The past year has been filled with incredible events that have affected all of us in significant ways. However, our work as the People of God has continued to flourish and grow. Today, I write to encourage you to take up with me the task of reviewing (for the first time in a long time) our level of giving in the Sunday Offertory to support the spiritual and temporal work of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish.
As I promised you last June, I have been working in collaboration with the members of my advisory councils to put forth a program that will encourage every one of us to reflect on the stewardship of treasure— our planned, proportional, and sacrificial response to the goodness of God revealed in a grateful heart.
Over the next 2 Sundays, I will offer a reflection on the stewardship of treasure during the homily at each of our Sunday Masses.
As you know, 80% of our income is directly funded by the Sunday Offertory. I wish to thank all of you for helping us strive to reach our weekly collection goal; however, I believe that we must and can do better. I simply ask you to keep in mind how much we depend on a thoughtful and consistent level of giving from each parishioner according to his or her particular financial situation.
Finally, we are asking each family to make a prayerful and considered decision of your weekly or monthly gift to the Sunday Offertory in support of our parish. A letter from me, along with a sacrificial giving intention card will soon be sent to you in the mail. All parishioners will be invited to bring their completed cards to Mass on the weekend of October 26th and 27th. Together, let us support one another in continuing to make St. Thomas Aquinas Parish the very special parish that it is.