Happy 4th of July!

Jun 30

Letter from the Pastor
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 2, 2023

Happy 4th of July!

If Memorial Day is the “beginning” of summer, I think it is safe to say that the 4th of July is the peak of summer. From my experience here at St. Francis, it is always our peak in terms of the number of people who join us at our weekend Masses. It is a great summer holiday, and there is no better place to be than at the beach. Welcome to one and all and especially to our guests.

As a parish community, we are celebrating our stewardship program, “The Joy of Sharing the Gospel.” Stewardship is about careful and responsible management of that which is entrusted to our care. In our case, it is the stewardship of our parish.

The fundamental reason for our existence is that we are a community of faith that lives the Gospel of Jesus Christ and with God’s Grace strives to continue to build the Kingdom of God in our midst. Our parish life is dynamic and our liturgical celebrations are welcoming and enriching. As you can see from our bulletin as well as the St. Francis Center brochure, we carry that spirit beyond the weekends and reach out to the larger community in so many ways. Stewardship is about making sure that St. Francis of Assisi Parish continues for generations to come.

We are blessed to have four churches on the island to welcome our many guests. As you know, these churches open and close depending on the season. It is exciting to see the churches full and it is a joy to participate in robust celebrations with all the faithful. But when the season passes, like the receding tide, the crowds begin to diminish, yet our buildings remain, waiting for the next season’s guests.

The Parish Finance Council and I have created a two-pronged approach to help stabilize our finances and produce a sustainable future for our parish. The plan includes the creation of an endowment with the funds from the sale of three church properties and inviting the parishioners to become stewards of our parish. The endowment will be a great help to our parish but it is not enough to bridge the gap between operating expenses and our income.

It is for this reason that I appeal to our summer residents, our summer guests, and our online participants to consider becoming a steward of St. Francis Parish so we can continue to have a strong and vital Catholic presence on Long Beach Island.

There are stewardship commitment cards in the pews, at the doors of the churches, or on our webpage: Click to view the Stewardship Page

I ask that you prayerfully consider becoming a steward of St. Francis of Assisi Parish and consider a weekly, monthly, or one time contribution to support your church away from home.

May God continue to bless you and your families, our stewardship program, and, of course, May God continue to bless America.

Peace and All Good!