Dear Parish Family:
Well, I guess turning 65 wasn’t so bad after all. There were several surprise celebrations throughout the week. The staff celebrated my birthday on Wednesday with an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen, plus bought my lunch! Yum! On Thursday, another surprise from the daily Mass folks and the thrift shop workers with a delicious carrot cake, double yum! Finally, a BIG surprise; a blessing from the parish community at the 4:00 Mass and a wonderful reception in the hall catered by the Pastoral Planning Team and the Hospitality Team! The food was great and what a surprise it was, including my brother John and his wife Mary!
Thank you to all for your cards and wishes for a Happy Birthday! With my Medicare, Part A card in my wallet I am ready to face a new stage in life! So, anyone who is dreading moving into this stage, fear not, there is life after 65!
Last week I asked you to pray for the work of our Pastoral Planning Team (PPT). They have been working hard to restructure our parish ministries to fit our current needs as a parish. Their work has generated a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm. What a dedicated team they are, listening to each other and willing to understand how important it is to open the doors to all parishioners to sit at the table were decisions are made. We are looking for eight people to share their wisdom and work on each of the five ministries: Formation, Worship, Operations, Stewardship and Community Engagement. That means 40 people will be involved in setting the objectives for our parish. You are invited, you are called: how will you be involved?
We are especially interested in making sure that people who are not involved in parish work feel welcome to the table and that young people 16-35 know that their wisdom is welcome and needed to move us forward in our work as a people of God. I ask all of you to prayerfully consider how you can be involved in making Sacred Heart Parish the dynamic parish God calls us to be.
In the bulletin, you will find the contact information for the members of the PPT; never hesitate to contact any member with your wisdom, questions, and desires to participate in a deeper level in the ministries we share. Much more to come!
Thank you again for celebrating my birthday! And let us move forward in ministry here at Sacred Heart!
Fr. Bill