St.
Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Holmen, Wisconsin has had
several Discipleship faith-sharing groups meeting this
year. In one such group, participants expressed a strong
desire to work collectively on a service apostolate for
those in need. The parish is already known for its
generosity to those in need through the well established
outreach called “We Care.” Parishioners generously
donate food, clothing and toiletry items on an ongoing
basis. Every 5th Sunday of the month a second collection
is taken up for the “We Care” fund. These funds are used
to purchase gasoline vouchers, and provide occasional
short term financial assistance with things such as
vehicle repairs, rental assistance and medical care.
People come from all over the Coulee region to St.
Elizabeth Parish when in need because they know “We
Care” and they can receive assistance.
This
particular faith-sharing group, consisting of 11
members, decided to sponsor a dinner for the “We Care”
participants who would be the “guests of honor.” The
motivation for the dinner was to go beyond just
providing some material assistance such as food but to
honor each person as a reflection of Christ in the
world. The dinner would not only offer a meal but would
be a way to promote the dignity and respect of each
person.
The leadership for the dinner was
provided for by the pastoral associate of the parish,
Sr. Bridget Donaldson, O.S.B.and a parishioner,
Arlene McCabe. Several meetings were conducted to
sort out the meal preparation and planning. Various
donors came forward with children’s toys, food items and
various miscellaneous items that would be given to the
dinner guests. The individuals and families that have
utilized “We Care” in the past were contacted and
invited to the dinner.
A spirit of generosity and
self-giving was evident by all those involved in
planning and preparing for the dinner. A parishioner of
our parish who is a magician volunteered his time to do
a magic show for the children in attendance at the
dinner. A summer and patriotic theme of red, white and
blue was chosen for the dinner and tables were set with
colorful napkins and balloons. These extra efforts were
taken to transform the parish “gathering space” into an
inviting dining room.
As dinner guests trickled in,
Discipleship group participants and several of their
family members who volunteered to assist with the dinner
extended warm greetings. St. Benedict wrote a rule for
monasteries which states, “all guests shall be received
as Christ”. This was how each of the guests was
received. Several members of the faith-sharing group
were able to sit down with the guest families and share
the meal. The conversations and laughter brought genuine
enjoyment to all.
After
dinner the magician performed an outstanding show that
was interrupted several times by laughter, applause and
cheers. After the magician was done, the guests received
various “goody bags” containing food items, children’s
toys and personal items. One high school student who
volunteered to assist with the dinner related that she
experienced an overwhelming sense of joy especially in
seeing the young children smiling and laughing
throughout the evening. As she was leaving, one of the
guests who called herself “Grandma” asked if she could
give me a hug because it was one of the most special
days of her life. I accepted her hug, humbly knowing
that in some small way it was coming from Christ
himself. The Discipleship faith-sharing sessions
provided time to read, discuss, reflect and pray. This
ultimately led to something deeper which is love of
Christ as seen in those that we serve.
You are invited to share anecdotes
or photos with regard to love of neighbor prompted by
your Discipleship faith-sharing experience.
The purpose is not to foster pride, but rather to
provide a humble source of inspiration and ideas for
others. Please email your stories and/or photos with
captions to
cruff@novomill.com.
We reserve the right to edit materials submitted.
St.
Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Holmen, Wisconsin has had
several Discipleship faith-sharing groups meeting this
year. In one such group, participants expressed a strong
desire to work collectively on a service apostolate for
those in need. The parish is already known for its
generosity to those in need through the well established
outreach called “We Care.” Parishioners generously
donate food, clothing and toiletry items on an ongoing
basis. Every 5th Sunday of the month a second collection
is taken up for the “We Care” fund. These funds are used
to purchase gasoline vouchers, and provide occasional
short term financial assistance with things such as
vehicle repairs, rental assistance and medical care.
People come from all over the Coulee region to St.
Elizabeth Parish when in need because they know “We
Care” and they can receive assistance.
This
particular faith-sharing group, consisting of 11
members, decided to sponsor a dinner for the “We Care”
participants who would be the “guests of honor.” The
motivation for the dinner was to go beyond just
providing some material assistance such as food but to
honor each person as a reflection of Christ in the
world. The dinner would not only offer a meal but would
be a way to promote the dignity and respect of each
person.
After
dinner the magician performed an outstanding show that
was interrupted several times by laughter, applause and
cheers. After the magician was done, the guests received
various “goody bags” containing food items, children’s
toys and personal items. One high school student who
volunteered to assist with the dinner related that she
experienced an overwhelming sense of joy especially in
seeing the young children smiling and laughing
throughout the evening. As she was leaving, one of the
guests who called herself “Grandma” asked if she could
give me a hug because it was one of the most special
days of her life. I accepted her hug, humbly knowing
that in some small way it was coming from Christ
himself. The Discipleship faith-sharing sessions
provided time to read, discuss, reflect and pray. This
ultimately led to something deeper which is love of
Christ as seen in those that we serve.