On Being a Pencil in the Hand of a Loving God

 Today as we reflect on the Annual Catholic Appeal and all the ministries that are enveloped in this Appeal, it is one of the opportunities we have to consider how our loving and generous God is leading us to share the gifts that God has bestowed on us with our life.

Our Catholic schools receive support through The Appeal. They are meeting the spiritual, academic, and emotional needs of the students and families. And the 61 elementary schools and 11 high schools saw enrollment increase in the last year.

Over 40 students from two of the high schools participated in The Catholic LifeSaver Corps (CLC), a pilot program serving the mental health needs of the community. In partnership with Outreach Ministries and others, CLC trains student facilitators, who then educate their peers about the signs of suicidal ideation and the necessary steps to keep their fellow students safe. Consider the pencil these students are in the hand of our Loving God… think of the love letter that they are writing and that, with our support, will continue to write in their lives.

We, St. Therese community, are 1 of 144 parishes in the Archdiocese. Our part of a goal that is about $15 million, is $42,618, which I believe is about 3%. What is really important is that we see-- that in partnership we can achieve so much that contributes to holding strong to a vision. Holding to being the Pencil that our Loving God is using to write our love letter to the world. And I want to especially note that when we reach our goal, we receive a rebate from the Archdiocese. This year's rebate will go toward projects serving the community of St. Therese, including improvements to the kitchen in our social hall which is used a lot…we know we get to be there most Sunday mornings/afternoons. But it’s used for many events, rentals, and for our school kids.

To support the Appeal, click on the link on the home page.