EMAIL UPDATES FROM THE PARISH FOUND HERE
As we recently noted, on October 10, Pope Francis announced a two-year synod process with a call for the global Catholic Church to master the "art of encounter." Beginning in January 2022, churches worldwide will invite their parishioners to meet for informal "listening sessions" aimed at better understanding their needs and their vision of what the Church should be going forward. The goal of the synod is to find a way for everyone in the Church – clergy, religious, and laity – to better listen to one another and work together to proclaim the Gospel. As Washington's Cardinal Wilton Gregory stated in a recent homily, "Every member of the Church must feel the sincere invitation to participate in the synodal process. We should be inspired to speak honestly with one another and to listen sincerely. We must not be afraid to hear the voices of those who may feel distant from the Church or who have grown frustrated or scandalized by our past."
The Synod process will begin at Holy Redeemer in January with Saturday afternoon "listening sessions." The sessions will last through the end of April. While there are no restrictions regarding what participants would like to discuss, some potential areas for consideration are noted below.
- How does your prayer life and celebration of the Mass inspire and inform your personal decisions and decisions in the parish community?
- What are the difficulties and obstacles to active parish life that you have encountered?
- Do you feel you have a voice in your parish and the Church in general, and if not, why not?
- What could your parish and the Church, in general, do to meet your spiritual needs better?
- How does your parish promote participation by all parishioners in decision-making?
- What enables or hinders you from speaking up candidly in your parish?
The listening sessions will begin at 1 pm, and everyone is encouraged to participate. The dates for the sessions are as follows:
If you would like to participate in one of the listening sessions, please call the parish office at 508-945-0677 or send an email to parish@holyredeemerchatham.org. A sign-up sheet will also be available at the back of the Church. If you are unable to participate in person, an online survey will be available in mid-January. Surveys will also be available at the back of the Church.
The listening sessions will be conducted by two lay members of the Holy Redeemer community, Liz McCarte, and Ron Weishaar. They have been chosen by Father Sullivan as ambassadors and have received training for the local listening process. Their role is to facilitate discussion among the participants. Any comments made during the listening sessions will be collected in a confidential manner.
Holy Redeemer enthusiastically embraces the Synod's call to "journey together" and sincerely hopes you will take the opportunity to participate. Additional information and updates regarding the Synod and our parish listening sessions will be provided in the Bulletin over the next several months.
Do You Receive Flocknotes?
Since the pandemic began, Holy Redeemer has been using Flocknotes to communicate with our members about church news. We use it to share health, weather advisers, and other critical information as we get deeper into winter. We also send out a short email with details about faith topics every week. These are very well received by parishioners, and over half of those who receive the emails open them. It's a great tool to deepen the understanding of your faith. Our relationship with Jesus and God can only deepen if we work at it. The subject matter of our weekly emails helps us do that.
Do we have your email address? To sign up for Flocknotes text, HRCHATHAM to 84576 or sign up online at www.holyredeemercatholicchurcu.flocknotes.com. To stop receiving emails, text STOP to 84576 at any time. Text HELP for help at any time. There is no charge for the services, but your carrier messenger and data rates may apply. To view privacy policies and conditions, go to Flocknotes. com/txt.
How about automatic giving?
While we're talking about signing up for things, "Are you enrolled for automatic giving with WeCare? You can set your weekly and Special Collection donations and then forget it with automatic giving, and you'll have no forgotten envelopes or checkbooks. We are very thankful to parishioners who signed up to make automatic donations during the pandemic. And they have kept the parish going on pandemic days.
Sign-up for automatic giving on the parish website www.holyredeemerchatham.org. On the Homepage, go to the drop tab "online giving." A tab entitled "Click Here to Make Donation" will appear in the middle of the page, and click on it and fill out the form. If you have difficulties, call the Parish Office, and we'll walk you through the process.
2022 Catholic Calendars
Catholic Calendars for 2022 are available on the table at the back of the Church. They include all the Catholic holidays, liturgical seasons, and the saints' feasts. The Catholic Extension Service publishes the calendars, and they include information about the work of Catholic Extension in mission diocese around the country. It is good to have a Catholic Calendar in the home as a tool to teach about the liturgical calendar and as a sign that yours is a Catholic home. Would you please help yourself to a couple of them and share them with your family and neighbors. The Nickerson Funeral Home sponsors the calendars for the parish.
Desktop Publishing Skills Needed
Do you have experience with Microsoft Publisher or another desktop publishing software application? The parish needs someone to prepare our weekly Worship Aid. If you have desktop publishing skills or are willing to learn them, please call Cheryl Durrer, Music Director, (508) 945-0677.
New Years Mass Schedule
Solemnity of Mary Mother of God
Holy Day of Obligation
Friday, December 31 at 4 PM Saturday, January 1 at 10 AM
No 4 PM Saturday Vigil Mass on New Years Day