While remembering quite vividly the last parish directory we received, I noticed that many of our fellow parishioners have died, many have moved away, some no longer attend mass, and a number of new people have joined the parish. In short, I am grateful for the work that has been done to create a new parish directory for Our Lady of Hope.
Parish directories are very important for a number of reasons. I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve reached for the photo directory to help me remember the names of people I see in church. How can I say hi to someone if I don’t know their name? Also, as a Catholic Christian community we need to be able to correspond with its members and that is difficult to do without the directory. The directory is also very important to the people who minister to the parish. The priests that we have had have all depended greatly on the parish directory to learn who people are.
While our parish is relatively small, we don’t want anyone to be missed when it comes to the sacramental programs. No one should be left out of First Holy Communion or Confirmation, the Sacrament of Anointing of Sick, or the many opportunities for worship, study, service and just plain fellowship. We are called to be a community of believers, and the parish directory is important for that.
In the new directory you will have the opportunity to share a photo of yourself and family, along with your address and telephone number so that you won’t get lost to the parish family. However, provisions have been made so that you do not have to share phone information and addresses.
The parish directory is very important to the people who move here and join our parish. I can’t tell you the number of times that I have heard people say that they went to a new church and no one welcomed them or spoke to them. This new parish directory is an important thing to enable us to be more welcoming and hospitable. Nothing will rival this new parish directory to bring us together as a parish.
“May the Lord bless and keep you. May He let His face shine upon you, be gracious to you and give you his peace.”
