“I was a stranger and you
welcomed me.”
Is there anything that lifts us up faster than a
hearty welcome?
Anything better than knowing that the people around
you are happy that you’re there?
Wherever people get that feeling, they want to stay. And when it is time to leave, they want to come
back again.
What if every person who walked into our church or
any parish event felt that way? Whether having
grown up in the neighborhood or recently arrived, what if everything she or he
experienced said, “Come in, you belong here.”
To further enhance the vibrancy and richness of our parish life
together, the Pastoral Council is working on events that will be fun and help
us all to get to know each other better. In addition, we can actively
enliven the ways in which we welcome visitors and new members of our parish
family.
That is
why, during the Liturgical Year that runs from the First Sunday of Advent-2013
until the feast of Christ the King-2014, we will be celebrating the “Year of Welcoming” at St. Scholastica Parish.
Programs, activities, worship services, and outreach efforts during this
special year will be grounded on the goal of building a wider, deeper, and more
inclusive spirit of a welcoming community among all parishioners.
Look for more information on opportunities to share your smiles, warmth,
and ideas as together we celebrate the Year of Welcoming at St.
Scholastica.
For, as Jesus said:
“Whoever welcomes [a] child in my
name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent
me.” (Mk 9:37)
