Dear Fellow Parishioners, How wonderful it is to see so many young families and young children at Mass during these summer months. The energy they bring is so encouraging. Being a community that welcomes everyone takes the combined effort of each of us reverencing the gifts each and every person brings to the tables of the Word and Sacrament. It is one thing to sing “All are welcome, in this place!” and another to open our hearts in non-judgmental welcome of the person of Christ in each and every individual who comes through our doors.
We have made great strides in making sure our facilities are accessible to all, including the sanctuary (altar area). Removing all the stairs and installing ramps so everyone can enter is a great improvement. Moving the family room from the rear of the church to the front so that families with children are actually able to see the sanctuary and not look at our backsides when we stand has been very helpful. There are several additional things that will help us improve our facilities for young and old alike. Young families using the family room have mentioned having a bathroom on that side of the church. Making the bathroom on the baptistry side of the church accessible to everyone is on the wish list. Also, on our wish list is recreating the entryway between the parish center and the church into a true narthex or vestibule with sliding doors to enter. All these improvements will happen when donations come our way. Thankfully we were able to make all the improvements we have done over all these years as a community by the generosity of so many who made memorial gifts and remembered our parish in their wills. In the meantime, the major work we need to do as new people join our parish is to open our hearts to all who enter our campus. Never be afraid to introduce yourself to someone. I notice that as I age, I am having “senior moments,” so I am now never afraid to ask someone their name even though I knew it a few moments ago. How important we are to each other. Let’s open the eyes of our heart to see the presence of Christ in each other and truly sing out, “All are welcome, in this place!”