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Hello everybody!
The Welcome Experience weekend at St. Patrick has served hundreds of Catholics and has helped transform the hearts of men and women. These personal transformations not only helped the individuals but also our parish, creating a more dynamic community growing with engaged Catholics. Our parish is profoundly and eternally grateful for the men and women who have made themselves available to God through Welcome, and we can all take pride in the positive impact.
Parish leadership, in collaboration with the Welcome Continuation Committee, has stepped back from the Welcome Ministry to assess its position within our community. Participation has steadily declined, making hosting and maintaining every weekend experience more challenging. We chose not to ignore these facts and proactively engaged in difficult discussions about this ministry and its future. Ultimately, our loyalty and love for Welcome have led us to make a tough decision regarding the ministry’s future.
After prayerful consideration and evaluation, we have concluded that the Welcome Ministry has fulfilled its purpose. This change does not negate Welcome's significant impact on our parishioners and community. Instead, we follow Welcome’s example by believing that God is a God of purpose, and we open ourselves to growing in God’s love by setting aside our desires, preferences, and pride. Through this, we are open to God’s possibilities, never closing ourselves off to any outcome, even when the outcome is unexpected or difficult to receive. We trust that this outcome will not prevent the Welcome Ministry's spirit from being carried into our future endeavors. And we look forward to where God will lead us next!
As a reminder, I will also have a partial knee replacement on Monday, October 28 and will be out a few weeks for the initial recovery. Thank you for your prayers and be assured of mine for you, as well. God be with us all!
Peace,
Fr. Jeff
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