I wish I had the wisdom and the know-how to help our 455 active families realize how very important it is for us all to activate our Catholic GPS. We set the direction for our future in our practice in the present. It is necessary for all households to Give, Pray, and Serve our parish community.
This weekend we have a compilation of past witness talks given by parishioners during renovations, when Deacon Joe was still active, and after our renovation work was completed. One of those parishioners has moved on to Chicago, but when April returns to Massachusetts she always comes for a visit and shares how much she misses our community. How important we are to each other! How necessary it is for us to contribute to keeping our community vibrant and active, not just today, but for the future.
If any of you have had a chance to speak with people from Union Evangelical Church or Hopedale Unitarian Parish, you know the challenges they are facing as their congregations dwindle. If any of you have had a chance to talk with parishioners in multiple parish clusters served by one pastor, you hear in their stories how they wish things had been different. That is why we are encouraging everyone to become active stewards of our parish community.
It’s October, our Annual Stewardship Renewal is at hand. 20% of our active families contribute to our parish operations, many of them elderly. How can I encourage the 245 families with no record of donations to support the parish?
When is the last time you invited someone to come with you to Mass with you to pray? This weekend is “Pew Count” weekend – the weekend when we must send our headcounts to the diocese. At some point, the diocese will use this data when considering assignments for priests and deacons. Will we have enough in attendance to still warrant a full-time priest and a deacon? How do I get through to those who don’t attend Mass, wait in the hall, and never visit the church?
How do we continue with three weekend Masses when we have no ministers to assist at the 10:30 Mass?
These realities at this time can all be changed by each and every household taking the time to make a commitment to activate their Catholic GPS. If you have wisdom to my many questions, please help us in our efforts.