totaling $40,100. Our parish goal was $40,000. Since all our pledges were fulfilled, we exceeded the goal by $100. 50% of the overage, or $50 was returned to the parish. I thank you for your support in helping the parish reach its CMA goal. This year’s goal is $41,000. I ask once again that you give your financial support, and offer your prayers, that we again reach our parish goal in support of the Catholic
Ministry Appeal. Thanks again for all your generous support. God’s blessings and peace, Father Bill