Update from the pastor to parish pastoral council 12 February 2004

Census 2004

Response is moving ahead slowly with more than a quarter of the returns in to date. We will be targeting a few groups (e.g. religious education classes) after the February vacation and then mailing all who have not responded in a mailing in March.

Parishes of the Archdiocese – merging or reconfiguring or closing

Pastors of the parishes of the vicariate met with Bishop Allué at the end of January. There will be a meeting of clergy, staff, and council representatives by the end of February in the cluster of Acton, Boxborough, Littleton, Maynard, and Stow. The bishop felt there was sufficient strength in these parishes to avoid any need for reconfiguration but emphasized that if we felt that was our response we should back it up with a clear rationale. A liability we face is that our numbers are only at about the twentieth percentile of the Archdiocese. On the other hand, future growth, the distance to neighboring parishes, etc. counterbalance this. In this cluster in the last five years we have gone from five parishes to four and from eight priests to five.

Support of the men and women in the service in Iraq

The program was well responded to and well received.

Ice Cream Social

A good time was had by all.

Marriage Affirmation and Protection Amendment

All were invited to reflect, to attend conferences, to rally and to lobby

Organization and Leadership Training Center.

Staff of the Greater Boston OLTC have been meeting with about thirty clergy of the MetroWest area to explore the potential of an interfaith committee to address issues of concern such as affordable housing, plight of immigrant groups etc. I have been working with them and am on the initial board. In the next couple of months I will arrange for an informational night to share the status of this with interested parishioners.

Haiti

The trip was successful in many ways, not the least of which was the distribution of donations of medicines and money to clinics there.

Generations of Faith

The team participated in another round of the training earlier today and a more detailed report will be offered in the agenda tonight.

The spring newsletter will be finalized this weekend and delivered to the printer at the beginning of next week.

Lent

Ash Wednesday calls us all on February 25^th to the annual fasting, almsgiving, and penance.