Friary Project Update
Like any family, our parish has to live within its means. Sadly, the Friary Project is presently at a stand still. The bids for the needed repairs on our bathrooms just came in too high. After brainstorming with the Building Committee, one possible solution would be to solicit volunteers with some building or construction background to help with the demolition in each lavatory. Then the contractors would be able to complete the job at a much lower cost. We plan to do two bathrooms at a time. If you have some background in this area and would be willing to give an afternoon or two to help us get this project moving again, it would be most appreciated. Please email me frrobert@stpaulkensington.org or call the parish office at 860-828-0331 if you have some experience and would like to help.
Thanks a million.
This Tuesday at 7:00 PM we will be hearing the confessions of our post confirmation parishioners.
By now everyone in our parish between the ages of 16 and 19 should have received a letter inviting them to come to our young adult confessions on April 12that 7:00 PM. Don't worry, you'll also get an email on the day of to remind you. As the letter and the commercial say “life comes at you fast” and sometimes we just make mistakes. The friars will be happy to listen to you, talk with you and encourage you. We will also be very happy to give you absolution and free you from your sins. Mercy is yours for the taking; why not take advantage of God's mercy and love. Don't let fear or shame hold you back. We all make mistakes. Choose forgiveness.
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome....
You know it's hard being new at anything. We've been told that it is particularly true when it comes to joining our parish. So many people have been members of St. Paul for decades that sometimes when a new person or family arrives they find it difficult to become a part of our community, insert themselves into the relationships of the parish and get involved. Yes, there are people who join our parish because they need something. Sometimes they really never have the intention of becoming involved or even participating in the life of the Church. They just want their child baptized or want their wedding at St. Paul etc. (That's OK. We'll take them in the hope that they may change their mind.)
This last year the Pastoral Council here at St. Paul's has been trying really hard to figure out how to help people in these situations. The council asked themselves over and over again, “How can we make new parishioners feel more welcome ? How can we help them get involved in the life of our parish?” After awhile the Pastoral Council chose to follow a model that Fr. Raymond used at St. John's in Cromwell. Let me explain.
Up until now, all that a person had to do to join our parish was simply fill out a form. Sadly, sometimes the last time we saw them was when they handed in their registration form or when their child was baptized. That's one of the reasons we have over 11,000 people in our census and 2100 people who regularly attend Mass on Sunday.
To address these concerns we have agreed to start a new registration process here at St. Paul.When a person asks to become a member, they will be invited to a Welcome Meeting, sponsored by the Pastoral Council.
* At this meeting they will meet the friars, and some members of the Parish Staff.
* They will meet the members of the Parish Council.
* If they want, they will be given a tour of our facilities.
* There will also be people who will speak about our St. Paul Ministries and Organizations.
* If they have children, they will be given some information on our School
* Someone will talk about Parish stewardship and encourage the prospective new members to get involved and support the good work of our Church.
* After the welcome meeting, they will be given a registration form and their pictures will be taken so that we can publish them in the bulletin. That way if you see them at Mass, you will be able to give them a warm welcome.
Organizing these meetings will take a lot of work, but the members of the Pastoral Council are willing to put in the time and make the sacrifices so that those families (last year 120) who wish to join St. Paul will have an easier time feeling at home in our parish community and getting involved.
I'll keep you posted on how things go. The first meeting is Monday, April 11th. Please keep this important initiative in your prayers.
Hurray -We Won!
Last week our Ladies Guild sponsored a trip to you know where, to do you know what. One of the ladies must have won big, because in last week's collection there was an envelope with $18, or 10% of her winnings... Thank you so much for your generous gift to the parish. I just want to make it clear that we are grateful for a small percentage of your winnings, but we can't help you out with your losses. I hope you ladies had a great time. In the future, besides sponsoring trips to you know where to do you know what, I hope we may be able to have a fall foliage trip to a shrine or two. We shall see. A special thank you to the Ladies Guild for sponsoring these trips.