June
26, 2005
The
Last 25%
Summer
Priests
This week Father Augustine arrives to spend two months with us. We’re
also fortunate to have a friend of Father Jim with us this summer, Father
Fitz Azul. He’ll be with us through September. Later in July we’ll
be joined by Father Wismick and Father Giuseppe.
With the blessings of these visiting priests, our “regular”
priests will be taking some vacation time. It’s a chance for some
re-creation before the busy-ness of the fall season.
I’ll be splitting my vacation up so I’ll be here in-and-out
throughout the summer so I’m looking forward to getting together
with groups of parishioners for “Sommer
in the Summer”.
Let me know if you’d like to arrange a session with your friends
and neighbors.
e-mail Father Ralph:
Past Columns:
June19: Sommer
in the Summer
June 12: Great News Anoying
News
June 5: What's Essential
May 29: Setting Priorities
May 22: Painting Project
May 15: We are the Church
May 8:Mother of the Church
May 1: On Life and Death
April 24: Habemus Papam
April 17: The Spirit Abounds
April 10: Two men on a journey
April 3: He's baaack!
March 27th: Not the best
news...yet
March 20th: What are You
Doing For Easter?
March 13th: The Stench
March 6: To Tell or Not
To Tell
February 27: Dry Mouth Dry
Soul
February 20: Good to Be
Here
February 13: And he was
hungry?
Ash Wednesday '05
February 6: Ashes Already?
January 23: Catholic Schools
Week
January 16: Continued Charity
January 9: Migration
January 2:All is bright?
Columns from 2004
Columns from 2003
Columns from 2002
The
most challenging part of any fund drive is often the last part toward
the goal. Those who really wanted to give, did so early on. Then it’s
a challenge to make a case to everyone else to consider giving so we can
reach the goal.
That’s where we’re
at right now with the annual Catholic
Ministries Campaign at St. Brigid’s. Just over 250 families
contributed the first 75% of our $96,800 goal (and I should mention that
many of your priests -- both our full time and visitors --were rather
generous toward this campaign too). Now I’m hoping that the remaining
5,750 families will help us raise the last $24,000 by pledging something
toward the goal.
I’m not sure what encouragement
to use. I could again mention that the funds collected go to support the
pastoral ministries across the diocese (Catholic Charities is a major
recipient). I could note that our own school received $185,000 from the
diocese this past year in grants made possible by the Catholic Ministries
Appeal -- that means we’re already receiving more than we’re
being asked to give. I could quote our neighboring pastor who told the
folks in his parish that he heard that the Catholic Ministries Appeal
“performance will be taken into account at the time of appointment
or re-appointment.” (Hey, I just realized that as of this coming
Tuesday, I will have finished four years of my six year term here -- and
I’d certainly love to stay another six after that.)
But the thing that makes most sense
to me is that once we reach our goal, we get 20% back. So of the last
$24,000 toward our goal, we’ll get nearly $20,000 back. So to those
who say “I’d rather give to the parish than the diocese”
(and I’m still waiting for the wheelbarrows full of THOSE donations
to come in) here’s a way to give to our parish by getting the diocese
to release nearly $20,000 back to us.
I hope this helps you to decide
to make a pledge this week. I’d also like to thank Soraya Navia
for speaking at many of the masses this weekend. (She’s the girl
featured in all the posters this year.) She and her family are very generous
to give their time this weekend to help encourage folks to reach our goal.
You are Person
