Next Steps

At Mass last weekend, we announced that there will be two town halls next week. The first will be in St. Joseph Church at 7pm on Thursday, March 17th. The second will be in Immaculate Conception Church on Friday, March 18th at 10am. I realize that this is moderately short notice, so if you can’t make it, the Friday Town Hall will be recorded and posted online by noon on Monday, March 21st.

The purpose of these town halls is threefold. First, we will announce the Mass schedule that will go into effect on July 1st. We could simply put the schedule in the bulletin, which we will eventually do, however I would like to be able to answer questions, offer explanations, and give the reasons why certain things were chosen. Also this gives me an opportunity to listen and hear from parishioners.

The second purpose for the town hall is to discuss the naming process. There have been questions about this and the reasons for it. Questions like: why are we discerning a new name, will our four churches be losing their identity, what are the guidelines for changing a name, why are we doing this now, what will be the process for selecting a new name? These questions and more will be discussed. One of the important distinctions that will be made is the difference between a parish and a church.

The third and final purpose of the town hall is to talk generally about the Beacons of Light process and our parishes. I would liken this to the State of the Union address. It is important for us to remember where we have been over the past few years. Also we must look forward and get a glimpse of what the future may look like.

The last time we held town halls was October 2021. They seemed rather well-received and it seems important to have these, especially during the Beacons of Light.

In other news, next Sunday we’ll have coffee and doughnuts after the morning Masses. At Immaculate Conception, we’ll also have a chance to thank a parishioner who has been incredibly helpful over the years. Judy Kempfer has organized the funeral meals at Immaculate Conception for years and she is passing the baton to a new leader. We are incredibly grateful for her service; planning and organizing these meals is not an easy task. Please join us next week to thank Judy for her years of service to parishioners grieving the loss of loved ones.

Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Sean Wilson