Dear People of St. Anne’s,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17) (Gather #987)
“Eighty-seven lives have been forever changed” said Fr. Mauthe as he packed up his boxes after the 10:30 a.m. liturgy. Eighty-seven children and elderly people were adopted through the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) last weekend. I asked him if that was good. “Good?” he said. “I sometimes drive four or five hours to the middle of Minnesota or Iowa and come back with eleven or twelve children adopted. This was fantastic!” You should have seen the smile on his face. He had the look of a fisherman pulling in a full net as he thumbed through those application forms.
Many people stopped me to say “bring this guy back again. He’s funny, but he speaks with power.” We are working on just that. You probably picked up from his homily that he has a tremendous interest in and passion for the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. This October 12th marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of that historic event in the life of the Church. An inter-parish committee has begun working on a fitting celebration of this anniversary and Fr. Mauthe has already agreed to come and be part of it. This visit we will be sure to give enough time to really unwind!
This coming celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council holds a special meaning for our parish family. Perhaps you know our parish Vision Statement begins: The Parish of St. Anne’s embodies the vision of the Second Vatican Council which affirms that creation is sacred and the Holy Spirit is at work in all people. So this coming celebration will be a renewal of our parish vision. But it will also be a celebration of all that has been already accomplished, since the principles set forth by the Council have been at work in this parish for the last fifty years. Presently we translate the Council’s words: the Holy Spirit is at work in all people into: This is a parishioner led parish.
We put this theological principle into very concrete form these first months of each year. At this very time all of our Commissions and Committees are setting their goals for the next few years. They are prayerfully asking what this parish should look like, what should it be engaged in, where should it be involved, in the coming years. This is really a beautiful thing. The Holy Spirit, alive in the hearts of all the baptized, is being listened to by this parish. What is God calling us to?
Once our goals and objectives are clear, we cast the net. We share them with the parish community and extend the invitation to help make them happen. The first Thursday of March, this year the 1st of March, we hold our Gathering of Ministers. Everyone who is presently involved as a volunteer is asked to gather with their Commission leaders to affirm or amend the goals and objectives the Commissions and Committees have proposed for that ministry area.
Once the goals and objectives are agreed upon, the attainment of those goals depends upon getting the right people, with the right gifts, into the right roles of leadership and service. Where as in the past we elected or appointed people to various leadership positions from the parish at large, now we are inviting people who have been involved in a ministry area and who have a passion to make it grow even better, to step onto a Committee or even a Commission.
I know everyone is very busy. But I also believe the saying is true, that if you want something to get done, ask a busy person. For they are engaged in life and putting their gifts to use. So I dare to ask, is it important to you that our parish provides quality liturgies, quality baptisms and weddings? Is it important to you that our sick and elderly receive support? Is it important to you that our youth remain active in their faith through their adolescent years? Is it important to you that our parish be engaged in making this world a better place for others as well as ourselves? If the answer is yes, then mark your calendar for March 1st. Come and find the place where your passion can best be expressed in action.
Oh you should have seen the smile on Fr. Mauthe’s face. It was like that of a fisherman pulling in a full net. And that look, can be yours.
-Fr. Steve
