Thirtieth Sunday In Ordinary Time
October 25, 2015 Column Father De Celles
I am/was away on retreat all week, so I am republishing a column from last year that I’d like you to reconsider.
Committed Volunteering. Today I want to strongly encourage you to consider increasing your involvement in the parish by being a committed volunteer. That is contacting one or more of the parish committees/groups and committing to actively participate in their activities..
Different groups obviously require different commitments. For example, the choir requires you to attend at least one practice and the 8:45 Mass every week, while the Flower Committee would require only occasional assistance with arranging flowers or decorating in the church, and the Samaritans might only require occasionally preparing a meal to help a sick mother. Some are geared to more spiritual activities/goals, e.g., Adoration, while others are geared toward more practical activities/goals, e.g., Landscaping.
Perhaps you feel limited in what you are able to commit to a group. Fine; call the group’s leader and talk to them and see if there’s something you can work out. For example, maybe you can’t help the Youth Group every week, but maybe you can help once a month.
Some have told me that they would rather not be a volunteer at Mass (e.g., usher, lector, choir) because they prefer to concentrate on praying at Mass, or they need to be with their families. Understood. How about going to one Mass “to pray”/ and/or “with your family,” and then going to a second Mass to serve? I know that’s a bit of a sacrifice, but after all, the Mass itself is Christ’s Sacrifice. How hard is it, really, to go to 2 Masses?
Which gets to a key question: why do we volunteer in the parish? Many of you do great work serving the Lord in your professions or in volunteering for other charitable organizations. But the parish is different than your work and it is more than just another charity. It is in many ways our spiritual home, a concrete manifestation of the Body of Christ on earth. It is an opportunity for us to grow in charity and to live as Christians together in community. And to imitate Christ, keeping in mind Jesus’ saying that he “came not to be served, but to serve,” and St. Paul’s maxim: “Be servants of one another, out of reverence for Christ.”
What follows is a list of parish groups, their leaders, and contact numbers. Prayerfully consider where you can serve.
Oremus pro invicem, Fr. De Celles
Parish Organizations, Groups & Committees
Adoration :
Wednesdays (Diane Spinelli)) 703-451-1779
Fridays (Monica Montanaro) 703-440-0535
Adult Education Programs (RCIA, Bible Study) (Bob Ward) 703-644-5873
Altar Servers (Fr. Kenna) 703-440-0535
Altar Society (Nena Brennan) 703-541-5151
American Heritage Girls (Mary Hansen) 703-405-4145
Bake Sales (Kathy Walker) 703-203-5300
Basketball Team (Youth) (CYO) (Ed Gloninger) 703-451-8049
Bereavement Committee (Parish Office) 703-440-0535
Book Club (Jim Mault) 703-913-5685
Choir (all music for Masses) (Elisabeth Turco) 703-506-4644
Christ House Committee (Maria Sanchez-O’Brien) 571-259-7379
Cursillo (Chuck Tiso) 703-866-1081
Flower Committee (Rosario Méndez) 202-253-9471
Gift Shop (Rena DeRosa) 703-307-9351
Home School Group (Sheri Burns) 703-455-1820; (Tania Slaton) 703-493-8186
Knights of Columbus (Phil Bettwy) 703-690-6379
Landscaping (Vacant) 703-440-0535
Lectors (Philip Bettwy) 703-690-6379
Legion of Mary (Tom Delaney) 703 690-1930
Library (Liz Hildebrand) 703-455-3193
Men’s Prayer Group (Dave Wilson) 703-455-1847
Mother’s Group (Michelle Castry) 703-731-7854
Natural Family Planning (Bob or Geri Laird) 703-339-7261
One Spirit Special Needs Apostolate (Vacant) 703-440-0535
Prayer Group (Elaine Perricone) 703-440-8356
Respect Life Committee (Dave & Maria Westberg) 858-484-2966
Project Gabriel (Beth Berger) 703-690-3483
Project Rachel (Diane Spinelli) 703-451-1779
Religious Freedom (Bob Laird) 703-339-7261
Religious Education (“CCD”) (Maria Ammirati) 703-440-0537
Samaritans (Laura Haas Connolly) 703-690-6254
St. Martin de Porres Society (Flavia Tommasi) 703-866-4671
Trail Life (Vince Drouillard) 703-992-0490
Ushers (Paul DeRosa) ) 703-307-9351
Wedding Committee (Carol Ann McKim)703-644-4040; (Pam Rinn) 703-690-4420
Women’s Group (Vacant) 703-440-0535
Welcome Committee (Mary Butler) 703-507-7776
Youth Apostolate (“Youth Group”) (Jeanne Sause) 703-440-0535