It takes a parish to form a Saint – Fr. Daniel Wilson LC
It takes a village to raise a child is an African proverb. It points to the reality that the future of the village depends upon the commitment of all the present members of the village, not just the mother or father. Parish life is essentially a village, where we all share in the mission of serving one another through the respective gifts we have been endowed by the Lord. The vocation of a parish is to raise up saints. We have the noblest of all missions. Sometimes we can falsely presume that the Christian life and community of our parish depends solely on our pastor; the truth is, it takes a village.
Imagine the teaming spiritual life of Sacred Heart parish if each parishioner offered their talent in service of one another. Imagine a parish where hospitality greeters received new and old faces with a warm personal welcome as one walked in the Narthex from the city street bustle. Imagine a parish where divorced singles found fellowship and counsel to put their lives back together in a new pathway for holiness. Imagine a parish where those mourning a loved one found a meaningful grievance ministry that gives courage and hope regained for a meaningful future. Imagine a parish with young families enriching one another with formation on marriage, parenting and shared Christian values for their children. Imagine a parish where you found a reason to be there on Sunday, and the reason was a familiar face whom you have been serving in your ministry.
If you are lifted up imagining the beauty, joy and heaven this weekly Sunday experience could be… then believe in that dream. Just like those African villages, so much more can be achieved by a village than the best efforts of a mother or father for their child. Our Sacred Heart parish is a dream in Jesus’ heart, that we live for one another and serve one another in Christian charity. We have so much raw potential in the personal gifts to serve one another, and to make our parish community vibrant we need you and I to work together.
A pastor, while he may be able to preach to many, he can personally form as disciples at best 10 – 15 parishioners, in a long lasting and deep relationship with the Lord. And those 10 to 15 disciples can in turn touch profoundly the lives of another 10 to 15 parishioners. The sphere of personal interaction must continue to grow outwards in drawing to the Lord and sending out disciples for the parish to be completely transformed in a living “village” of Christian life. Time invested in personal relationship and talent to reach the diverse realities where each person is at, is why it takes a whole village to raise up saints!
So our dream can be yours: if you are willing to transform our parish, please come inquire at our parish office how you can serve with your time and talent. Thank you for sharing the blessing God has made you to be!
