A Call to Serve

My dear fellow parishioners,
I hope you will take a few minutes of your time to read this. The purpose of my writing to you is to invite you to get involved with us in building a just society. I realize that we are all busy people. We would love to do something to help the poor and marginalized of our society but we don’t know where to begin, who to help, or what time commitment it might involve. Anything that asks too much of my time I am probably not going to support. Up until now I have been happy to write a cheque or give something to the second collection in church. That was all I did for the poor. I want to invite you, along with everybody else to get actively involved in ministry by doing your little bit.

On this web page, you will find links detailing various worthy charities you might consider helping. I would like you to get to know these people personally. Until now my relationship with charity was via the name of a contact person and a phone number or where to send the money. I would like everyone in our parish to go further and personally get to know these good people who give of their time, treasure and talent to help the poor and marginalized.

I will not be organizing anything from the parish. There will not be anything in the bulletin. There will not be a bus going anywhere. This will be something that you will do on your own or with your family and friends. I am inviting you to take personal responsibility for what you will do about this. You, with family and friends might be able to do something together. When other people get involved we are more inclined to get involved as well.

What is surprisingly obvious about these charities is that they need basic necessities like the rest of us. They all need food, household items, personal hygiene items. I am asking you to give something from your bounty. Here is the catch. I don’t want you to do this just once. Many people will do it once in order to get Father Pat off their back, or they will do it once in order to feel that they did something rather than nothing. I want you to embrace a charity, visit with them and get to know them. This is a chance to let them know that you care and that they can rely on your support.

I have linked information for you to consider. I have given you addresses, contact information and phone numbers. I have itemized the kind of help they are asking for. When you donate something give them a call to see if they can take it. Many of the things they need are small but significant. I invite you to take the time to go and visit. Let them get to know you and let them tell you how you can help. When you do something more than just send money it means that you care.

With love, Fr. Pat