“I BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU’RE DOING HERE”
Pop quiz: what comes to mind when I say, “What is St. Matt’s about?” Take a moment. I’ll wait.
Ready? OK, for me, several things come to mind. First, we have a strong emphasis on social justice. That’s apparent when you start naming our ministries, such as Loaves & Fishes, Casa Guadalupana, St. Mary’s Free Clinic, Gifted and Belonging, and AA support groups.
Another part of our identity is that “we’re a Vatican II parish.” Among other things, that means we take seriously the Second Vatican Council’s teachings on the importance of all the baptized. We value everyone’s participation, involvement, and engagement with our faith community. We’re a volunteer parish; we expect people to contribute time, talent and treasure.
One treasure close to my heart is hospitality. It’s easy to welcome our friends and neighbors. Let us also welcome the stranger.
I had the opportunity last weekend to greet one of our guest priests, Fr. Matthew Linn, SJ. I thanked him for subbing for Fr. Steve. I liked hearing his reply, “I believe in what you’re doing here.”
FACILITIES (AND FINANCE) NOTES
What we do here in terms of ministry depends on care for our facilities. That’s why I’m grateful to our Facilities Committee members, other volunteers, and staff members. We work together to identify needs, priorities, and timing. For example, I’ve written about our plans this year to replace our main electrical panel and the flat (north end) roof on the school building.
By the time you read this, we’ll have had another meeting of our Finance Council. That’s the group that helps identify ways to pay for our capital projects as well as our regular operational needs. I’m grateful to all members of the Council, especially Joe Stevens. Joe’s served as chair for years, and he’s recently stepped down. Thank you, Joe, for your many contributions to the Finance Council!
To all of you, thank you for your prayers, time, and financial support of St. Matt’s. Have a great week!
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