Greetings to the Young Adults of St. Gabriel Parish & the Archdiocese of San Francisco!
My name is John V. Paintner, and I am the new Pastoral Associate for the Youth & Young Adult Ministries at St. Gabriel Parish. I am taking over Susan Winchell's position, and I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Susan for all the help she has given me.
I apologize for the delay in re-starting these Young Adult Crossroads Newsletters. I started in mid-May; just in time to jump into the Summer of Fun and Endless Summer Programs. (If you don't know what they are, please don't ask me to explain . . . at least until after Christmas.) I have just completed these Summer Programs and am now ready for interaction with adults. To that end, I am preparing the Fall Retreat and contacting former members of the Young Adult Steering Committee. (If I haven't contacted you yet, please contact me at 731-0650.) My focus for the first year will be to build a strong Steering Committee. My philosophy of ministry is one of team work, not dictating programs. I am here to help you coordinate your ministry program.
We will hold our first post-break "Happy Hour" at Yancy's Saloon (734 Irving & 9th) on Friday, August 21st, starting at 8:00 p.m. If you can't make the "Happy Hour," you can meet me at the Sunday 5:30 p.m. Masses, where I am the hospitality minister.
My wife, Christine, and I moved from Woodland, California where I was the Youth Ministry Coordinator at Holy Rosary Parish. We moved to the Bay Area so Christine (a New York native) could be closer to her doctoral program at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley this Fall. I hope to continue my own Master's Degree in Pastoral Ministry at the University of San Francisco this Fall as well. (Hey, I gotta try to keep up with the wife.) The fine reputation of Saint Gabriel has reached my native Sacramento, and it is not just because this was Bishop Quinn's old parish. The ideals of cooperation and team work between clergy and laity is strong, and I look forward to working with our new priests (I've been here three months and already I'm no longer the "new guy." What happened?) and all of the great parishioners.
Thank you & God bless!
John V. Paintner
John V. Paintner
Pastoral Associate
Youth & Young Adult Ministry
P.S. - If you are wondering why this newsletter is not quite up to the normal high quality you are used to, I have yet to talk with Palmer Chan who has been such a great help in formatting and publishing newsletters in the past.
P.P.S. - Palmer, PLEASE CALL JOHN @ 731-0650!!! Thank you.
