From the Pastor December 14/15

Warm personal interactions that make visitors feel noticed and valued are the key to making newcomers want to become part of a parish. They are critical to helping foster feelings of loyalty to a church community. Those were the findings of the American Beliefs Study conducted by ACS Technologies through surveys carried out from 2013-21 and again in February of this year. 

Those observations are especially timely during the Christmas holiday season. 

Any year, Christmas offers a unique chance to welcome lapsed parishioners, cultural Catholics who attend church only on Christmas and Easter, and people with no religious background but who are seeking a possible relationship with Jesus Christ to join our parish. That is especially true in 2024. This Christmas is our first in our renovated church, and we want to show it off. We want all the family at our house for Christmas.

The American Beliefs Study found that newcomers to a parish look for warm and friendly encounters when they visit a new church. They seek:

• A warm greeting at the door. Even better one in the parking lot.
• Recognizing friends and acquaintances among attendees.
• Receiving a personal invitation to Mass.
• It is being personally directed to a seat by a host.
• Hearing the congregation welcomed by a church leader.
• Receiving personalized invitations to future church events. 

To help meet these expectations, we plan to enhance our hospitality ministry for Christmas. We will need six parking lot attendants for the 4 and 6 p.m. Christmas Eve Masses and 4 for the 10 a.m. Christmas morning Mass. These should be people who are a little “laid back” and will wish drivers a Merry Christmas. Then, direct them to park so they don’t leave gaps or try to park the wrong way at the back of the lot. 

We are looking for eight greeters for both Christmas Eve Masses and four for Christmas morning Mass. They will be at the doors, holding them open and giving churchgoers a holiday greeting. They will need to be on the lookout for people with a disability and show them the way to our new elevator. They will direct people to the restrooms and guide those unfamiliar with our building. The same number of hosts are needed inside the church to help people find seats so everyone can be comfortable during Mass. That makes for a total of sixty volunteers. Sign up your whole family to help. The grandkids will love getting involved. 

We need to have everyone in place for our hospitality ministry by the end of this weekend because we want to have short, very short training sessions this week. 

We have been handing out invitations with our Christmas Mass Schedule for you to personally ask your family and friends to church, just as the Beliefs Study found people appreciate. Take a few more today.

We are justifiably proud of our new worship space, but even more so that our parishioners are growing in their faith and spirituality and feeling a stronger sense of community. We want to share it with everyone coming to our house this Christmas.

Advent Reconciliation Service

Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. The parish will hold an Advent Reconciliation Service at Holy Redeemer Church. Two other priests will assist Fr. Sullivan in celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation with parishioners. Sadly, the celebration of Reconciliation is a neglected sacrament in today’s Church. Yet, when people who have not celebrated it for years finally come, they say how much they feel renewed by God’s grace and mercy. Jeff Bernard, a parishioner who converted a couple of years ago, believes it is one of the best things about being Catholic! Come with all the family and prepare to celebrate Christmas with a freshly renewed soul. 

Advent Giving 

The Christmas Season is a time of giving. We encourage parishioners to donate to the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Giving Tree. Funds from this activity help the society support the needy of our parish. Let’s cover the whole tree with the names of our intentions this Advent.

Also, we hope parishioners are participating in the Reverse Advent Calendar. Each day, the calendar suggests a food or healthcare item you can contribute to the Chatham Food Pantry. These efforts bring comfort to those in need right in our backyard. 

Vestiture for Deacon Art

Dalmatics are the vestments worn by deacons. They are different from a priest’s. They are tapered through the torso and arms rather than flowing like a priest’s to symbolize the deacon’s role of service. We want to buy six dalmatics, one in each of the six liturgical colors. Each one costs $750. They make a suitable gift for someone you would like to memorialize. A memorial tag will be sowed into the back of the vestment as a reminder to pray for the person being memorialized. We have received gifts for a white dalmatic from Gerry Kirby in memory of his wife, Claire, a purple one from Suzanne Summers in memory of her grandfather, Cornelius Hurley, and a green one from Georgia Pearson. If you would like to arrange the purchase of a dalmatic, contact Fr. Sullivan at the parish office. 

Annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass

Married couples celebrating a significant wedding anniversary in 2025 are invited to renew their wedding vows with Most Rev. Edgar M. DaCunha, S.D.V., D.D., at the Annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass, Sunday, February 9, 2025, at a 3:00 p.m. Mass at the Cathedral of the St. Mary of the Assumption, 327 Second Street, Fall River, MA 02721. To register, please contact the Parish Office at 508-945-0677.