19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Parishioners,
We are going to be initiating a new program which we are going to entitle Lasallian Day. These days will be taking place twice a year and the purpose of the Saturday training is to raise up new leadership in our parish. Leaders need to be formed and the purpose of this one-day program is to deepen people’s involvement in the parish. The parish council has been developing this training over the last couple years. Volunteers have experienced the day and critiqued it, changes have been made and we feel like we are ready to invite a wider audience.
One might ask where the word Lasallian comes from. The program is named after St. Francis de Sales who was a bishop in France at the time of the Reformation. St. Francis was a great spiritual writer and was one of the first to propose that all people in the church are called to holiness, laity as well as clergy and religious. We might remember that St. Francis de Sales wrote a book call The Devout Life. In that book St. Francis gave practical suggestions for how to grow in the spiritual life.
The next Lasallian Day will be September 8th. More information will be found in the bulletin as we come closer to that day. There is no cost other than one’s time. One of the goals of the strategic plan we finished in 2018 was that we encourage new leaders in our congregation. Hopefully, upcoming Lasallian Days will make that goal a reality.
Blessings,
Fr. Mark
P.S. We have signed a contract with the Steier Group as we anticipate our Capital Campaign this fall and winter. Their representative has started his work this week. His name is Mike Thompson. Mike has worked for Steier for several years. He lives with his wife and family in Omaha. We welcome Mike to the Catholic community in Moline. Let us pray that his time with us will be productive. Mike will be introducing himself to parish leadership this week and will be getting familiar with our campaign goals.