“Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.”
Hebrews 13:1-2
Jesus Christ teaches that whenever we welcome one of the least of our sisters and brothers, we welcome Christ himself. Members of a stewardship parish seek to see the face of Christ in one another, and welcome each other as special. With special vigilance, parishioners must seek out and welcome new members to the parish family. A stewardship parish is a welcoming parish regardless of the parish demographics: large or small—urban, suburban or rural.
We are all prodigal children longing to be welcomed home. In a hospitable parish, parishioners and guests feel they belong and are appreciated. This is especially true if they were ever absent from the church. Hospitality leads to a sense of ownership among parishioners. This ownership and personal involvement fosters a sense of “belonging.” When parishioners experience a warm and sincere welcome, they in turn become open to give themselves to others. God is love. God gives His love to each one of us. As God loves us, He calls us to love one another. This Divine Love flows through the heart of the faithful steward to love others. When we are recipients of such love from others, we are attracted to follow this example. When others welcome us, we are open to welcoming others. This desire to welcome others is yet another gift of God. The most vibrant stewardship parishes are those in which parishioners know they are welcomed, which fosters a sense of ownership and personal involvement in lived stewardship to the parish family.
Hospitality Goals
- That all parishioners and visitors are welcomed
That everyone has a sense of belonging in our community - That we recognize that each individual is needed & wanted
This parish has always been a warm, accepting parish for some people. As a Stewardship Parish we will now step up our activities in this area. We are making a concerted effort to be more open to visitors to our parish. We will have more greeters at both entrances of the church on the weekends, welcoming especially those we do not know. We will use a more organized approach in reaching out to those who are visiting or who are new parishioners. We will recruit more parishioners to serve as Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Sacristans and servers at Mass. We have set up a permanent Information Desk in the back of the church to serve as a resource for information about the parish and for ways in which new parishioners and visitors can become more easily involved in the life of the parish.
“When I was a stranger, you welcomed me.” (Mt.25:35)