A Special Message from the Pastoral Council
January 26, 2021
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish,
As we start 2021, the members of your Parish Pastoral Council would like to update you on the efforts and successes we have experienced as a parish over the past year during this pandemic. We are strong!
With God’s blessings, by embracing digital evangelization and engaging innovative ways to stay connected as a parish family, we are happy to share that our Parish continues to grow. Through truly collaborative efforts, we have welcomed new members and friends to the Parish.
We are so deeply grateful to Parishioners who have responded to the Holy Spirit’s inspiration to come forward willingly to share their God-given talents and gifts in such a wide variety of ways. Some of the remarkable community-building activities include:
- Expanding our communication efforts from the weekly bulletin to an e-newsletter, enhanced website and stronger use of our Parish Facebook Page
- Implementing livestream of Parish Masses from the first weekend of shutdown
- Pivoting all Faith Formation efforts to virtual platforms including Bible Study and Baptism Preparation, and designing a new website dedicated to faith formation for parish families
- Planning “Car-avans,” Christmas Caroling, phone calling and mailing of the Weekly Bulletin to our homebound and those without access to the computer or internet
- Increasing our commitment to our outreach ministries, supporting local food pantries, shelters and agencies, staying faithful to our sister parish, St. Ann in Haiti, and more
- Creating new ministries in response to these new times including: Digital Disciples, Health & Safety, Church Cleaning & Sanitizing, On-line Mass Registration, just to name a few
Most importantly, we affirm the outstanding leadership of Father George and the entire Parish staff through this most challenging year.
Through your continued contributions and with the support of the SBA Payroll Protection Program (PPP), we have been able to meet our financial obligations for 2020. However, we want to acknowledge that our Parish financial situation is fragile.
As we work to follow guidance provided by the Archdiocese and State of Connecticut, for everyone’s safety, we place a high priority on the necessity for physical distancing. With limited attendance at Mass, we increasingly rely on the continued financial support of those who have signed up for online giving or those who mail/drop off their financial contributions to the Parish Office.
In addition to the many ministerial and spiritual aspects of parish life, there are additional on-going expenses involved in maintaining our facilities. As fellow parishioners who care deeply about our Faith Community, we ask for your help in sustaining Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish.
Thank you for your prayerful consideration in supporting the Parish, if comfortable, through online giving. If you prefer to mail/drop off financial donations weekly or monthly, please make that part of your routine.
By working together as a community, even from afar, we truly believe we can keep our Parish vital and vibrant by providing spiritual and pastoral support and meeting our financial needs. Please join us, the members of your Parish Pastoral Council, in supporting Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish through 2021 and beyond.
With Sincere Gratitude and Appreciation,
Kathy Alexander
Sandy Ambrose (Trustee)
Mike Camilleri (Chair)
Father George Couturier
Sharon Gagne
Kasey Harding-Wheeler (Vice Chair)
Steve Hinchey
Sue Kalagher
Julia Laurito (Youth Representative)
Lorraine Levesque (Secretary)
John (Jay) Montalbano
Bob Murray
Ed Mulvey
Lisa Orchen
Carol Rizzo
Frank Scalise (Trustee)
Deacon Michael Ward
