Stewardship of Time and Talent 

You make a difference! Attached to the bulletin this weekend is a booklet that describes ways for both long-time parishioners and new members to get connected and involved in your parish family. The booklet lists the wide variety of ministries we offer at St. Clare for you to share some of your time to benefit our parish and the larger community. 

In a parish of our size, some people may feel sort of ‘lost in the crowd’ or mistakenly think things are ‘running smoothly’ without them. However, each and every person, like any family, plays an important part and is needed to help out. We need each person to realize how much their help is appreciated to keep St. Clare Parish a vibrant, prayerful place. More importantly, through Baptism, God has given each of us ‘talents’ to be shared in the Church. And God gives each of us the gift of time – 730 hours a month actually – to be used wisely. Pray about how you will return some of those hours to God by serving in a ministry in the parish. 

In the spring we offered signups for our liturgical ministries of serving at Mass. This booklet lists the other ministries of education, charity, outreach, etc. Whether you are active already or new to ministry, you are encouraged to fill out your Time-Talent card and return it on the weekend of October 26-27. 

I offer a special invite to those of you who have been sort of ‘sitting in the pew’ to step forward and volunteer for at least one of our ministries. It is the best way to become engaged, get to know some of your fellow parishioners, and serve God. Let us praise God for the gifts He has given us, and may the Holy Spirit inspire us to share them generously! 

God’s Peace, 
Fr. Jim Deiters 

Next weekend (October 19-25), I will be away helping Matthew Kelly and Dynamic Catholic on a retreat/pilgrimage to Fatima. There are 650 people from around the USA attending to make a “Consecration of the World to the Eucharist” as a follow up to his powerful book on the Eucharist that we used this past spring here at St. Clare for our own parish consecration. I will be offering one of the Masses for our St. Clare Parish and your intentions at the very site of Mary’s Apparition. Our Lady of Fatima…pray for us!