January 5, 2003
The Wise Still Come from Afar
Patron
Saints of Latecomers
While
I want to encourage everyone to get to church on time (don’t you
find it easier to pray if you’re not rushing in??) I also wish
to note that St. Helen suggested that those who come late to church
have patron saints in the three magi, who show up later than the shepherds.
Naturally we hope that any of OUR latecomers will also bring gold, frankincense
and myrrh. --on second thought, forget the frankincense and myrrh.
Speaking of Gold...
We’re
still receiving donations to our Christmas Fund in the mail each day.
Thank you to all who made generous donations this year. Last year 8%
of our annual income came from this collection so it’s a very important
way to support the work of our parish. If you haven’t sent in your
donation, it’s not too late!
Away
at College?
We'd
love to stay in touch.
To receive the “letter from home”, take this bulletin with
you to college as a reminder to send in your e-mail address. Just Click
Here!
Technology Ministry
If you’d like to give your time and expertise at helping our parish
connect its telephone systems or work on its website, you can let us
know by filling in our
online form
Want
to e-mail Father Ralph?
Past Columns:
Dec 29: Our
Holy Family
Dec 22: I'll
be Home for Christmas
Dec 15: Viva!
Dec 8: Advent Spirituality
Dec 1:Praying
at Mass
Other Columns from 2002
The Magi travelled a great distance to get
to Jesus. It turns out that we have quite a few people who travel a distance
to get to St. Brigid’s. A few weeks before Christmas we took a Zip
Code Survey of those who attended Mass and as promised, here are the results:
Sat 5pm
7pm
Sun7am
8:45
9am
10am
10:15
11:30
11:45
2:30
6pm
Percent
*M-F 7am
*M-F 9am
*M-F 12:10
Sat 9am
111
151
161
208
140
88
226
456
180
150
68%
114
176
150
39
0
17
7
35
10
37
31
14
1
17
6%
16
27
41
11
0
7
9
0
3
0
9
0
0
21
2%
20
4
23
2
55
22
27
16
12
42
86
110
46
93
19%
8
22
248
12
21
16
1
11
10
15
16
17
8
5
5%
16
4
17
1
198
188
213
204
270
175**
182
368
597
235
250
233
484
66
* - Total of all attendees Monday through Friday
** - Many of the children did not participate in the survey at this family
mass.
Nearly a quarter of those who turned in
zip code survey slips that weekend live outside the parish area (over
a third who attend weekday masses are from outside the parish area) --
it seems they are finding that being at St. Brigid is worth the trip.
But when you consider that we have 6000 FAMILIES in the parish, it also
seems that there are a lot more people who are waiting to be invited to
share the Sunday experience with us.
Can you think of folks to invite to join you in the weekends ahead? Pray
for them...reach out to them....invite them. There’s room in our
inn!
