At the heart of Stewardship are the simple concepts of Gratitude and Generosity. All of us are called to be grateful for all the gifts that God has given to us, and in turn, we are called to be generous in sharing those gifts with others. So, “Grateful & Generous” is the theme of our Stewardship Season which begins this weekend. I hope that in the coming months, you will take some good time to reflect and respond and to be grateful and generous. 

We begin with gratitude, and that is why we are kicking off our Stewardship Season with a “Parishioner Thank You” reception today beginning at 4:00pm in our Church Hall. We will gather as a parish family, grateful that God has called us together; grateful for all the good work and ministry of our staff; grateful for the participation of so many people in our ministries, organizations, and committees; grateful for all give are financially generous. There will be food and drink, music, games, and giveaways. We will conclude in the Church with Evening Prayer at 5:30pm. I’m looking forward to being with all our parishioners who have RSVP’d for this event.

The great medieval theologian Meister Eckhart is believed to have said, “If the only prayer you ever say in our life is thank you, it will be enough.” Christians are called to develop an attitude of gratitude all their life long, not only at Thanksgiving! If you’re struggling to pray, simply being grateful to God for all God’s gifts to you is a simple place to start. May our gratitude to God and others increase and strengthen as we reflect on Stewardship in the coming months.

Let me begin!

THANKS BE TO GOD for the gift of his Son, for the grace of the Spirit, and for the gift of our faith, the Church, and our parish family. Thanks to God for allowing us to be part of this family of faith and for leading and guiding this parish for 124 years.

THANKS to our parish staff – Deborah, Carmela, Michael, Orin, and Ruth – who collaborate with me in a most excellent way to lead and serve this parish. They give so much of their time and talent to serve you and sacrifice so much for the glory of God and the good of our community.

THANKS to our maintenance staff – Ken, Joe, and Amira – who keep our buildings and grounds clean and safe and running smoothly so that we have beautiful spaces to gather and pray and learn.

THANKS to our school Administration – Patrick, Theresa, Chris, and Gwen – who serve our parish children with loving and generous hearts, forming them as Missionary Disciples. THANKS to our amazing teachers and school staff who give of themselves to make our school a happy and holy place!

THANKS to all who gather Sunday after Sunday for Mass, the most important thing we do as a parish family.  THANKS to all who serve as the Masses in various ministries.

THANKS to all who financially contribute to the parish on a regular basis. Your sacrifice and generosity allow us to continue the mission to bring people closer to Christ.

THANKS to all who are part of our many ministries, organizations, and groups, especially those who take on the good work of leadership. You help make our parish family vibrant!

THANKS to all in our parish who are about the good work of evangelization and outreach, promoting peace and justice and serving the poor and disenfranchised. You help us fulfill Christ’s command.

As we enter into Stewardship Season, who or what are you grateful for?  Offer a prayer of thanks right now!