Parish Update:  It’s been a while since I reviewed all the various projects and activities we are engaged in. While information gets sent out regularly and the bulletin publishes much of this, sometimes it’s good just to review so that everyone can catch up on what’s going on.

Stewardship:  Thank you to the over 115 families who returned their stewardship commitment forms for time, talent and treasure. There are still many families who haven’t returned their forms. Recall that this is an essential practice for our parish so that we are better informed about and committed to our mission to preach the Gospel, celebrate the Sacraments, and be a center of charity and mercy. At a very practical level, it will help parish leadership know how people want to participate in the mission. At a very practical level, it updates the information we have on our families so that we can better communicate and collaborate. Returning the commitment form is especially important for all families with children in preparation for registration for the next school year or for planning religious education for PSR and Youth Ministry. If you still haven’t picked up your registration packet, please stop by the parish office to retrieve it. If you misplaced it and need another one, stop by the office to pick one up.

Virtus Training for All Volunteers:  As we continue to re-engage in different ministries or services, recall that every volunteer needs to complete the Safe Environment training before engaging as a volunteer. Lynn Carter OFS will assist you in getting that training completed. She is very accommodating to the different needs of individuals as to how to get registered and trained. The policy requiring training for all volunteers for the Diocese of Jefferson City has been in place for over a year, but there are still a few volunteers who haven’t received training. Training all volunteers in best practices for keeping children and vulnerable adults safe is an important step toward forward for our Church. Cooperation and collaboration by all indicates that we take this issue seriously and are willing to lead in the effort to prevent abuse. Call the parish office to set up your training as soon as possible. 

Mask Use at Mass:  The Worship Commission has been reviewing our mask use policy at each monthly meeting. On Sunday, March 5, we took a poll of attendees at the 11:00 AM Mass in regard to their preference for requiring masks at the 11:00 AM. There were 62 responses. 42 preferred to discontinue the mask requirement while 20 preferred to keep the mask requirement. I have consulted health care providers, reviewed the CDC recommendations, and noted community levels of COVID19. After consulting the worship commission members, I have decided to remove the requirement for masks for the 11:00 AM Mass. I appreciate how members of our community cooperated in practices that allowed people with more critical health risks to attend Mass in person. We do want to continue to keep people safe. COVID19 infections are still a thing. The flu and strep season is still here. Please monitor for symptoms and stay home if you are sick. 

Education Commission:  The commission met this past Tuesday. An important topic for discussion is scheduling retreat opportunities for parishioner renewal. The goal is to provide a weekend retreat experience to help rekindle the fire of faith in our community. These retreat opportunities are great for everyone, but are especially important for those who have been less than involved and are looking to reconnect with God and the sacramental and catechetical life of the Church. We are looking at two retreat programs that are very common in parishes throughout the US. One is the ACTS retreat. This program will be for the men of the parish. We have already identified a seed team from another parish who are willing to come and put on the retreat, most likely sometime next Fall. The women's retreat experience will be the WELCOME retreat, formerly known as Christ Renews His Parish. A seed team from another parish in the Diocese has been identified and are willing to come and put the retreat on for us. For both retreat programs, after the first retreat, those who make the retreat are then in turn leaders for a future retreat and so the programs become local-led. If you are interested in making these retreats happen, please contact the parish office.

Social Concerns Commission:  The next meeting of the commission is Wednesday, March 22 at 4:00 PM in the Parish Center. We are still at a formation stage for the commission, but there are many topics  that are on the table. One important issue is to define and re-brand our direct charity outreach, formerly known as the “Quarter Sunday Collection”. Best practices in stewardship indicate that parishioner tithing is the best way to ensure that all parishioners participate in charitable outreach. Filling out your yearly stewardship commitment of prayer, service, and sacrificial giving helps parish leadership prepare for the next year.  This is done through yearly parish budget planning. We are working on a good description of the particulars of our direct charity outreach that Lynn Carter OFS regularly updates us about, so that everyone can know how we assist folks with direct charity. Other topics for the commission concern support for the local food pantry, especially in providing volunteers, and for partnering with Catholic Charities in bringing their services up to this part of the Diocese. Immigrant outreach is a special concern as we continue to find ways to make our parishioners from other countries and cultures more welcome in our midst.

Administration Commission:  Two important functions of an Administration Commission are maintaining our facilities for present needs and planning for our future needs. A stable commission that meets regularly ensures that regular attention is given to the upkeep of our facility through repairs and improvements. While acute problems that arise from breakdowns or wearing out get attended to, we still need to have a more systematic and organized approach to maintenance and improvement so that we can budget appropriately. Having a long-range plan for our facility needs is also essential. Parking, accessibility to facilities, size constraints for meeting spaces, and end-of-service issues for some of the systems have been substantial concerns for some time. We need to have a plan in place so that we can identify and allocate resources as necessary. Stay tuned for a further invitation to participate in this very practical and necessary part of pastoral life.

Participation in the Sacramental Life of the Church:  Attendance at Sunday Mass is slowly rising. We have enjoyed a fairly full church at the 9:00 AM on Sundays. There is still plenty of room for Saturday night. Sunday at 7:30 AM at Novinger varies from 25-35 people, but it was almost full last Sunday when the PSR confirmation students were present with their families. It’s good to see more people attend. We can do better. Please encourage each other to come to Mass. If you know a Catholic who hasn’t been to Mass for a long while, ask them to come with you. In the past couple months, I’ve had wonderful conversations with folks who have been wanting to come back, but needed just a little encouragement and company for the return. It’s really making a difference in their lives. And Lent is a perfect time to re-commit.