Signs of Life

On Monday, November 8th, I was at Immaculate Conception in Botkins where there was a lot of life and activity that evening. It is exciting to see so much happening. I’ll give you the rundown of all the excitement.

I was present to teach RCIA. It is always edifying to see the real excitement and curiosity on the faces of those preparing to enter the Church. The individuals going through RCIA are eager to discover the Catholic faith and it is a blessing to be part of their journey. Also Lisa Fullenkamp does such a great job with RCIA. Her kindness and generosity with the participants makes the entry to Catholic life warm and welcoming. Our parishioners and especially those that have been through RCIA benefit from the great job that she does.

Also happening at Immaculate Conception that night was the quarterly Finance Committee and Buildings and. Grounds Committee meeting. We are in the middle of the second year of our new committee and council structure and it seems to be working. It isn’t a perfect system, but I am pleased and impressed with how well it’s working. If you remember, we started Buildings and Grounds Committees at IC, St. Lawrence, and St. John. This allows the Pastoral Council to focus on other issues, which will be really important during the Beacons of Light.

There are so many generous and dedicated parishioners who serve on our Buildings and Grounds Committees and Finance Committees. They share their wisdom and expertise to recommend policies and projects. In a special way Cindy Quellhorst and Beth Klopfenstein have done a ton of work to guide and lead these different groups. Their tireless work late into the evening and their knowledge of parish administration is remarkable.

In the Immaculate Conception Convent, this same Monday evening was the Women’s group, “That Woman is You”. We are blessed to have women from the parish lead a group dedicated to building up friendships, strengthening feminine identity, and forming Christian women. We are blessed to have women in our parishes with such great initiative.

Finally, also in Botkins on Monday was Alpha at the Palazzo. There are so many signs of life in our parishes. It is incredible to have so many people involved in our parishes. As we look at the Beacons of Light process, this is the goal – parishes to be lively hubs of Catholic life. This may look different for each parish, and who knows what a Sunday Mass schedule will be like. Nonetheless, our buildings can be used to build up the Body of Christ. Our people can have places to meet and ways to be formed as future saints of the Catholic Church.

Thank you to everyone who makes our parishes such wonderful places to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ.

Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Sean Wilson