Dear Parishioners:
As we approach this holy season of Christmas, please be aware that not all people view Christmas as holy, but as a golden   opportunity to take advantage of good people’s generosity.  I have experienced a dramatic increase in scam artists emailing or text-messaging not only parishioners, but even my own priest associates asking for funds or for an occasion to meet with me supposedly because of some pressing issue.  These messages can sound incredibly legitimate, but they are not.  If the sending email is not from my email address:  [email protected], it is definitely a scam.   Never respond to a text or email directly. Always respond to my legitimate email or text message:   [email protected] / 207-446-1012.    I will NEVER solicit you for funds via email or text messages—only in person, and then, very rarely if ever (when was the last time, I asked you directly for money????).    I will NEVER ask you to send me any gift cards of any kind.  I will NEVER ask you to meet me with or get back to me about a potential meeting or appointment unless I provide you with very specific information about what that meeting will be about and my proposal/options for where that meeting will occur.  I will NEVER ask you to send me funds because I’m stranded somewhere.  Should you receive a request from “Fr. Lou” that is not from me, please delete the message immediately and NEVER RESPOND TO IT.    
 Fr. Lou