Thanks for our Parish Mission

I felt lots of gratitude this week as I experienced the joy of Jesus brought to the people of our parishes through our parish mission!  Richard Lane was certainly a joy.  His enthusiasm, energy and the Good News of Jesus that he embodies increased our joy!
Many thanks to Fr. Dave and the PPT who have been working tirelessly over the past weeks and months to make the mission possible!

Town Hall Question: Young Families and Youth
Thanks to those who read the report on our Town Hall Listening Sessions.  See the summary report on our website (crescentparishes.org/beacons-of-light). The question I would like to continue to answer this week is

• How will we engage young families, Nativity School families and the youth of our parishes to attend Mass?

               Recall last week, the first response I made to this question was that we need to be more evangelical.  We need to share the good news about Jesus in our own lives and invite others to come and see!  What are additional answers to how young families and youth are engaged?  Read on!

2. Raise Expectations  My first pastor instilled in me some wisdom:  If you expect a lot of  God’s people, they will not let you down.  The converse is also true, expect little and you will get little.  Parents don’t bat an eye at a coach who has high expectations.  They will have their child at practice on time and ready!  What about for Church? We can all up-our-game.  Whether it is attending and participating better in Mass every Sunday or expecting both parents to attend sacramental prep programs, church and school leaders need to raise the bar of expectations!  Of course, this can be frightening and takes courage and faith.  However, raising expectations will be a necessary prelude to better engagement for young families and their children.  Please pray for leaders and parents alike.  We all have an important part to play.
3. Have Better Homilies, Music, Liturgies and Programming  If Church leaders see how important it is to raise expectations for parents, that must come from a dedicated effort to raise expectations for ourselves.   Leaders need to be committed to sacrificially serving God’s people by improving homilies, music, all liturgy.  As well, leaders need to be professional, having goals and striving to constantly improve.  We need to offer top-notch lifelong faith formation programs and opportunities.  Leaders need to make sure we are growing in faith ourselves, leading by example.
4. Be More Welcoming  There is no better way to increase our numbers than to continue to progress in becoming a  more warm and welcoming community.  We need to consciously notice new people and ask them “How long have you been a member of the parish?” to make sure our hunch is correct.  Then we need to get their information so that staff and parishioners alike can re-connect.
5. Pray Constant prayer will be essential.  We need to pray for those distant from the Church and those hurt by the Church. Such prayer should be communal, during the petitions at Mass and at every parish meeting and in our personal payer.  While the goal of this prayer is to change the hearts of those not engaged in participation in the Body of Christ, even more so, as with any good prayer, praying to change in our own hearts is the most effective focus for our prayer.  Are you praying to be a better welcomer?
6. Persevere in Mystery  Even as our parishes show a higher than archdiocesan average increase in attendance this past year, seeing progress in the Kingdom of God is never easy.  We must trust more in Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Mystery of Faith and persevere in the cross and in hope.

Thanks to parishioners and leaders alike as we tend to a goal we all want: more young families, adolescents and children active in all dimensions of Church life.  What a great goal!

Personal Items: Mom and Prostate Cancer
Thanks to so many who have been praying for Mom, Carol.  Even as she has slowly advancing Alzheimer’s, she is doing well.  Even more, your prayers are helping my two siblings and I hang together well, even as some times are tense.   
               In December I was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  I have told staff and pastoral council members.  Most know prostate cancer is slow-growing and usually not life-threatening.  At the same time, the cancer I have is advanced enough that removal is recommended and that will occur on April 4, just after Easter. 
               Dad died at age 60 in 1992, from metastatic lung cancer as did his two siblings at similarly young ages.  On occasion, not without jest, I try to be unafraid to say that I’m ready to go to heaven soon! However, it is not likely that prostate cancer will be the ticket there!  Thanks for your prayers and may we continually pray for the sick, infirm and their caregivers!

Sincerely and with Love in Christ,
Fr. Pat