My pastor's column is most always directed to anyone and everyone who takes time to read and reflect on at least some of what I say. The same is true in this column EXCEPT what is directed to 248 families of our parish. I say THANK YOU, THANK YOU to you for your generosity to the Catholic Arkansas Sharing Appeal for the year 2022!! The total amount of money that was given by you faith-filled, most generous souls was an unbelievable $103,000!!!! Even without knowing the amount of money given by each family (except what I gave), it is edifying to know that you recognized that your gift is in fact gifting a wide variety of people and age groups (from babies in the womb through our repsect life office initiatives, to our young people in religious education and youth activities, to our college age and young adults, to our newly formed and initiated adults and young people as Catholics, to our seniors who are helped through our family life office and our senior priest, to the poor and needy families who are assisted through Catholic Charities of Arkansas. I pray that you 248 families (and me) will be able to be as generous as you were last year as the opportunity to give a one time gift or a pledge that is paid out throughout the year is before you through the mailing you received this past week. I'm confident that whatever you give will be thoughtful and generous again.
I now encourage and even strongly ask that the many registered parishioners who did not give anything to the Catholic Arkansas Sharing Appeal last year will consider doing so this year whether by a one-time donation through the mail (making sure, if you will, that you are from Hot Springs Village and Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish), or by a pledge that you can pay off monthly throughout the rest of the year, and help your fellow parishioners to blow past (or even way past) the amount of money given last year, and make our donors much higher in number than last year. While this annual diocesan request comes each year from Bishop Taylor who is "The Chief Shepard" of our diocese, know that countless other clergy and lay leaders and workers are asking us to help them in their efforts to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ and/or be Christ to people of all ages, races and creeds who live in Arkansas.
I now encourage and even strongly ask that the many registered parishioners who did not give anything to the Catholic Arkansas Sharing Appeal last year will consider doing so this year whether by a one-time donation through the mail (making sure, if you will, that you are from Hot Springs Village and Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish), or by a pledge that you can pay off monthly throughout the rest of the year, and help your fellow parishioners to blow past (or even way past) the amount of money given last year, and make our donors much higher in number than last year. While this annual diocesan request comes each year from Bishop Taylor who is "The Chief Shepard" of our diocese, know that countless other clergy and lay leaders and workers are asking us to help them in their efforts to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ and/or be Christ to people of all ages, races and creeds who live in Arkansas.