I want to hear from you — Do the Census!

04-21-2024Weekly ReflectionFr. Robert Aliunzi

Dear Friends,

On the weekend of March 9/10, we officially launched our Census exercise in order to determine the size of our parish. Though during the most part of last month our focus shifted to Holy Week, Easter Triduum and Easter itself, the Census exercise has been ongoing for those who did not do it the first weekend it was launched. Now it is time again to refocus our attention to Stewardship under whose context we began this Census exercise. We want to acknowledge that we are all called to give of our time, talents, and treasure as a gratitude to all of God’s gifts to us.

Indeed, with Stewardship being a large focus of our growing parish, I want to remind you once again today, to fill out the Parish Census now if you have not yet done so. We hope to close the exercise by the end of this month. Next month, all who have participated in the Census will get an invitation to fill out the Parish Survey. You do not want to miss this opportunity to be heard! In the Survey I will ask questions like, what do you like about our parish, what do you think we can do better and what would you like to see for the future of our parish? These questions are prompted by the recognition that over the last few years beginning with the pandemic, followed by the rapid leadership changes, our priorities as a parish may have shifted several times.

As active participants in our parish therefore, I want to hear you so that I can determine our current priorities in order to serve you better. Know that I truly value your opinions on the future of our parish, and I will be excited to read your thoughts on our parish and how we can grow over the next few years. Remember, as we always say at the beginning of our Liturgy, our parish will only be as good as we make it.

I want you to say now with me our Parish Mission Prayer:

Our Parish is composed of people like me,
I help make it what it is.
It will be friendly, I am. It will be holy if I am.
Its pews will be filled if I help fill them.
It will do great work, if I work.
It will be prayerful if I pray.
It will make generous gifts to many causes
if I am a generous giver.
It will bring others into worship
if I invite and bring them in.
It will be a place of loyalty and love,
of fearlessness and faith,
of compassion, charity, and mercy,
if I who make it what it is,
am filled with these same things.

Therefore, with the help of God, I will dedicate myself to the task of being what I want my parish to be. Amen. I want to hear from you, dear friends, so do the Census now please.

I love you.