Read this week's message from Father Don
Dear parishioners,
If we wish to grow in closeness to Jesus, we must commit ourselves to active involvement with the Church. That’s a truth I learned from my mother, who was super involved with her little Baptist congregation: running the Sunday school, leading the youth group, singing in the choir, attending weekly Bible study, etc.
My friends, I want you to grow in closeness to Jesus and that is why I ask you to embrace three simple parish commitments: financial support, volunteer engagement and faith formation.
This month at Sunday mass I am promoting our 2025 Financial Commitment Campaign and inviting parishioners to increase their financial support to the parish. If all parish donors increased their monthly donation by $20, this would generate an additional $150,000 which would keep the parish financially secure and able to expand its pastoral ministry.
At mass on February 2, parishioners will be invited to complete an anonymous Financial Commitment Card that reads “In 2025, I will increase my monthly donation to the parish by $____.” I hope you will participate.
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In former generations, church ministry was a lot simpler than it is in the present day. The priest, his housekeeper and a maintenance man were sufficient to keep the parish running smoothly. That is no longer the case. Today church ministry must deal with a profoundly secular culture, public disapproval of the Catholic Church, alternate spiritualities and a vast number of non-practicing Catholics.
In this situation, lay pastoral workers are essential. Presently, All Saints has three full-time pastoral workers with another part-time employee overseeing a new initiative this spring. Ideally, the parish would have a part-time director of communications and full-time Outreach worker. To date, I have held back on further hiring due to financial concerns.
As salaries and benefits account for a large portion of the parish expenses, increased revenue would allow us to further expand our pastoral ministry. It is against this background that I am asking you to consider an increase to your monthly donation. An additional $20/month would be much appreciated.
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