Monthly Archives: November 2013

Collaborative FAQ 15: Will We Be One of the First Collaboratives?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallQuestion 15. When will St. John’s officially begin its Parish Collaborative with St. Paul’s? Is St. John’s and St. Paul’s going to be one of the first Collaboratives to form in the Archdiocese?
The Archdiocese is implementing the Pastoral Pl,an in phases. Phase One began on June 4, 2013, when twenty-eight parishes came together to form twelve Collaboratives. Phase One is being carefully followed by the Archdiocese. Phase Two parishes were announced in September, 2013 and these Collaboratives will begin on June 3, 2014. In Phase Two, forty-four parishes will come together to form twenty-one Collaboratives. Each year going forward, about twenty new Collaboratives will form. We don’t have an exact date yet for the collaboration of St. John’s and St. Paul’s, but we will make an announcement as soon as we have any information.

We welcome your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments about Parish Collaboratives to: stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com

Our Capital Campaign: Faith in Our Future

Faith_in_Our_Future_NewThis weekend, our pastor Father Tom is announcing the inauguration of a parish Capital Campaign –  Faith in Our Future – with a goal of raising $1,250,000 in order to address some much needed updates to our parish facilities. Sections of the original part of the church, most notably the tower, are in need of significant repair and reconstruction. Our heating and cooling systems need updating and our parking lot needs repaving and improved lighting. This campaign will allow us to address these important projects that have been deferred over the years because we are unable to fund them through our regular operating budget and Grand Annual collection.

This past spring we conducted a Planning Study to determine the extent of support for this effort. Input was sought from parishioners in a variety of ways, including one-on-one interviews, focus groups, and a general parish-wide mailing. Thank you to all who participated in the study. The primary concern people raised was the new Archdiocesan pastoral plan for parishes. This plan means that St John’s and St Paul’s will be in a Collaborative together. In this new relationship, each parish is still responsible for the upkeep and care of their own assets, such as the church and other facilities. Parish income, including our Capital Campaign, will remain designated for St. John Parish.

There will be more information about the Capital Campaign in the up-coming weeks. Watch for a special invitation to be sent to all registered parishioners. You and your family will be invited to attend a special Campaign Reception hosted by Father Tom.

FAITH MATTERS: What is a Saint?

Saints_1November 1st is the day on which Christians celebrate all saints, known and unknown. But what is a ‘Saint’? In St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians we read: ‘To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,’ (I Cor 1:2). What does St. Paul mean by use of the word ‘saint’? In other translations of the Bible, ‘called to be saints’ is translated from the original Greek as ‘called to be holy.’ So saint is a synonym for holy. Continue reading