FM's Message | Sunday, August 4, 2024

This past month, as we have been getting ready for the new Calendar and Liturgical year, we have been asking questions about our operation to stay current and to offer the best services that we can. As part of that effort, we formed a communication committee to address how we communicate and share information within and outside the community. We have various types of media we use to communicate our message. Our Sunday announcements, the bulletin, the screen we use before mass, the website, and social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.), are the usual methods we use. All are part of our attempt to communicate what we are doing and when to people inside and outside of the church.  We want to make sure that everyone knows and can participate in events and groups that we have. During one meeting, one idea suggested was including the music sheets in the bulletin. This would cut down on the amount of paper we use and make it easier to neaten the church after each mass.  I trust the Holy Spirit to work among us and through us and hope that even this small change might help us to simply be a parish that sings and that tries to improve its communication.

One of my favorite scenes in “The Chosen” is when Jesus speaks to a large group of people on a plain. The disciples stand among the people and one by one repeat the message so that it is transmitted to many people all the way back to the end of the crowd. I think that this is a good pattern for ourselves. We want to transmit the messages we have that we hope will help the most people and invite them to a relationship with Jesus or inform people of opportunities to lead others to Jesus. In our own day and time, we have so many ways to communicate, so I am always saddened when someone tells me that they did not hear of an event until it was too late or over. Hopefully, as we strive to get better, we will be able to include even more messaging not only for the inside community but also for those outside the church we want to invite in. We hope that everyone will hear the message of Jesus Christ and pass that on to others by inviting people, sharing their experience of the parish, and being welcoming. 

In one of the bulletins this month, there will be a questionnaire that I hope you will take the time to complete and put in the baskets at the entrances to the church. Its focus is communication. We hope to hear from you about the music placed in the bulletin. 
Congratulations to Renato Carvalho and Julia Cromwell who were married in the church this past Saturday. We wish you blessings and a growing love. 

Welcome to Pippa Marchand who was baptized at the 9:00 AM Mass. Congratulations to her parents. May God continue to bless and strengthen you all in faith. 

Thanks to all those who joined in the “World Needs You Here Walk” this past Sunday. It was a great opportunity to support those who are working to address the terrible scourge of suicide among young people and to highlight the importance of supporting those who are bravely and compassionately addressing mental health issues in the local community. Thanks to Cindy Johnson and Christine Williams and the healing team for their leadership and representing the parish at the Common. 
 
Peace, 
Father Murray 

Building news. I hope that everyone has had a chance to see the new display of the Ten Commandments and beatitudes on the front lawn. I am grateful to Lorrie Card, who helped with the design and the final placement. As one stands in front of the display, Mary’s statue is visible at the middle break. It is a nice combination of words and images. The final work is to move the lighting, remove the old base, and plant grass around the area. Thanks to Richard and Diane Olivier for their care for this part of the lawn.