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