While we still expect some additional expenses to be paid, we are thrilled to report that this year’s festival was a record-breaker – approximately $50,000 profit!!! Once again, a big THANK YOU to all who helped make this year’s festival a huge success.
Friends, I hope you would agree that St. James has the potential to become an increasingly dynamic parish family. The parish clergy, staff, lay leadership, and I are all working hard to make St. James a prayerful place to worship, a great place for families and parish life, as well as a place where anyone can apply his or her talents for the good of all.
The initial step that we need to collectively take to begin moving from Point A to Point B is to generously increase our weekly giving.
In an effort to provide support to families and individual parishioners in need, we are initiating a new charity fund, Apostle in Action Charity Fund. This parish-based fund will provide parishioners and members of our local community with some financial assistance. Whether it be rent, utility bills, unforeseen medical expenses, or mental health expenses, I feel it is important that our parish support those who are in need.
A BIG THANK YOU to all the organizers of the Parish Festival! Even after not having the Festival for close to two years, you made this year’s festival a unique success. I also would like to acknowledge, on behalf of our parish community, all the volunteers, benefactors, local partners, and guests for your presence, participation, and assistance.
How hard is it to enter the Kingdom?
The preferential option for the poor is sometimes criticized as a secret campaign against the affluent.
Why would God love poor people more than rich ones?
Is the church suggesting that disadvantaged folk are automatically more moral than wealthy ones?
In our readings this weekend, there is an underlying theme: Marriage.
As a sacrament of the Catholic Church which affect one’s state in life – not to mention somewhat of a hot-button issue in today’s American Catholic Church – it is worth making some important clarifications on the Sacrament of Marriage.
Sometimes today’s gospel message can be confusing. You see, in praising the widow who gave her last two coins to the temple treasury, Jesus is not suggesting that you and I need to give away our last penny. Rather, Jesus acknowledges that it is often the poorest of the poor who show the greatest charity, who risk the most to be loving.
Last weekend we publish our 2021 Annual Parish Report. Please know how fortunate I feel to serve you. Further, I am privileged to be working with a great clergy and lay staff, and very gifted Finance and Pastoral Councils. In this report, the Finance Council and I hope to provide you with a snapshot of our current state of the parish. As you read the report, we ask that you do so keeping in mind the following: the purpose of the report is more than just a snapshot of where we are as a parish, it is an important point of departure as we move forward in faith towards where we want to go
This weekend we publish our 2021 Annual Parish Report. Please know how fortunate I feel to serve you. Further, I am privileged to be working with a great clergy and lay staff, and very gifted Finance and Pastoral Councils. In this report, the Finance Council and I hope to provide you with a snapshot of our current state of the parish.