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Pastor Weekly Message For Jan 16, 2022
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January 16, 2022Jesus Is Lord!
Dear: Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
For the last three months, we have been asking young families to “star” in short “We Love St. Mary’s” videos our parish has produced and are running on our social media platforms. In the videos, the family share (unscripted) their love for St. Mary’s and how family-friendly our community is, especially to babies and young families. Finally, the video concludes with an invitation to join our parish family at Mass on Sundays.
Family life today has many challenges, and one of those challenges is getting children ready to attend Mass on Sunday mornings. I want to honor all our amazing young families that meet this challenge every week. It is a joy to see families walk through the doors of the Church. I am also asking for suggestions from you on how we can make it easier for young families to have an easier experience getting their family to Mass. For example, I read a book about a parish in Maryland that provided a small breakfast (muffin, bagel, juice) in response to a young mother who said her challenge was getting the children to breakfast before Mass. It is these types of ideas by “thinking out of the box” that I am looking for from you. If you have any suggestions along this line, please email them to me at frjeffkegley@aol.com
Since we have been running the “We Love St. Mary’s” videos on social media, we certainly have seen an increase in young families attending Mass. One of the most effective ways to have more young families in the Church is encouragement and personal invitation. On the cover of the bulletin, you see a picture of a young family under the title, “Sundays at St. Mary’s – Come and See.” I want to ask all our parishioners to actively invite families to Mass. One way of doing this is simply just handing out one of our bulletins. I believe our bulletin captures in print a parish that is alive, loving, and welcoming. A parish that is living out the mission Jesus entrusted to us.
We are blessed to have so many wonderful ministries at St. Mary’s, where people of all ages can encounter the Lord. There are two ministries that I want to invite Dads and Moms to consider. On Saturdays at 6:30 am all fathers of the parish are invited to attend “That Man Is You!” TMIY! honestly addresses the pressures and temptations that men face in our modern culture, especially those relating to their roles as husbands and fathers. TMIY! meets in the school cafeteria.
At 11:00 am on Saturdays, mothers are invited to “Blessed is She” - a sisterhood of women who desire two things: prayer and community. Blessed is She has started a study on the Eucharist. To register, call Suzanne Pfirrman at the parish office, 732-671-0071, 241. Blessed is She meets in the Bulman Center. As we continue in our New Year, please be assured of my prayers for you and your family. Have a blessed week!
Have a blessed week!
In Jesus and Mary,
Father Jeff Kegley
Pastor